Looking for fellow astronomy fans?
Here we are…
Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| RAS monthly meeting | 2/14 | 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. |
| SMV Skywatch | 2/3 | Held on the front lawn of the Science Museum, 2500 W Broad, Richmond. Start time is around 5:30 for Feb. |
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, look high, and you’ll see a bright yellowish object-that’s the plantet Jupiter. Left of Jupiter (looking East), you’ll see another bright object-the planet Mars. And below Mars, you’ll see the bright…
Telescope Buying Guide
Do you want to buy a telescope, but don’t know where to start? You might consider using a binocular first, to become acquainted with the night sky. You can see…
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
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…
Mercury Transit at the SMV
John Beyer, RTD Meteorologist, wrote a nice article about RAS helping with the Mercury Transit on Monday, 11/11, at the Science Museum of Virginia.
Skywatch at Freeman High
Who knows what we turned off last night. We arrived at the Freeman High School practice field last night to find that the stadium lights were on. When asked, one…
RAS Celebrates 70 Years
“Watch me pull off a miracle,” Angie announces. I’m helping organize the club’s 70th anniversary celebration and she catches me by surprise. Angie Hutchison has set up all the tables,…