Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| SMV Skywatch | 9/22 | Canceled for tonight, due to cloudy forecast. Held on the front lawn of the Science Museum, 2500 W Broad, Richmond. Start time is around 8pm. |
| RAS monthly meeting | 10/10 | Our monthly meeting will be held at the Science Museum of Virginia (in the Thalhimer Theater) and online The meeting starts at 7:30 PM. We will open the video conference at 7:00 PM at this link for people to chat if they like and keep it open after the meeting. Please join us if you can – everyone is welcome in-person or online. |
| Partial Solar Eclipse | 10/14 | Starting at noon, RAS will have telescopes set up in front of the Science Museum for safe viewing of the Sun. The eclipse is partial, with about a third of the Sun being covered. You can buy solar glasses in the museum gift shop. |
You can find a full list of venues on the Venue Page
Searching for Information About the Sky?
What’s in the Sky Tonight?
Facing South and looking almost straight overhead, you’ll see two bright stars. The one to the right is Arcturus, and the one to the left is Vega. To the left…
Telescope Buying Guide
Do you want to buy a telescope, but don’t know where to start? You might consider using a pair of binoculars first, to become acquainted with the night sky. You…
Schedule a Skywatch
Are you a teacher? Scout Leader? We offer skywatch sessions, free of charge, for any educational purpose. We’ll bring one or more telescopes, depending on the size of the crowd….
Future and Past RAS Events
Apollo Lands at The Virginia House
RAS helped the Virginia Museum of History & Culture host a skywatch for one of their annual member events. The event’s theme was based on the museum’s current exhibit: Apollo:…
Richmond STEM Fair 2023
Yes, the STEM Fair has been revived. After three years of COVID shutdowns, VCU’s School of Education Center for Innovation in STEM Education has stepped up and hosted the temprarily…
Invited, but Ignored
We made it successful, in spite of an oversight. RAS was invited to Oak Knoll Middle School’s StemFest. We’ve attended this event a couple of times, but hadn’t it a…
Parade of Planets
We saw a beautiful parade of Jupiter, the Moon, and Saturn last night at the Robious Middle School skywatch. About 50 students and parents gathered on the football field, where…
Read The Sky at Night Mag for Free-Update
This is an update to an earlier post about reading astronomy magazines for free. You may be aware that you can read books online from your local library, but you…
Doesn’t Get More Casual Than This
Intermission Beer Company enjoys us setting up in a field next to the brewery. The crowd displays unusual interest–I’m guessing because it seems so incongruous to see telescopes being set…
Country Club or Camp?
RAS hosted a skywatch at Camp Brady Saunders (Goochland), and I have to say, this is one of the most gorgeous camp sites I’ve ever seen. They built an amphitheater…
Skywatches are Getting “Perkier”
At last night’s skywatch, at Charles City, we were treated to pizza, chips, soft drinks, and Girl Scout cookies. At the one last month, hosted by Henrico County we had…
Metro Richmond STEM Fair 2021
Did we have astronomy this year? Since RAS presents monetary awards to science fair winners, how did this year’s edition work out? As you might expect, this year’s Metro Richmond…
Binocular Event at Trinity
With the complication of the virus lockdown, RAS has altered the way we host skywatches. Telescopes are out, due to the impracticality of cleaning the eyepiece between viewings. So, we’re…
First Light: Using Your Telescope
RAS made a few people happy about their telescopes the other night–we fixed them. The Science Museum of Virginia hosted a workshop on Feb. 3, and invited RAS members in…
Madhup Makes Astronomy’s Picture of the Day
Madhup Rathi had this picture of the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) featured in Astronomy Magazine’s Picture of the Day. The magazine article shows a beautiful image that Madhup took over about…