Super Stellar Fridays
On the 1st Friday of the month, enjoy an evening exploring science with Discovery Center educators and special guest speakers through live programs, planetarium shows, and sky viewing with the NH Astronomical Society.
Telescopes As Time Machines
Next Super Stellar Friday - Friday, September 4th, 2026 | 6:30-9:30 PM
Presentation Description:
About our Special Guest Presenter: Drew Killius is a retired materials scientist. His formal education includes a BSc from Ohio State and an MA from Boston University. He withdrew from a PhD program to work full time in a storefront startup in a suburban strip mall. This was the foundation for a long career in small, high-tech consulting laboratories in the Boston area.
Since retirement, Drew has turned from laboratory reports to creative writing. He has recently published a book about telescopes and telescope making (“Telescopes, An Optical Odyssey”, Amazon books.) Drew has been making telescopes since high school. The photo shows Drew polishing an eight-inch telescope mirror. He is a skilled woodworker and amateur machinist. A photo of one of his telescopes was published in a national circulation woodworking magazine. Currently, he belongs to the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, where this unusual scope is a crowd pleaser at public astronomy events.
Drew has also earned a pilot’s license, though he is not presently active in aviation. Motorcycling continues to be a recreational interest. He and his wife, Beverly, enjoy getting around on a motorcycle sidecar rig.
Recommended for all ages.
Please note before purchasing your Super Stellar Friday tickets:
Ticket costs include admission to the presentation, and exhibit galleries. Planetarium show tickets are an extra $7 for non-members. Tickets for this event can be purchased at the front desk on the night or before the event online.
Schedule (Times May Vary)
6:30 pm: Discovery Center opens, exhibit galleries available for exploration
7:00 pm: Speaker Presentation
8:00 pm: Planetarium Show
9:00 pm: Sky Viewing with New Hampshire Astronomical Society (weather permitting)
Ticket Pricing
Adult: $14.00
Child (3-12): $11.00
Senior (62+): $13.00
Students (13-college): $13.00
EBT/SNAP/WIC Card Holders + Up To 5 Guests: $3.00 (Use code “4ALLSSF” at checkout!)
Children under 2: Free!
Optional Planetarium Show Add-On: $7 per ticket
Members: $5 (Admission, free planetarium show)
Can’t make it in person?
Presentations will be available on the Discovery Center’s YouTube channel within a few days. Please consider making a donation to support future programming like this—thank you!