Complimentary Program via Zoom
Wednesday March 31st from 5-6 pm
Bring your favorite beverage to
an illuminating Virtual Happy Hour
Featuring
Taylor Blanchard, local physicist, artist, and photographer
Sign-up at RSVP@drgreenway.org
Or call Deb Kilmer at 609-578-7470
no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30th
to reserve your space and receive instructions for this Complimentary Zoom event!
Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.
The Sky’s the Limit!
See the Stars Virtually over St. Michaels Farm Preserve
This past year was known for “star” phenomenon – from Comet Neowise in July 2020 – the brightest comet in the Northern Hemisphere in decades – to the ‘Christmas Star’ conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn seen in the night sky for the first time in 800 years.
Learn about these and more with physicist and photographer Taylor Blanchard, who will share photographs taken in 2020 over D&R Greenway’s signature preserve in Hopewell.
“The skies over St. Michaels Farm Preserve are about as good as it gets in New Jersey!”
Taylor Blanchard explains that our Hopewell preserve is the perfect location, with its big open fields from which to view some of the darkest skies in the State.
The preserve’s sky registers on the Bartel scale as a 5 as compared to a 6 or 7 in most NJ locations. A 1 on the scale represents darkness over Antarctica; a 9 represents the lightness of night skies over Tokyo.
Learn about the special equipment and techniques for taking deep sky photographs, including tracking stars across the sky.
Whether or not you are a photographer, you are sure to be wowed by breathtaking pictures over the skies in our own backyard – you’ll never look at the sky the same way again!
Looking forward to seeing you there, because it’s written in the stars!
Taylor Blanchard received a Bachelors degree in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University in 1977 and has co-authorship on two papers published in the Astrophysical Journal. He received an MFA in stage design from New York University in 1980 and worked as a stage designer for several years.
He started painting in late 1980 and attended his first Science Fiction Convention in March 1981 (Lunacon). Taylor worked as a professional Science Fiction/Fantasy Artist/Illustrator from 1986 through 2010. He currently works as a Science teacher in NJ.
Taylor’s lifelong love of Astronomy and Science has brought him to the hobby of Astrophotography. It’s the beginning of a long and exciting journey of discovery.
“Art is how we express the wonders of the Universe.
Science is how we understand the wonders of the Universe.”
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BACKGROUND:
D&R Greenway Land Trust, an accredited nonprofit, has saved over 21,000 acres of New Jersey land since its founding in 1989. By preserving land for life and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for our neighbors—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered in connecting land with people from all walks of life.
D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, home to its art galleries in Princeton, is currently closed to ensure health and safety due to COVID, although its outdoor trails and labyrinth are open. Visit our Facebook and Instagram pages and www.drgreenway.org to learn about the organization’s latest news and virtual programs. D&R Greenway Land Trust, One Preservation Place, Princeton NJ 08540. Best way to reach D&R Greenway Staff during the COVID pandemic is by Info e-mail, available on the website.
