I took a trip through our solar system today in about an hour and a half. I did take along my camera to share what I found along the way!
Not only can you travel through the solar system in New Milford, CT, but did you know we have a world class observatory here too? The John J. McCarthy Observatory, located on the grounds of New Milford High School on Rt. 7, was dedicated and turned over to the New Milford Board of Education on December 2, 2000. The observatory is open to the public as well as to the students of New Milford, CT, with no charge for its use. The observatory also is fully equipped for the disabled. There are 3 telescopes, a weather station, video cameras, a film camera, CCD cameras, an adaptive optics unit and much more!
On November 15th, 2009, the John J. McCarthy Observatory in New Milford, CT put up a Scale Solar System. I started at Schaghtichoke Middle School with the representation of our galexy and ended up with the sun just outside the John J. McCarthy Observatory. What great fun it was and I got some good shots of our solar system. There are driving directions at the observatory website, as well as more information on the display.
I learned some things I never knew, I relearned things I forgot such as, poor Pluto is no longer a plant, but a plutoid. How about that? And in case you were wondering, I did see a few UFO's, but as always my camera was not ready. Maybe next time!
I do plan to get to the observatory to "observe" the skies over New Milford, CT soon and report back. In the meantime, please enjoy my slide show of my trip through our solar system!
Andrea Swiedler, Realtor® & Liddy Adams, GRI, Broker Associate
Cell: 203.460.1775 Email: andrea@andreaswiedler.com
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© Andrea Swiedler, 2009 - 2012
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This would be a fun place to explore! Thanks for sharing your photos. Your post reminded me of the Planetarium I use to visit at a local college......fun times! I need to check that place out again.
Have a great week!
Ann
Sounds like a great time. The city high school has a planetarium that no longer gets used. Such a waste of a great resource.
Andrea: Looks like a fun and informational afternoon!
Hi Andrea,...
I love everything about space, and this looks like a great observatory! How cool to have all of that in your neighborhood!
Ann, I really do want to go to the observatory. I always forget, I was hoping this post would remind me, LOL.
Jason, it really was pretty interesting. Next is the observatory!
Tony & Darcy, it was both those things!
Richard, it is very cool, isn't it. Live long and prosper my dear friend. There is nothing more exciting than imagining what is out there. I am a space nut myself.
Andrea, sounds like a place well worth visiting.
It is humiliating enough to lose a job, but can you imagine how devastating it had to for poor Pluto to one day come spinning around the sun and find out that you had been demoted from a Plant but a plutoid and your name does not even begin with a capital letter any more :) :) :)
Andrea this sounds like a fun place to visit. Here I was thinking you were one of these super rich person who could buy a seat into outer space....:)
George, LOL now that is funny! You and the wife should plan a trip to the observatory in the summertime!
Jennifer, LOL, not quite. :D It is pretty cool, I enjoyed myself. And they are easy to find if you have the sheet telling you were to look.
Hi Andrea ~ What a cool installation! Astronomy was one of my favorite college classes. The observatory sounds like a great idea for a day trip.
Liz
I always think it's fun when adults get a chance to learn like kids again. Poor Pluto. I always liked the name Pluto better than Uranus lol.
Liz, the observatory is about 1/4 mile south of my office on the opposite side of the street, LOL.
Jenny, someone stole "Uranus" just after it was installed. LOL, a woman found it on her front lawn and called the Mayor. It was returned. You just have to know it was a bunch of kids being cute, LOL. I stole Uranus.. what more is there to say? It made a big splash in the papers when it was stolen and when it was returned. I am sure the kids meant no harm and they are still laughing. All's well that ends well. Even with Uranus...
You DID take a trip . . . and in the c-c-c-c-c-c-c-COLD too!!
Carla, yes indeed, but outer space is cold... what can I say!
OMG - Too funny - I can just see the headlines in the papers "Uranus goes missing"
Andrea, glad you took a day off to do something fun, still share it with us. It seems like a cool place to visit. Very nice pictures, and I see you still have some snow hanging around. We were at the teen temperature last Sunday, guess what, we will be 62 degree tomorrow, isn't it crazy?
Jenny, exactly, LOL. And that is exactly what prompted me to write this post! Got my attention, what can I say! My 30 year old daughter and I couldn't stop laughing, she said of course it was stolen. I hope they got it out of their systems, and it was good that they made sure it got back. But.... yep, you are so right!
Rita, it was an hour and a half of fun, then work, then a not to nice trip to the train station to pick up hubby. Snowed, sleet, freezing rain, icky slick weather. Now just rain, the weather is crazy as can be.
Hi Andrea,
What an intriguing observatory and an excellent presentation of an important site in your community. Glad to see you took some time off to explore something right there close to your office..I have 2 grandsons that would love to see this place!!
Good Morning Andrea-What a great way to spend an hour and a half. I love looking at all that stuff. It is fascinating. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week. <SMILE>
Andrea, this post is out of this world!! Looks like a great place to learn about space and see it up close!
That's so very cool Andrea. And I love your slideshow too!
Now that you're back, did you discover any signs of intelligent life out there?!!!
What fun, Andrea - I would love to do that! It would be very interesting :)
Debi
Andrea - Celestrial bodies have always been a fascination of mine! I must admit that I have never been to a "real" observatory. I thought I was going to one once, but it turned out it was nothing more than a dome shaped building with projections being thrown on the ceiling. . .Boy was I disappointed!
Andrea,
Very cool post! Thank you for sharing it!
Ann Hayden in Wildwood, MO
Andrea - Wow. You're just as high tech as the observatory! Great slide show presentation! ...but even more impressive...an observatory at the High School?! That is unbelievable. We're lucky to have a library out here. Thanks!
Dorie, isn't it wonderful that we have this here? And I think the solar system is fantastic!
Hi Sharon, you have a wonderful week also, thank you!
LOL Caren, thanks! It really was fun.
Craig, if I had photoshop I would show you what I found, LOL. :X
Debi, I am trying to get some people together to go with me.
Myrl, I have never been to a real observatory either, so that should make a great post!
Hi Ann in Wildwood, thank you!
Kent, LOL, isn't that amazing that it is there for the high school students? I am excited to go and find out what it is like inside.
The solar system model is quite unique. It puts a perspective on how massive the solar system is.
Jim, if you are up this way again you should stop and look at a few of them. It is amazing that they did the scale model here in town. The planets etc are set the correct distance apart and the models are the right size, to scale of course. Very cool stuff!
How very cool. February is free museum month here in Balboa Park, so I'm planning on making a few museums this month that I haven't been to before.