RASC Calgary Centre

08/21/2026

We are at Dinosaur Provincial Park for our annual Astronomical Extravaganza

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08/21/2026

🌟 5 Years of Seven Skies Astronomy, PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST 🌟

This year marks five years of Seven Skies Astronomy — five years of chasing darkness, sharing the night sky, and helping people experience the wonder of night photography and astronomy.
To celebrate, I’m giving away a free one-night night photography workshop (value $250 CAD).

How to enter:
• Share a night sky or night photography photo that speaks to you (any image that captures the essence of night photography or the night sky for you is welcome).
• In the comments, tell us in a few sentences why this photo represents night photography or the night sky to you.
• Share this post with friends and family.
• Follow us on Instagram (.paparazzi) and make sure you’re liking/following this page.

That’s all. One winner will be chosen and contacted privately.

Whether you’ve already spent time under the stars with Seven Skies or you’re just discovering this world, I’d love to see the photos that move you.

Drop your photo and your “why” below. Let’s celebrate five years of wonder together.

08/21/2026

Last day (August 21) to RSVP to this event with us and ASCC! Information below! 🌖🔭

Join us on Thursday, August 27 from 8:00 - 11:00 pm with Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCC) to learn about and view the partial lunar eclipse, which will cover approximately 96% of the moon’s surface in shadow, giving it a dim reddish orange glow.

We will be starting the evening with a presentation from RASC Calgary’s Steve Donaldson, and head outdoors to view the eclipse with telescopes and binoculars. This event is open to all ages, with registration by donation (suggested minimum $5/person or $20/family).

Please RSVP to [email protected] by August 21 to give us an idea of numbers. Refreshments will be served and you are welcome to bring blankets and camping chairs for sitting outside. Event participants are not required to pay for parking.

FB Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HBJF65kKx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/21/2026

Register now! Click here for information: https://calgary.rasc.ca/wp/?page_id=2018

Registration for our Alberta Star Party 2026 is now open! Join us for the 40th anniversary! ✨🔭⛺️

Link: https://calgary.rasc.ca/wp/?page_id=2018

08/20/2026

CALGARY! 🛰️✨ Join us on Saturday, September 19 at 4:30PM with CalgaryToSpace team for “The Journey of CalgaryToSpace” at TELUS Spark’s Infinity Dome Theatre!

Register your spot for free via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-journey-of-calgarytospace-tickets-1998486595204?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=8fe4a384ccbd2320b17462c719dfda6d9db8829ff6d20b77e2641f99c7fb8a2c7fa25adb863a0c4c73c6c3e320ca0b1ccd3046ce8ff15892c59b3304bcbfff6ef32fe0415dab5e8605b9aa7969

We can’t wait to see you there! 🫶💫

Our CalgaryToSpace presenters: Marian Abebe, Amy Brunton, Aarti Chandiramani, Meagan Davies, Aaryan Deshpande (UCalgary Faculty of Science)

WHEN STUDENTS PUSH THE BOUNDARIES: BUILDING CALGARY’S FIRST STUDENT-LED SATELLITE

This presentation explores the journey of building FrontierSat, Calgary’s first student-led mission to send a satellite to space, from an ambitious idea to a developing reality. We will discuss how the single question “Could students build something for space?” grew into a project requiring collaboration across disciplines that include engineering, science, business, marketing, and finance.

The presentation will outline the key stages of the mission, including defining a clear vision, developing a realistic project plan, securing funding, building technical knowledge, designing, testing, and refining hardware, and finally launch and operations. We will also reflect on the challenges encountered throughout the project and the lessons learned about teamwork, leadership, and perseverance in the face of technical and organizational obstacles.

The scientific motivation behind our payload will be discussed, including the development of a Mini Plasma Imager designed to study the ionosphere and STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), an atmospheric phenomenon recently discovered by citizen scientists. Finally, we will discuss how passion projects like this demonstrate that innovation is driven not only by technical knowledge but also by curiosity, collaboration, and the willingness to pursue ideas that initially seem beyond reach.

What started as a simple shared vision of ambitious students led to the creation, launch, and operation of FrontierSat, proving that anyone with the right motivation and support can succeed in the space industry. (CalgaryToSpace)

08/20/2026

August’s episode of Ask An Astronomer with Gina Martin is ONLINE! Catch it in our link in bio! We are tackling your biggest cosmic mysteries including a question by Kim in Medicine Hat who wants to know the best time of year to spot the gas giants in our night sky.

Our Ask an Astronomer contest with CTV is underway and hundreds of you have already sent in fantastic questions for a chance to win a Dwarf Mini telescope! Keep them coming! ✨

Featuring: Robyn Foret (RASC Calgary Centre) and Phil Langill (RASC Calgary Centre and Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, University of Calgary)

08/19/2026

Join us on Thursday, August 27 from 8:00 - 11:00 pm with Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCC) to learn about and view the partial lunar eclipse, which will cover approximately 96% of the moon’s surface in shadow, giving it a dim reddish orange glow.

We will be starting the evening with a presentation from RASC Calgary’s Steve Donaldson, and head outdoors to view the eclipse with telescopes and binoculars. This event is open to all ages, with registration by donation (suggested minimum $5/person or $20/family).

Please RSVP to [email protected] by August 21 to give us an idea of numbers. Refreshments will be served and you are welcome to bring blankets and camping chairs for sitting outside. Event participants are not required to pay for parking.

FB Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HBJF65kKx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/17/2026

Over the moon about the upcoming lunar eclipse on August 27-28? Join us on Wednesday August 19, 2026 at 13:00 ET for the return of our Lunch and Learn series - this time with a session on Citizen Science Lunar Eclipse Observations! We need your help in observing the eclipse and timing the umbral shadow as it enters and exits various lunar craters. The human eye is more precise than model simulations, which is where you can help!

Hosted by Randy Enkin [past president of RASC Victoria Centre] and Allan McCue [Calgary Centre], with intros by Kirsten Vanstone [Toronto Centre] and Sandhya Mylabathula [National Office], this session will guide you through the simple steps to contribute to the data collection on this exciting event!

You can expect a brief intro on lunar eclipses, a discussion on crater timings, a review of useful tools and the setup needed to help you contribute as a Citizen Scientist, and of course how to observe and record your observations in preparation for the eclipse on August 27. We will also delve into the use of Stellarium in the context of lunar eclipses.

This session will be held over Zoom and is open to all. Once you have registered, you will receive the Zoom link for the event: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6z0kp-51RJmWrUjPXVhr0g #/registration

08/14/2026

If you register now, you get Early Bird pricing! Get on it! 🔭✨

Registration for our Alberta Star Party 2026 is now open! Join us for the 40th anniversary! ✨🔭⛺️

Link: https://calgary.rasc.ca/wp/?page_id=2018