[ad_1]
1000’s of fans, professionals and curious skywatchers will collect this weekend for the world’s largest and most spectacular astronomy and area expo.
The Northeast Astronomy Discussion board & Area Expo 2026 (NEAF) takes place April 11–12 at Rockland Group School in Suffern, New York, and marks the occasion’s thirty fifth 12 months. The 2-day occasion options area talks with NASA specialists, cutting-edge tech and hands-on stargazing experiences.
Greater than 100 distributors and exhibitors from around the globe attend NEAF, representing main producers and sellers. That breadth, Siemenn famous, makes it “one of many largest commerce exhibits and collaborative venues of its form on this planet” in addition to “an fanatic’s purchasing paradise.”
“NEAF is a real ‘Discussion board’ of occasions for anybody who has gazed upward to the evening sky and located a curiosity to grasp the cosmos that lies past our personal skinny ambiance,” Siemenn stated. “Annually NEAF searches the globe to current an all star line up of wonderful friends which can be making historical past right this moment. Nowhere else can you discover such an thrilling array of applications introduced collectively in a single place and at one time.”
The exhibit corridor spans telescope makers, imaging gear suppliers, astronomy golf equipment and area organizations, complemented by dwell demonstrations, photo voltaic observing, newbie telescope periods, planetarium programming and a big raffle.
Amongst this 12 months’s standout audio system is Anna Fisher, a trailblazing NASA astronaut and one of many first girls to fly in area. She made historical past in 1984 aboard the area shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51A, serving to to seize and return two malfunctioning satellites — one of the vital technically difficult rescue operations ever carried out in orbit. A doctor in addition to an astronaut, she later turned the first mom to journey to area, and has performed a key function in shaping NASA’s human spaceflight applications by way of a long time of service.
Becoming a member of her is Pettit, a veteran NASA astronaut identified for his long-duration missions aboard the Worldwide Area Station and his method to science in microgravity. Pettit has spent greater than a 12 months in area throughout a number of missions, conducting experiments starting from fluid physics to orbital images, whereas additionally gaining a following for his putting photographs of Earth and the cosmos taken from orbit. His work blends engineering, science and creativity, providing a singular perspective on life and analysis in area.
Different notable audio system in this 12 months’s lineup embody veteran astronauts and main area science voices, resembling Robert Gibson (Hoot Gibson), Michelle Thaller, Ken Kremer, David McComas, Mike Ciannilli, Jim Garvin, Gerry Griffin and Kevin Schindler. The occasion might be hosted by NEAF Talks Grasp of Ceremonies Vince Coulehan and Area.com’s personal skywatching columnist Joe Rao, who will assist open the ceremony on Saturday. A full schedule of occasions is offered on-line.
Shows will cowl human spaceflight, astrophysics, mission operations and ongoing exploration efforts, reflecting NEAF’s long-standing give attention to each training and inspiration, based on the occasion program.
Main as much as the primary occasion, the Northeast Astro-Imaging Convention (NEAIC) will run April 9–10, providing workshops and talks devoted to astrophotography methods, processing workflows and superior imaging instruments for newbies and skilled imagers alike.
Tickets can be found prematurely on-line or on the door, with free admission for youngsters and school college students with legitimate ID. One-day passes begin at $41, or $75 for each days when bought on-line, with increased costs on the door.
“Fairly merely — if area and astronomy curiosity you, then you definately don’t wish to miss NEAF,” Siemenn stated.
[ad_2]
