2018 Preview III: Community Events

The final of our 2018 preview will cover some of the community astronomy events happening around the Calgary area.  Community outreach is important to our society and we try to give you plenty of opportunities throughout the year to enjoy the sky.

Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Open House

The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory hosts many open houses each year.  These events are well attended.  There are several talks provided in the lecture hall with a new keynote speaker every month.  They never disappoint.  Also, you will be able to tour the entire site and check out the large telescopes that are used for research by the University of Calgary.  Members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Calgary Centre are on hand to introduce you to the sky through their own telescopes.  At this kid friendly event you will learn so much in just a few hours under the stars.

Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Open House

For the 2018 schedule of RAO Open Houses please check out the link below and stay tuned for updates!

2018 Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Open House Schedule

Ralph Klein Park Star Night

This is a wonderfully well attended event that has gained traction in recent years.  The City of Calgary Parks and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada invites you to this beautiful facility in southeast Calgary.  There are many exhibits setup inside for you to learn more about the ecology of the region and also about astronomy.  There are a variety of lectures, hands-on activities, hot chocolate and many telescopes setup in the common grass area.  This event is completely free and is perfect for kids.

Ralph Klein Park Star Night

This year there will be two events occurring on May 5, 2018 and October 6, 2018.  Links to the event are provided below.  It is certainly worth checking out and it is conveniently located near the ring road.

Ralph Klein Park Star Night - May 5, 2018
Ralph Klein Park Star Night - October 6, 2018

Star Parties

If you are looking for a really great astronomical experience there are a couple star parties occurring in southern Alberta throughout the year. 

In July the RASC-Calgary Centre hosts the annual Alberta Star-B-Q at the Eccles Ranch Observatory in Caroline.  This runs from Friday to Sunday (July 13-15).  I you are interested in more information or would like to preregister check out the official site below.

Alberta Star-B-Q

The other party in hosted by the Calgary Centre is the Alberta Star Party.  It takes place at the Starland Recreational Campground next to the Saskatchewan River just north of Drumheller.  This is a beautiful location to set up telescopes and have an enjoyable astronomical experience.  For more information, guidelines and preregistration please check out the official site below.

Alberta Star Party

RASC General Meetings

The general meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Calgary Centre are held most months throughout the year on the evening of the third Thursday.  The following dates are for 2018.

January 18, 2018
February 15, 2018
March 15, 2018
April 19, 2018
May 17, 2018
September 20, 2018
October 18, 2018
November 15, 2018

These meetings are free and open to the public and are a great way of networking with astronomers in Calgary.  Each meeting has a feature speaker who will be discussing an interesting colloquial topic in astronomy.  Following the feature speaker, members of the society discuss topics they are interested in and some of the observations they have made.  The parking is free and the meeting is held at the Kerby Centre Gymnasium on the West side of downtown starting at 7:30pm.  A link to the website is provided below which continually gets updated as speakers are confirmed. 

RASC - Calgary Centre General Meetings

McKenzie Lake Star Night

This is a free event that I host down in the southeastern suburbs of Calgary on a monthly basis.  We hold the meetings in the eastern room at the McKenzie Lake Community Centre (opposite side of the road to the lake).  It is typically held on a Friday or Saturday with the date planned a few weeks in advance.

Each meeting begins with a short lecture on interesting things we can see in the sky that evening.  It also covers current space news that is happening throughout the world at the time.  Following the lecture we go outside with telescopes and binoculars and look at some great objects in the sky.  There is a warm lecture room with free hot chocolate if you would like to come back in to avoid the cold!  During the viewing we typically have a craft for children that they may take home.  Each craft is based on the topic discussed that evening and provides a hands-on learning opportunity.  If there is time left we have a Q&A session and show some educational videos on the sky and missions to space.

If the weather outside is not conducive to viewing through a telescope we still go through the indoor agenda and provide you with a great astronomical experience.

Making Nebulae at the December McKenzie Lake Star Night

The webpage for this event is our Facebook page which you can use to RSVP.  Stay tuned as the event usually pops up a few weeks in advance of the date.  Also, if you have any ideas for topics you would like to learn about, please leave a message on the page!

www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

It is also good to keep posted as there will be more events planned throughout the year in Calgary.  Occasionally there are special viewing days based on what is happening in the sky.  Also, I am certain to have likely missed one in this blog!  I wish you clear skies this year and hope to see you out at one of these great events!