Alexandra Rockafellar

  • Dr. Billy Teets demonstrates the construction of a paper star wheel to seated students

    Dyer Observatory partners with Vanderbilt’s Program for Talented Youth for 2025 summer camp

    We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration between Dyer Observatory and Vanderbilt’s Programs for Talented Youth (PTY). In lieu of our traditional camps, this summer Dyer will join PTY’s renowned Summer Academy at Vanderbilt for the Young to pilot an astronomy and space science camp designed… Read More

    Dec. 19, 2024

  • Man and child viewing with a telescope at dusk

    How to Buy a Telescope

    Here are a few tips Dr. Billy Teets shares with anyone interested in getting a telescope: We often refer folks to Dobsonian telescopes as they give you the most light-gathering bang for your buck.  These telescopes are more suited for visual observing rather than photography, but one can still… Read More

    Dec. 6, 2024

  • Newspaper editorial cartoon of Arthur Dyer gazing at a silhouette of Dyer Observatory against a large star

    Dyer’s December Dedication

    Professor Carl K. Seyfert joined Vanderbilt’s physics and astronomy department in 1946 with enthusiasm to build a new observatory that would house a donated telescope mirror and bring the program into the space age. Because the university could not fund a new building, Seyfert was put in contact with the… Read More

    Dec. 6, 2024

  • Crowd under the Dyer tent with songwriters on the stage and an illustrative painting beind done in the foreground

    Festive Fall Events of October 2024

    Dyer Observatory is especially gorgeous in autumn as it sits among the changing treetops. We enjoyed a wide variety of events, but here are a few favorites. On October 2, 2024, Percy Priest Elementary held a songwriters night as a fundraiser. Appearing were Jonathan Singleton, Sasha… Read More

    Nov. 6, 2024

  • Surface of the Sun

    We Have Reached Solar Maximum

    Dyer Observatory’s all-sky camera caught a gorgeous aurora as it burst over our area on October 10, 2024. Click on the image to see a timelapse of the aurora. Images were taken approximately every 20 seconds.  The pink prologue started soon after sunset, the… Read More

    Oct. 15, 2024

  • Dr. Billy Teets presenting at Astronomy on Tap

    Be a Part of Nashville’s Astronomy on Tap

    The first successful Astronomy on Tap event took place in Brooklyn in 2013. The concept quickly spread due to the international nature of the astronomy community and the general public’s growing interest in space exploration and discovery. AoT has expanded to cities across America and to international outposts in… Read More

    Oct. 1, 2024

  • Lunar X on the Moon's surface

    Catch the October 9, 2024, Lunar X

    Look for Lunar X along the Moon’s terminator (light/dark boundary) during the few hours it is visible in your area. Image credits: Stellarium and Billy Teets (inset). “Lunar X” is a visual phenomenon where an X appears on the Moon’s surface. What one actually sees is the contrast between the… Read More

    Oct. 1, 2024

  • Vanderbilt University

    JWST: From Stunning Images to Cosmic Breakthroughs

    Meet the Astronomer Evening: Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 PM Our signature event! Browse our exhibits, enjoy an astro talk with Q&A, and view the sky through the historic Seyfert Telescope. Get tickets to attend in person or join us live on YouTube. Read More

    Aug. 14, 2024