Tupper Lake’s Adirondack Sky Center shines in NASA’s eclipse live feed during April 8 event
By Tom French
Just when you thought the eclipse was over, I’m here to tell you that dissecting the science from along the path of totality continues. The eyepieces of the many Adirondack astronomers are involved in a multitude of experiments conducted during those three minutes of darkness over our mountains, lakes, rivers, and rolling hills.
The Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory was the site of several studies including some associated with NASA and SciStarter, an online citizen-science clearinghouse. A team of students from Saint Thomas Aquinas College investigated shadow bands, flash spectra, and other eclipse phenomena while dozens arrived with astrophotography equipment hoping to capture the sun’s corona on “film.”
Due to the number of spectators expected for the eclipse in Tupper Lake, the Sky Center hosted its main events on Apollo Field (renamed for the eclipse) at the LP Quinn Elementary School and only a 5-minute walk from activities at The Wild Center. Technically, access to the Sky Center’s facility on Big Wolf Road was by invite only, reserved for people with specific scientific needs, but almost 200 people showed up unexpectedly at the Roll Off Roof Observatory.
It is estimated that over 15,000 people traveled to Tupper Lake for the eclipse with many changing their original plans due to forecasts for clouds along the path of totality to the west.
Tupper Lake in the national spotlight
Seth McGowan, president of the Sky Center and one of the leaders for the events in Tupper Lake, was especially proud to see his community featured so prominently on the NASA live feed viewed by millions around the world. Tupper Lake was one of only 12 NASA sites tracking the event across the United States, and the two preceding sites in Cleveland and Niagara Falls were under clouds. “Because we were clear, NASA kept coming back to our view, so we wound up having an absurd amount of time in NASA’s live stream.”
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Tupper was chosen by NASA because of McGowan’s work as a solar eclipse ambassador with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, an international non-profit scientific and educational organization founded after an 1880 eclipse passed over San Francisco. “The Sky Center specializes in astrophotography, and we have cameras that that we’ve used for lunar eclipses and deep space streaming. So I made some contacts at NASA,” he said.
McGowan considered his most important task of the day to ensure the live feed was always ready. “I was in the middle of an interview with WAMC, and I was monitoring the directors of the NASA live stream on my earpiece, and I heard them say, ‘Niagara’s clouded out. Kennedy, let’s go to Tupper Lake.’ I wasn’t expecting to be live for another 10 minutes, so I had to wrap up the interview and get back to my scopes and get them finely tuned.”
Insights from the Adirondack Sky Center
The Adirondack Sky Center was the brainchild of amateur astronomers Marc Staves and Tim Moeller along with Tupper Lake High School physics teacher Gordie Duval. They organized informal stargazing programs at the Big Tupper Ski Area and beach in the late 1990s. By 2005, they had formalized non-profit status allowing them to purchase almost four acres on Big Wolf Road from the town by 2007.
The Roll Off Roof Observatory with permanently mounted telescopes was built in 2013. The group has plans for an even larger facility with a research-grade telescope (think dome) and planetarium, though fundraising for the estimated $12 million dollar project is still in its infancy.
All three founders are still actively involved with the observatory. Staves participated in a Solar Eclipse QSO Party sponsored by the University of Scranton, NASA, and the National Science Foundation (QSO refers to three-letter codes, known as Q-Codes, used as abbreviations for common information in shortwave communication). Like a contest with points assigned for various parameters, ham radio operators around the world generated as much shortwave radio traffic as possible to see how the ionosphere responded to the radio signals. Staves also utilized a radio telescope to record ionospheric disturbances during the eclipse.
Shortwave is still an important form of communication, especially during emergencies when other communication networks fail.
Several citizen science experiments occurred on Apollo Field. SciStarter’s Globe Observer project was collecting temperature measurements and cloud cover observations, and the Citizen CATE (Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse) station was one of 68 with identical cameras, telescopes, and supporting equipment that studied the structure and physics of the magnetic field and plasma in the solar corona.
Gearing up for summer
The Sky Center is now preparing for the summer season when upwards of 200 people often show up on clear nights to check out the stars. Nights of operation are dictated by the weather and staff. According to McGowan, “If it’s clear, there’s no private event scheduled, and we have enough astronomers, we’re opening that night.” The Sky Center is available for private events from birthday parties to reunions, anniversaries, or groups that wish to schedule a viewing. The center is also exploring remote viewing with an observatory somewhere else in the world.
Their annual Astrophotography Conference is scheduled for October – “a four-day, immersive experience for every level of astrophotographer.” Even people with just a smart phone and an interest are encouraged to register. The conference includes time to see other people’s equipment, receive tips, and help with troubleshooting. Strategies for processing images is also a topic of discussion.
As for total eclipses, McGowan and others have not yet begun planning for the next Totality in Tupper, scheduled for 2399. McGowan has personally experienced five eclipses, both annular and total, though he will not witness the next total eclipse in Iceland on Aug. 12, 2026.
