October 16 & 17, 2026
Join us for a weekend of astronomy
This year's theme is Other Worlds: Life Elsewhere
NEFAF brings together astronomers, exhibitors, and stargazers of every age for a weekend of hands-on science. Build and launch a rocket, look through telescopes with members of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, get your own telescope checked out at a telescope clinic, and stick around after dark for guided night sky viewing.
Follow NEFAF on Facebook for event updates and day-of announcements.
Admission
Admission is free. Donations to support NEFAF are welcome, and food and beverages will be available for purchase on site.
Contact us:
For accessibility accommodations or questions, contact John Gianforte, Director of the UNH Observatory.
john.gianforte@unh.edu
Event schedule
NEFAF runs over two days. Friday evening features a keynote speaker and an introduction to the weekend at the Main Tent, followed by early stargazing at the Observatory. Saturday is the full festival day, with hands-on activities, rocket building and launching, exhibitors, informal science talks, and stargazing that runs into the evening.
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00–11:00 p.m. | Country Road BBQ food vendor | Main Parking Lot, north end |
| 7:00 p.m. | John Gianforte, Director, UNH Observatory — Introduction | Main Tent |
| 7:00 p.m. | Marian McCord, Senior Vice Provost, Research, Economic Engagement, and Outreach — Opening Remarks | Main Tent |
| 7:15–8:20 p.m. | Dr. Heidi Hammel, VP AURA — The James Webb Space Telescope & Q&A | Main Tent |
| 8:30–8:50 p.m. | Meet and greet with Heidi Hammel before heading down to the Observatory and telescopes for stargazing | Main Tent |
| 7:30–8:00 p.m. | Early laser pointer sky tour program for younger astronomers and their parents | Observatory Area |
| 8:40–9:15 p.m. | Weather permitting, stargazing with numerous telescopes at the UNH Observatory and the surrounding area | Observatory Area |
| 8:15 p.m. onward | General night sky observing | Observatory Area and surrounding fields |
| 9:15–9:45 p.m. | Laser pointer sky tour program | Observatory Area |
Saturday Schedule
All-Day Activities
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Kids' Hands-On Science Activities | Main Tent |
| 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | NEFAF AstroScavenger Hunt | Main Tent |
| During the day | NEFAF Observer AstroScavenger Hunt | Main Tent and Observatory Area |
| 10:45 a.m.–4 p.m. | Face Painting | Main Tent entrance |
| 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. | Walk Through the Solar System | North field |
| During the day | Safe Solar Observing | Observatory Area and outside the Main Tent |
| 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. | Country Road BBQ | Main Parking Lot |
Scheduled Activities
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 a.m. | NEFAF gates open | Main gate |
| 10:30 a.m. | Rocket building sign-ups begin | Main Tent |
| 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Saturday Informal Science Talks by Student and Faculty Researchers See the full talk schedule below. | Speaker Tent |
| 11 a.m. | Rocket building — Group 1 | Main Tent |
| 11:30 a.m. | Rocket building — Group 2 | Main Tent |
| 7–7:30 p.m. | Early Laser Pointer Sky Tour | Observatory Area |
| 7:30–11 p.m. | Stargazing with telescopes and binoculars | Observatory Area |
| 8–8:30 p.m. | Advanced Laser Pointer Sky Tour | Observatory Area |
Saturday Informal Science Talks by Student and Faculty Researchers
Student and faculty researchers will share their work through a series of short, informal science talks throughout the day.
| Time | Speaker | Talk |
|---|
NEFAF Exhibitors - Saturday
- American Meteorological Society
- College of Life Science and Agriculture
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
- Leitzel Center
- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/CRaTER
- McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
- Mount Washington Weather Observatory
- NASA Solar Sys. Ambassador S. Jensen
- New Hampshire Astronomical Society
- Plymouth State University(PSU)
- PSU Astronomy Club
- Slooh
- Southwest Research Institute
- UNH Extension & 4-H
- UNH Observatory
- UNH’s Space Technology Hub
Directions & parking
UNH Observatory
16 Spinney Lane, Durham, NH 03824
Where to park
Park in the Spinney Lane lot, closest to the Observatory.
If that lot is full, additional parking is available at:
- O'Kane Road — north (right) side
- Mast Road Lot 2 — dirt and gravel lot along Main Street and Mast Road Extension, holds about 150 cars
- UNH Child Study and Development Center — from 6 p.m. Friday, and all day and night Saturday
- Moiles Lot — overflow parking, corner of Main Street and Mast Road Extension
Accessible parking is available near the Contractor's Lot on Spinney Lane.
Our sponsors & partners
This event is made possible through a partnership of the UNH Department of Physics and Astronomy, the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, UNH Extension, the New Hampshire Space Grant, the New Hampshire 4-H Foundation, the Southwest Research Institute, and Beswick Engineering, and other regional amateur astronomy clubs.
Donations are very much-appreciated to keep the New England Fall Astronomy Festival going for years to come. These donations go directly to help fund NEFAF. Thank you in advance!
Please click the "Donate" button and select "additional or multiple funds" and click on "Physics & Astronomy Festival Gift Fund".
The festival is for anyone who has an interest in astronomy. Families in particular are encouraged to attend because astronomy is a great family hobby. Local amateurs, like the members of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, share their passion and enthusiasm about astronomy with the public.
The best part about NEFAF is that you don't need to bring anything! Admission to the festival is free, although donations to the UNH Observatory are appreciated. The only costs to you would be if you'd like to purchase food or tickets for our raffle.
We will also be featuring a telescope clinic, so if you have a telescope at home that is broken or you're not quite sure how to use, you can bring that with you and have it looked at by our telescope experts. Other than that, just bring your excitement and enthusiasm!
Most of the events for NEFAF will take place on the lawns surrounding the UNH Observatory, which may be challenging for guests. If you have any questions about accessibility at NEFAF or would like to request accommodations, please email John Gianforte, john.gianforte@unh.edu, prior to the event.
Unfortunately, the full breadth of NEFAF's events will only be able to occur if the weather cooperates. In the case of cloud cover, but no precipitation, NEFAF will be held without its weather-dependent activities, such as solar and night-time observing. If there is cloud cover with light rain, most of our talks and presentations will most likely still be held without the outdoor activities. In the case of heavy rain or storms, the event may need to be cancelled. Please check our website and Facebook page for weather updates and information.
History of the New England Fall Astronomy Festival
- 2024 New England fall Astronomy Festival
featuring Heidi Hammel, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) - 2022 New England fall Astronomy Festival
featuring Sara Seager, MIT and Alex Filippenko, UC, Berkeley - 2018 New England Fall Astronomy Festival
featuring Planetary Physicist Fran Bagenal, University of Colorado - 2016 New England Fall Astronomy Festival
featuring Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak, SETI Institute - 2014 New England Fall Astronomy Festival
featuring Imaging Science Team Leader Carolyn Porco, NASA's Cassini Mission, sponsors & participants - 2013 New England Fall Astronomy Festival
featuring acclaimed history of science author and journalist Dava Sobel, sponsors& participants - 2012 New England Fall Astronomy Festival
featuring UC-Berkeley professor and noted astronomer Alex Fillippenko, sponsors & participants - 2011 New England Fall Astronomy Festival
featuring NASA astronaut and UNH alumnus Lee Morin, sponsors & participants
Volunteers needed
Volunteers are an important part of NEFAF. Click the button and fill out the form to apply. Opportunities include operating telescopes, running kids games, selling raffle tickets, assisting with parking, setting up booths, and cleaning up. Astronomy knowledge not required, just a desire to help.
Let us know if you or a child you know is interested 4-H Astronomy programs, like Star Parties in their community.
Submit your name and email address to have a 4-H program manager help you get involved.
