Racine Astronomical Society

09/19/2026

Sadly, it appears that our event this Saturday is going to be rained out. No one is ever as disappointed about missing out on a night of astronomy as we are, but dedicated stargazers like us know that sometimes the weather just has other plans.
This event was to be the conclusion of our 2026 Celestial Scavenger Hunt, and we planned to give away a telescope and many other prizes. We planned for this possibility, so our October 16th event will happen rain or shine to ensure that all our scavenger hunt participants this year will get some kind of prize. We really hope to see you there . . . and we remind you that we also have a solar observing day coming up on October 3rd!
https://rasastro.org/upcoming-events/

09/09/2026

The drawing for our 2026 celestial scavenger hunt is almost here! The prize drawing will be held at 9:30 PM during our next open house on Saturday, September 19th.

- 1st prize: 90mm refractor telescope, constellation book, moon map, & planisphere
- 2nd prize: Celestron binoculars, constellation book, moon map, & planisphere
- 3rd prize: a constellation book, moon map, & planisphere

Here are some important details:

- Must be present to participate in the drawing, which will be a random draw of completed celestial scavenger hunt cards.
- We won't be starting any NEW scavenger hunt cards at the September event. Make sure you bring your completed OR partly completed card!
- There will be SOME time ahead of the drawing to try to complete previously started scavenger hunt cards! Our all-volunteer membership will do their best to help with the hunt.
- Incomplete scavenger hunt cards have the option of waiting for the next season to complete the hunt OR participating in a consolation drawing following the main drawing.
- If the September 19th open house is cancelled due to weather, the drawing will be held RAIN OR SHINE at our final 2026 open house on October 16th.

All the prizes have been generously donated by our membership - THANK YOU to everyone who donates their time and money to support our mission of promoting astronomy!

08/29/2026

Did you see it? RAS President Erin Lalor captured this excellent image of the maximum extent of the lunar eclipse last night from the Modine-Benstead Observatory.

You can still watch video of the eclipse (from more than one camera) on the "live feeds" page of our website:

https://rasastro.org/live-feeds/

Our next open house - and the scavenger hunt telescope giveaway - is on September 19th. We hope to see you there!

08/27/2026

Livestream of the lunar eclipse from the Modine-Benstead Observatory tonight (8/27/2026) . . . don't miss it!

https://www.youtube.com/live/M6j3xxPhiyY?is=9_pJyozewZld5Ayz

Eclipse Timeline (Central Time):
Penumbral Phase Begins (8:23 p.m. CDT): The Moon enters the outer, faint portion of Earth's shadow; dimming is very subtle at this stage.

Partial Eclipse Begins (9:33 p.m. CDT): The Moon moves into Earth's dark inner shadow (the umbra), and a visible dark "bite" appears on the lunar edge.

Maximum / Peak Eclipse (11:12 p.m. CDT): The eclipse reaches its peak depth, turning 96.2% of the Moon dark and often casting a rusty, coppery-red "blood moon" glow over the surface.

Partial Eclipse Ends (12:51 a.m. CDT on Friday, Aug. 28): The dark umbral shadow completely leaves the lunar disk.

We also always have various live feeds on our website . . . every day! Find them here:

https://rasastro.org/live-feeds/

Live from the Modine-Benstead Observatory in Racine, WIEclipse Ti...

08/21/2026

August 21st Event - Cancelled!

Due to the weather, tonight's Open House Public Night has been cancelled. Please join us next month - Saturday, September 19, 2026. Thank you.

08/18/2026

Come see the stars with us Friday August 21st from 8:30 – 11:00 PM.

Free admission and parking.

If the weather looks like it will not allow for any observing, we will post a message on Facebook and we will leave a message on our answering machine ahead of the 8:30 PM scheduled start time. Find all of our contact information, a map, and the rest of our 2026 open house schedule on our website: https://rasastro.org/

08/10/2026

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our friend and club President, Brian Jensen, passed away on July 15.

Brian was so much more than our club President; he was a longtime member of 47 years, a mentor, friend, enthusiastic astronomer, avid photographer, and constant presence at the observatory. Whether he was running the 16-inch telescope at one of our open house nights, engaging with the public on the viewing deck, or coming out to take singularly beautiful images of the night sky, Brian's kindness and passion for astronomy were of a magnitude all their own.

His dedication to the club and the knowledge he shared were a constant in helping shape RAS into the organization it is today. His presence will be deeply missed by all of us.

Brian also started our celestial scavenger hunt and telescope giveaway, which over the years has given many telescopes and other prizes to aspiring young astronomers. From this day forward this program will be known as “the Brian Jensen Telescope Scavenger Hunt.”

As we look up at the stars in the coming weeks and months, we hope you will take a moment with us to remember Brian and the enthusiasm, knowledge, and friendship he brought to the Racine Astronomical Society for so many years.

07/26/2026

A list of THANKS for all who made our July open house a success:

- Thank you to the almost 200 people who came to the observatory
- Thank you to the dozen members/volunteers who give their time and expertise
- Thank you for all the generous donations, without which we would be unable to keep the observatory open
- Thank you to those members who came before, on whose shoulders we stand
- Thank you to all the parents who brought their children, who will be our future scientists, astronomers, and astronauts

07/24/2026

Come see the stars with us Friday July 24th from 8:30 – 11 PM.

Free admission and parking.

As a non-profit organization that is volunteer run, we encourage a small donation during your visit to help us defray the yearly costs of observatory maintenance and care. We do enjoy having families join us for these events but ask that you keep young children close by (the grounds are not illuminated for better observing) and instruct them to respect the telescope equipment provided by our members. On occasion we may have dozens of visitors waiting in line to observe at a particular telescope and your patience is greatly appreciated. Your many questions are expected and welcomed, since part of our club mission is to educate and inspire each of you to participate in the world of amateur astronomy.

07/15/2026

Mark your calendars! The Racine Astronomical Society's next open house is coming up on Friday, July 24th.
Admission and parking are FREE.
Find all of our contact information and the rest of our 2026 open house schedule on our website: https://rasastro.org