Blog

RAS 60th Anniversary dinner: Please mark your calendars for the evening of December 4.  We will be holding our 60th anniversary dinner at the Holiday Inn on Staples Mill, near the intersection of Staples Mill and Broad St.  Please plan to attend and bring your spouse or significant other.  Bill Jeffries has invited Jim Condon … Read more

Many, many thanks to Anne Verbiscer for fascinating us at our meeting on October 13 with the story of the discovery of Saturn’s largest ring by her, Michael Skrutskie (UVA) and Douglas Hamilton (University of Maryland)! In February of this year, Anne and her colleagues used Spitzer’s infrared camera, called the multiband imaging photometer, to … Read more

We understand that the Masonic Home and Meadow Glen skywatches went smoothly this past week.  John Raymond reports that the attendance was good and the weather allowed for enough viewing time at each event, although some clouds rolled in and abbreviated one viewing session.  Thanks very much to John, Tim Streagle, John Barnett and Prashant … Read more

Mini-star party: Last night’s (Saturday, September 19) mini-star party at the Heart of Virginia Scout Reservation went quite well.  Early in the evening the skies were looking very cloudy without much prospect for clearing.  Fortunately, however, they gradually cleared to a usable degree.  Throughout the night we had patches of high thin clouds move through … Read more

The RAS startedin 1949 October as a group of local astronomers wanting to set up a group. The society, with a great deal of cooperative effort and some ingenious designs, constructed a 7-inch refracting telescope in the Bon Air vicinity of the Richmond area; this telescope is still usable today despite light pollution. The club … Read more

At our August meeting we had several visitors who were interested in the Perseid meteor shower. A number of us were hoping to see some Perseids after the meeting, but it wasn’t to be.  Clouds obscured the view.  Maybe we will have an opportunity to see some stragglers on a following night. John Raymond presented … Read more

Brandermill Skywatch: What a great skywatch we had at Brandermill on Monday night!   Many thanks to John Raymond for coordinating the event with Jennifer Strader of the Brandermill Community Association and to Terry Barker, Jim Blowers, Sue Brubaker, Gary Cowardin, Dave Credicott, Ray Moody, Hank Nebel and Dave Walton for bringing telescopes and their expertise … Read more

July Meeting: At the July meeting, we heard a re-cap of the Green Bank Star Quest from Terry Barker.  Several RAS members attended and, from all reports, enjoyed the event.  This star party has been held for the past six years at the National Radio Observatory in Green Bank, WV.  The event is sponsored by … Read more