Yukon Astronomical Society

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Whitehorse, YT
Yukon Astronomical Society

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The Yukon Astronomical Society is a Yukon non-profit organization devoted to popularizing astronomy. What Is Astronomy?

The Yukon Astronomical Society acknowledges that we live, work, and play on the traditional territories of several Yukon First Nations. Our observatory is located on the traditional territory of the Ta'an Kwäch’än and Kwanlin Dün. Astronomy is one of the ways that people interact with the sky, the stars and planets, and the universe. As a science, it is science that studies the sun, the solar system, the remote stars, distant galaxies, and all other detectable bodies in the universe. Astronomy is often regarded as the oldest science, as ancient peoples around the world used observations of things in the sky to mark the progress of the seasons, navigate, and make knowledge about the universe. Astronomy now offers us the opportunity to investigate physics in conditions that are not easily achievable in terrestrial laboratories, such as under extremely high or low pressures and/or extremely high or low temperatures.

10/25/2026

Our next meeting is on Monday, Oct 26, starting 6:30pm at CPAWS (301 Hawkins St, #101). Christa Van Laerhoven will be giving an Astro 101 talk on time keeping, ahead of much of North America falling back to standard time.

10/11/2026

The next Night at the Observatory is this TUESDAY, October 13. Join us starting at 8pm for discussion and viewing (weather permitting) of the night sky.
NOTE: Do not follow the instructions on Google Maps for how to get to the Observatory. Follow the instructions on our website: www.yukonastronomy.com/observatory .

09/17/2026

Come out this Friday and Saturday for an action-packed schedule of family fun at the Northern Nights Festival on the shores of Mät’àtäna Män (Kathleen Lake)!

💫 Enjoy stargazing with the Yukon Astronomical Society, cool kids’ activities, live music, workshops, demonstrations and storytelling around the campfire.

It’s going to be out of this world!

For the schedule of events and workshop details visit: https://ow.ly/YQ5g50ZOq76

📷N Zeller

09/11/2026

Night at the Observatory returns this Monday, September 14. Join us starting at 9pm for discussion and viewing (weather permitting) of the night sky.

Note: Do not follow the instructions on Google Maps for how to get to the Observatory. Follow the instructions on our website: www.yukonastronomy.com/observatory .

09/01/2026

Mark your calendars! Northern Nights, Kluane National Park and Reserve’s Dark Sky Festival, is happening from September 18 – 19 this year! Get your travel mug and your camp chair ready, we hope to see you there!

https://ow.ly/T3xv50ZGhS0

📷 N Zeller

08/10/2026

08/07/2026

There are TWO eclipses this month: a solar eclipse the morning of August 12th, and a lunar eclipse the evening of August 27th. The regular meeting on Monday evening we will talk about how eclipses work and how to (safely) view them. Remember: do not look at the sun without adequate protection.

Regular meeting: Monday, August 10, 6:30pm at CPAWS Yukon (301 Hawkins Street).
Solar eclipse: Wednesday, August 12, 8:40 to 10:14am. Maximum eclipse at 9:26am.
Lunar eclipse: Thursday, August 27, 9:09pm (moonrise) to 12:01am. Maximum eclipse at 9:14pm.
(Eclipse information from timeanddate.com)

Send a message to learn more

07/16/2026

At our regular meeting on Monday (July 20) we will be discussing planning for YAS, including what we should prioritize during our summer work party and what we would like to do for the star party in late August. We will also look at future plans for events and the observatory more generally.

Date: July 20
Time: 6:30pm
Location: CPAWS Yukon (301 Hawkins St, #101).

05/21/2026

Hey Everyone! Our next regular meeting will feature Lori Walton talking on "Recent Developments in SETI - the Scientific Search for Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life in the Universe". Monday, May 25th, starting at 6:30pm at a new venue for us: the CPAWS Yukon board room (301 Hawkins St).

04/10/2026

One of Yukon Astronomical Society's early successes back in late 2016 was to get ATCO to agree to adopt lower-impact LED roadway lighting:

“I used to stand at my son’s bedroom window, when he was two or three, and look northward to see stars,” says Forest Pearson, a resident of downtown

Address

Yukon Astronomical Society Observatory
Whitehorse, YT
Y0B1Y0

Website

http://www.yukonastronomy.com/

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