Admission:
Event: $10.00 | Members & Children: Free
Event & Dinner*: $41.95
*Extend your time with us and enjoy a meal in our historic, lakeside Dining Hall. Click below to register for this event and see the option to buy a ticket “with Meal.” Advance registration is required to add a meal as space is limited and subject to availability.
The Sagamore Seminars education series is offered by Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered by the Board of Regents of the Education Department of the State of New York and sole owner and operator of Great Camp Sagamore.
Kick off Sagamore’s Stargazing program with an engaging introduction to the wonders above the Adirondacks. In this accessible and wide-ranging lecture, John F. Rusho offers a presentation and guided tour of the night sky as seen from Great Camp Sagamore.
Designed for beginners and curious observers alike, this session explores how to orient yourself under the stars, understand key astronomical terms, and recognize the apparent daily and annual motion of the sky. Participants will learn the basics of celestial coordinates and timekeeping, discover the stories and evolving meanings behind familiar constellations, and trace the ecliptic—the path followed by the Sun, Moon, and planets.
An Earth–Moon demonstration will help illuminate fundamental concepts, and ample time will be reserved for questions. Whether you’re new to stargazing or looking to deepen your understanding, this lecture provides the perfect foundation for exploring Adirondack skies.
John F. Rusho - Program Instructor
Born and raised in Watertown, NY, John attended the colleges of SUNY Canton and Oswego, holding B.S. and M.S. degrees in Technology Education. Most of his primary occupations have been in the fields of mechanical engineering and management, in the Watertown and Central NY areas, retiring as a Project Engineer.
After moving to central NY in 1973, and joining the Syracuse Astronomical Society, he eventually served as Instrumentation Chair, VP, and President. At this point he began designing and building telescopes as well as teaching astronomy at OCC and Oswego State where he contributed to the design and instrumentation of Oswego's new observatory, and performed a ground up restoration of the college's 100 year old classic Brashear telescope.