NEAF 2026 – The World's Biggest Astronomy Show, and We'll Be There!

April 11–12, 2026 | Rockland Community College, New York

If you're passionate about astronomy, telescopes, astrophotography, or simply gazing at the night sky and wondering what lies beyond, then there's one event every year that stands above all others: NEAF, the Northeast Astronomy Forum & Space Expo.

This year marks a major milestone: the 35th annual edition of this legendary event neafexpo, and we couldn't be more excited to be part of it.

What Is NEAF?

NEAF is the world's largest and most spectacular Astronomy & Space Expo. neafexpo Born from a passion for the cosmos and a desire to unite the astronomy community, it has grown over three and a half decades into a truly global gathering. Each year, NEAF brings together more than 4,000 professionals, amateurs, and space and astronomy enthusiasts, all coming together to share their interests and passions. 

It is the preeminent symposium for award-winning talks, workshops, classes, and conferences. In short, if astronomy excites you, NEAF is the pilgrimage you need to make at least once in your life, and once you go, you'll want to return every year.

Where Is NEAF?

NEAF takes place over 2 huge days at Rockland Community College in, Suffern, New York. The event is organized by the Rockland Astronomy Club, a non-profit organization founded in 1958, with over 50 educational events each year, and a proud recipient of the prestigious Pride of Rockland Award. 

The companion imaging conference, NEAIC, is held on April 9-10, 2026, just before NEAF, at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Conference Center in Suffern, NY, located just 30 minutes from New York City and only minutes from NEAF itself. NEAIC

The Expo Floor: Where New Products Come to Life

One of the most exciting aspects of NEAF, and the reason the astronomy community marks it on the calendar, is that it has become the annual launch pad for new products. Manufacturers from around the world choose NEAF to unveil their latest telescopes, mounts, cameras, filters, and software. It's the astronomy equivalent of CES for tech enthusiasts.

NEAF brings over 120 vendors and exhibitors from around the world, representing every major manufacturer and dealer in the business, making it one of the largest trade shows of its kind globally.

Among the confirmed and returning manufacturers and brands for 2026, you'll find legendary names and exciting newcomers alike, including Celestron, Tele Vue, ZWO, iOptron, Sky-Watcher, Takahashi, Astro-Physics, William Optics, Explore Scientific, Unistellar, Vaonis, DwarfLab, QHYCCD, Player One, Pegasus Astro, Optolong, ToupTek Astro, Lunt Solar Systems, Vixen Optics, and many, many more, including several brand-new exhibitors making their NEAF debut in 2026 such as Analog Sky, Ouranos, Pulsar Observatories, and SkyMapper.

There is no other venue where you can see the very latest in astronomy equipment by all of the major manufacturers, all under one roof, all in a single weekend.

Star-Studded Speakers & Conferences

NEAF isn't just a shopping expo, it's a world-class intellectual event. Each year NEAF searches the globe to present an all-star lineup of amazing guests who are making history today. 

The 2026 confirmed speakers are nothing short of extraordinary: Don Pettit (veteran NASA Astronaut), Michelle Thaller (Astronomer & Research Scientist), Robert "Hoot" Gibson (NASA Astronaut — STS 41-B, 61-C, 27, 47, 71), Anna Fisher (NASA Astronaut), Peter King (CBS Space Correspondent), Gerry Griffin (Apollo Flight Director), David McComas (IMAP Principal Investigator), Kevin Schindler (Lowell Observatory), and Mike Ciannilli (Manager of NASA's Apollo Challenger Columbia Lessons Learned Program). neafexpo

And the icing on the cake: NEAF features 2 theaters, Pro/Am workshops, planetarium shows, solar viewing, beginner classes, a huge raffle, amazing door prizes, and kids' activities. Truly something for every level of astronomer.

NEAIC: The Astro-Imaging Conference

Running just before the main expo on April 9–10, the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC) is a must for astrophotographers. It is America's premier astro-imaging conference. The most eagerly anticipated and only dedicated astronomical imaging conference in the United States. neafexpo

With 2 days, 28 talks, and 15 presenters, classes and workshops are tailored to cover all aspects of astronomical imaging, organized on three tracks: expert, intermediate, and beginner.

Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned imager, there's a track for you.

NEAIC 2026: Featured Speakers

• Luca Bartek — The Space Koala Based in Switzerland, Luca is an astrophotographer and IT professional who has shared her passion for imaging and gear through her popular YouTube channel The Space Koala since 2020. neafexpo She presents two talks: one debunking myths around fast telescopes, and one on advanced PixInsight WBPP techniques.
• Nico Carver — Nebula Photos (Youtube), Nico went full-time with astrophotography education in 2023, after working at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. His focus is helping beginners get started in deep-sky imaging. He delivers a four-part beginner series covering gear, capture, planning, and processing.
• Warren Keller — A PixInsight ambassador and author since 2006, Warren presents two sessions on broadband image processing inside PixInsight.
• Dr. Ron Brecher — An avid amateur astronomer for over 25 years, Ron images primarily from his home observatory in Ontario and writes regularly for Sky & Telescope. His talk covers deep-sky imaging with a 14" Edge HD at 3,912mm focal length.
• Richard S. Wright Jr. — A contributing editor for Sky & Telescope and software developer who has worked on Starry Night, SkySafari, and Software Bisque for nearly two decades. His provocatively titled talk: Guiding Needs to Die — a compelling argument for moving beyond autoguiding.
• Alex Gorbachev — A deep-space imager and member of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Alex presents his custom-built astronomy trailer designed for mobile dark-sky observing — a fascinating project for anyone who travels to image.
• Dr. Brian Kloppenborg — Executive Director of the AAVSO and astrophysicist with a PhD from the University of Denver , Brian presents an introduction to stellar spectroscopy and how amateurs can contribute to professional research.
• Dr. Dennis Conti — Founder of the AAVSO's Exoplanet Section and co-author of over 30 exoplanet discovery papers , Dennis leads a hands-on workshop on exoplanet observing using AstroImageJ.
• Jon Talbot — A retired Air Force Hurricane Hunter and self-taught astrophotographer who has been teaching image processing since 2001, Jon covers the transition from CCD to modern CMOS technology and pro-am collaboration.
• Dr. John Hayes — A retired optical engineer and professor with a PhD in optics from the University of Arizona , John presents two talks: producing world-class galaxy images, and the physics of dew prevention.
• Dr. Christian Sasse — A physicist and popular YouTube presenter, Christian leads a workshop on StarPx, a cloud-based astrophoto processing tool designed for creativity over complexity.
• John O'Neal — Solar imaging specialist and NASA Solar System Ambassador, John presents the MLAstro SHG-700 digital spectroheliograph — a revolutionary new solar imaging device.
• Arne Henden — Former Executive Director of the AAVSO and author of several hundred scientific articles, Arne bridges the worlds of artistic imaging and precise scientific photometry.
• Peter Bealo — An amateur astronomer with over 55 years of experience and more than 40,000 data points in the AAVSO database, Peter explores the many ways amateurs can contribute to citizen science.
• Khantil Desai — A Machine Learning Scientist and University of Toronto researcher, Khantil presents a software tool that prevents imaging during satellite crossings — a timely topic in the age of Starlink.
• Timothy Hutchison — A former CEO turned full-time astrophotographer, Tim shares his technique for combining narrowband images to produce more natural-looking results using PixInsight and Photoshop.

We'll Be There, and We'll Keep You Updated!

We are thrilled to announce that we will, be attending NEAF this year 2026. As we do every year, we make this trip not just for the excitement of the show floor, but with a very specific mission in mind: to stay at the forefront of what's happening in the world of astronomy technology and optics.

For us, NEAF is the perfect opportunity to get hands-on with the newest products before they hit the market, to speak directly with manufacturers about their innovations, to discover new brands pushing the boundaries of what's possible in telescope design, camera technology, and imaging software, and to bring all of that knowledge back to you.

We'll be sharing updates, photos, and impressions of the most interesting new releases throughout the event, so stay tuned to our page for live coverage from the floor.

This is astronomy's biggest weekend of the year. And we'll be right in the middle of it.

🔭📍 NEAF 2026 — April 11 & 12 | Rockland Community College, New York 
📷 📍NEAIC 2026 — April 9 & 10 | Crowne Plaza, Suffern, NY 
🌐 www.neafexpo.com

Clear skies, and see you at NEAF!