Category Archives: Observing

Northern Prairie Star Party 2019

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The sixteenth annual Northern Prairie Star Party was held at the Black Nugget Lake campground south east of Tofield from September 24 to 29, 2019. Most of our group activities occured on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28.

This event is open to the public – registration fees apply. Camping fees apply if staying overnight.*

For more information, please review the schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) and the Northern Prairie Star Party main page.

If you need more information or have questions, please email Rick Bramm.

Friday Program (September 27)

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Astro Café
Postponed
Classic Telescope Night

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Postponed: Classic Telescope Night

Apologies, but we have had to postpone this event. Don’t blow the dust off those classic scopes just yet – the event will be back.

Do you have a classic “trash” telescope”, such as:

  • a telescope that came in a box stating “525 x” (or higher) power?
  • a telescope that came in a box with deceptively wonderful images of what you might imagine you could see, like Saturn, Jupiter, Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy?
  • a telescope that was bought at a “department store” and came in a box like described above?
  • a telescope with a jerky, rickety, wobbly, flimsy or otherwise unstable tripod/mount?
  • a telescope with a primary lens or mirror 50 mm or smaller diameter?
  • a telescope of the type you were advised not to buy at the Astro Café “How to Buy a Telescope” presented by RASC?

Do you have a classic “good” telescope such as:

  • Celestron 5, 8, or 14 (1970’s orange tube)
  • Criterion Dynamax 8
  • Questar 3 1/2 or 7
  • Quantum maksutov
  • Criterion Dynascope RV-6
  • Star-Liner reflector
  • Cave Astrola reflector
  • Fecker
  • Astroscan reflector
  • old Meade refractor
  • Unitron refractor
  • Gotoh refractor
  • very old Tasco refractor

If the answer is “yes” to ANY of these questions, then bring your telescope to Classic Telescope Night, and show it off! We’ll line ’em up and compare views of the Moon at about 50x or 100x magnification.

Prize for worst view of the Moon thru a classic “trash” telescope!

Prize for best view of the Moon thru a classic “good” telescope!

Friday, July 12, 2019
9:00 – 11:00 PM

Location:
On the lawn at the RASC Observatory at TWOSE.
https://edmontonrasc.com/observatory/

*** Weather Permitting ***
This post will be updated with “Go” or “No Go” on the morning of July 12.

FREE event open to the public

Jan 20, 2019 Total Lunar Eclipse

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On Sunday evening, January 20 our closest celestial neighbour—the Moon—takes centre stage in the skies above Edmonton. Join us we observe a total lunar eclipse—the first visible to us in its entirety since 2015!

The RASC Observatory will be open, weather permitting, 5:30 p.m. until 12 midnight.

  • Access to the observatory is FREE (events inside TWOSE require admission).
  • The observatory is outdoors, so please dress accordingly for the weather.
  • Follow @EdmontonRASC on Twitter for weather and other updates.

Lunar Eclipse Times for the Edmonton Area

8:33 p.m. – Partial eclipse begins
9:41 p.m. – Total Eclipse begins
10:12 p.m. – Mid-Eclipse
10:43 p.m. – Total Eclipse ends
11:50 p.m. – Partial Eclipse ends

Athabasca Star Party, September 15, 2018

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Athabasca Star Party

Join Athabasca University for an evening of art and stars for our first ever Star Party!Enjoy guided tours featuring artwork from one of Athabasca’s local artists, Pirkko Karvonen. Gain an appreciation of the night sky by participating in telescope viewing of planets and constellations. Telescopes will be available on-site for viewing the night sky but feel free to bring your own. An amateur astronomer will be in attendance hosting a telescope workshop where you can learn how to use a telescope or ensure your telescope is in top working order. And more! Witness nocturnal life firsthand on a guided nature walk. Learn to capture the evening’s beauty at a night photography session. Stay and enjoy some fun activities for the whole family.

When: September 15, 2018, 6pm – 11pm

Where: Athabasca, AB

Visit the event brite site for more information. 

FREE event!   * Weather Permitting

Northern Prairie Star Party 2018

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The fifteenth annual Northern Prairie Star Party will be held at the Black Nugget Lake campground south east of Tofield from September 4 to 9, 2018. Most of our group activities will occur on Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8.

This event is open to the public – registration fees apply. Camping fees apply if staying overnight.*

For more information, please review the schedule and rules & regulations (PDF) and the Northern Prairie Star Party main page.

If you need more information or have questions, please email Rick Bramm.

Saturday Afternoon Program (September 8)

1:45 Starting with a 32-inch mirror
Roman Unyk

2:45 The origin of gold and other very heavy elements in the Universe
Rodrigo Fernandez

3:45 Adventures in Meteor Chasing
Bruce McCurdy Continue Reading →

Sep 2, 2018
Milky Way Day
Telescope Clinics

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Are you going to Milky Way Day at Elk Island National Park and are you going to bring your telescope?

Are you confused about using your telescope? Then keep reading.

If you want one-on-one help with your telescope, sign up for a FREE Telescope Clinic.

We’re using SignUp.com. Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click the button below or this link: http://signup.com/go/VKSBapv

Click to Reserve a Clinic Appointment

2) Choose the time slot you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.*

* Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please Alister Ling and he can sign you up manually.

Presented by:
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Edmonton Centre

Public Talk, September 2, 2018, Cosmos and Canvas

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Cosmos and Canvas: Using Art to Reveal Science in Astronomy Public Outreach Images

Dr. Jayanne English

Astotin Lake Ampitheatre

Elk Island National Park

FREE PUBLIC TALK at Milky Way Day Star Party

Time: 8pm

Seyfert Sextet Galaxy Group
NASA data/J. Charlton’s Research Project

Bold colour images from telescopes act as extraordinary ambassadors for astronomers

because they pique the public’s curiosity. But are they snapshots documenting physical
reality?  Or are we looking at artistic spacescapes created by digitally manipulating
astronomy images? This lecture provides a tour of how original black and white data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as current cutting-edge observatories, are converted into striking colour images. It illuminates how practices from the art world are used to produce media friendly images which still retain scientific value.

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