Star Gazing in Litchfield Hills
Hey, the Big Apple’s a fabulous city, no doubt about it. But the legitimately thrilling 24-hour glow of the City That Never Sleeps does a pretty good job masking the celestial sphere: not exactly prime ground for stargazing.
Fortunately, you’ve got a rustic escape close at hand with some deep and beautiful overhanging night skies: Northwestern Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills!
Top-to-Bottom Beauty at Winvian Farm
Our 113 pastoral acres here at Winvian Farm, nestled in the very heart of the Hills, put the gentle rhythms and wide-open spaces of New England nature front and center. The high-end luxury on hand here—whether it’s our utterly one-of-a-kind spread of winsome cottages, the farm-to-table wining and dining at the Restaurant at Winvian Farm, or our world-class spa—all nods in one way or another to our lovely landscape context: our murmuring woodlands, our sprawling meadows, and—yes—our star-cluttered skies.
The Sky Show Over the Litchfield Hills
During a weekend (or weeklong) retreat at Winvian Farm this time of year, you can enjoy the especially crisp night skies of winter, reigned over by the season’s defining constellations—Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Auriga, and other beauties—as well as the trusty Great Bear and Cassiopeia doing their wheeling, all-night-long dance around the North Star. And beginning next month, you can get an even more in-depth look at the heavens above courtesy of our neighbors, the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club.
It’s a Star Party: And You’re Invited!
The Astronomy Club, which has been doing its thing for better than 50 years, launches the first of its 2017 monthly Public Star Parties in February over at the White Memorial Conservation Center—just a hop, skip, and a jump from Winvian Farm across Bantam Lake. These fascinating gatherings kick off with a presentation on one or another astronomical topics, then transitions into star, planet, nebula, etc. viewing courtesy of the whole arsenal of powerful telescopes on hand.
The Astronomy Club welcomes one and all to its Star Parties, from night-sky experts to folks who’ve never even felt compelled to squint through a telescope before.
You can keep tabs of specific dates for Public Star Parties, which continue each month through November, over at the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club website.
Recharge With Some Litchfield Hills Stargazing
Now’s a gorgeous time to experience Winvian Farm in its midwinter mode, and take the opportunity to indulge in a serene stargazing escape from the big city in the deliciously dark Litchfield Hills. You’ll go home amazed anew at the wonders of the universe—and more likely than not feeling a whole lot more calm and centered than you were at the start of your getaway!