Meetings of Halifax Centre are from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM on the FIRST SATURDAY of the month (except July and August). There may be exceptions if the date falls on a holiday weekend.

April 1, 2020 - RASC April Meeting

In lieu of a face-to-face meeting, we will now be hosting Members' Meetings using Zoom. You do not require a Zoom account to join in but you are required to register for this webinar. The webinar is limited to 100 registrants - first come, first served. The panellists' presentations are being recorded and will become accessible via a link on this website.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Apr 4, 2020 01:00 PM Halifax
Topic: Halifax Centre - Members Meeting - Judy Black

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RaNDmowTSBuEp_ZlbW7_XA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Special Presentations for this Members' Meeting include:

  • Paul Heath - Food for the Soul and a youth activity on how to make the Sun and stars
  • Dave Chapman will present the What's up?
  • Judy Black will give news from the Board and national RASC
  • Wayne Harasimovitch will provide a brief Librarian's report
  • Pat Kelly will provide a segment from the Observer's Handbook
  • Blair MacDonald and Jerry Black will present Part 2 of their Anatomy of an Imaging System: What Toys do you Need?
  • Special Presentation: Paul Gray about Variable Stars: How to Observe & Report Them

Come join in! Register today!

 

2020 RASC Halifax Centre meetings: 

  • Saturday, May 2 (webinar)
  • Saturday, June 6 (webinar)
  • no meetings in July and August

The method of fall meetings (face-to-face versus webinar) will be determined during the summer months. Fall meeting dates are:

  • Saturday, September 12 (the weekend after Labour Day)
  • Saturday, October 3
  • Saturday, November 7
  • Saturday, December 5 (includes the AGM)

We frequently continue our get-together with supper at a local restaurant after the meeting. Come and join us!

Enjoying a meal after the meeting

 

Members may be found observing at the St. Croix Observatory on almost every clear, dark night. Once a month, we encourage members and their guests to congregate at SCO, at which time new members are particularly welcome. 

Members are advised to sign up to the email discussion list to keep up to date on gatherings of fellow observers.

The viewing field at Nova East

For over 30 years, the RASC Halifax Centre and other local groups have hosted the Nova East Star Party. It was originally established as the camping and observing weekend for the Halifax Centre and has grown to include participants from other astronomy clubs in the Atlantic region, and a number of attendees from the northeastern United States.

All participants come to enjoy dark skies on a weekend near the new Moon phase towards the end of summer. Nova East is held at Smiley's Provincial Park, near Windsor, Nova Scotia. A limiting magnitude of +6 is the norm. 

Nova East registrants have access to all events, including all talks, workshops and presentations, three nights of observing (weather permitting!), the potluck BBQ, the astronomers' breakfasts and the door prizes draw. Nova East Registrants have onsite parking (if camping) or adjacent site parking (if not camping).

In 2019, the RASC Halifax Centre revised the structure and criteria of the astrophotography contest that had traditionally been part of Nova East. There are now 3 categories to enter favourite photos - Deep-Sky, Wide-Field and Solar System. The 2019 winners can be seen here.

 

One of Halifax Centre’s objectives is to stimulate interest and to promote and increase knowledge in astronomy and related sciences. Consequently, members of Halifax Centre are active in promoting astronomy education in Nova Scotia and are proud of the outreach events they hold every year.

The Centre participates in numerous activities throughout the year. For example, if there is an astronomical event, such as an eclipse, the Centre attempts to organize special public sessions for all to enjoy. Every year, our Centre provides Galileo moments (instances of personal astronomical experience or discovery) to more than 4,000 Nova Scotians. It’s wonderful to hear “oh, wow” when someone looks up to see something in our Universe for the first time.

Upcoming Outreach Events:

Details and confirmation of these events will be provided as they become known.

  • April 24-26, 2020 – Saltscapes (Halifax)
    • Received March 20/20 from Saltscapes: "In keeping with government direction and responsible activity, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Saltscapes Halifax Expo 2020 originally scheduled for April 24 to 26th. This event will be rescheduled, and we will communicate those details as soon as new dates are confirmed. We fully expect the show will go on at a later date, but in the meantime we encourage consumers out there to show support for these local entrepreneurs with no safety net by shopping online. We have provided a directory and contact information for our exhibitors to help you do that.  Please visit www.saltscapes.com/expo for this directory." 
  • September 26, 2020 – International Observe the Moon (InOM)
    • International Observe the Moon Night is a worldwide celebration of lunar science and exploration, celestial observation, and our cultural and personal connections to the Moon. One day each year, everyone on Earth is invited to observe, learn about, and celebrate the Moon together. 

If there any questions about outreach, please contact our Outreach Chair.