Mountains of Stars offers astronomy-based programs and activities to help people better understand humankind’s place on Earth and our connection with the environment. As society becomes more technological and our impact on the environment grows, understanding science and our interaction with the environment is more critical than ever.
We offer lectures and presentations, hands-on activities, daytime and nighttime telescope observing, planetarium programs, workshops, and demonstrations for people of all ages and backgrounds.
We hope you will take part in one of our many offerings. Join us at Appalachian Mountain Club Facilities in New Hampshire and Maine, the Omni Mount Washington Hotel (Bretton Woods, NH), and at libraries, schools, parks, and other locations throughout northern New England. Private programs are also available for individuals and groups. Contact us to arrange a presentation, workshop, or activity.
Over 67,000 members of the public and more than 500 students, outdoor guides, and nature educators have participated in our programs so far. Please join us!
Make sure to follow our Mountains of Stars Facebook page and visit the Learning Center for a great collection of resources, materials, and information.
Mountains of Stars began in 2012 as a partnership between Carthage College and the Appalachian Mountain Club, and has also included Dartmouth College, Smith College, and Stony Brook University. Through our Astronomy & Nature Education Guide Program, students are educated in science communication and work with professional scientists to develop and deliver programs and activities to the public.
Programs We Offer
“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.”
— Albert Einstein
Meet the Executive Director
Douglas Arion, PhD
Douglas Arion, PhD is the Executive Director of Mountains of Stars, and is Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy and Donald D. Hedberg Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurial Studies at Carthage College. He is deeply concerned about human impact on the environment, and founded Mountains of Stars to change attitudes and actions of the public by instilling ‘environmental awareness from a cosmic perspective’.
He co-founded Galileoscope, a worldwide project to provide high quality, low cost telescopes for worldwide promotion of science education and outreach. More than 260,000 are now in use in over 110 countries. He was the driving force in the creation of the AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park, which protects over 100,000 acres of land in the last dark sky region of the eastern United States.
Prior to Carthage, Arion was head of the Applied Physics and Engineering Division and Assistant Vice President at Science Applications International Corporation (now Leidos), developing and directing research in radiation effects, space systems, and electro- and optical-mechanical systems.
He is a Lifetime member of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and has received the Distinguished Service Award from Sigma Pi Sigma (the physics honorary society), the Volunteer Leadership Award from the AMC, and the Dark Sky Defender award from the IDA. He serves on the dark sky preservation commissions of both the American Astronomical Society and International Astronomical Union (IAU), and is an IAU International Dark Sky Ambassador.
Thank you to the partners and sponsors who have made our programs possible.
Mountains of Stars partners have included Carthage College, Dartmouth College, Smith College, Stony Brook University, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Globe at Night, Dark Sky Consulting, the International Dark Sky Association, Galileoscope, White Mountain Science, Inc., Explore Scientific, and the Springfield Telescope Makers.
DarkSkyConsulting
We would like to thank the following organizations for their support of Mountains of Stars: the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The National Science Foundation, the VWR Foundation, and the Toomey Foundation.