The 2025 RASC Halifax Centre BBQ was a success!

 
Members and their guests are invited to attend the Annual BBQ & Observing night to the St. Croix Observatory (SCO)  next year.
 
Date: To be determined.
 
Time: BBQ start time 5:00 PM ADT approx., observing sometime after 8:00 PM when the stars begin to shine. It promises to be a good night for observing so bring warm clothes and your observing gear. 

Place: St. Croix Observatory
 

Burgers (beef & chicken) and hotdogs with all the fixings, chips, veggies & dip, pop, juice, water, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, cookies, apples and homemade apple cake. You won’t be hungry! Members with special nutrition requirements are invited to bring their own food for cooking on the grill.

Please bring your own plates and utensils.

Carpe noctum. Join us in the observing field of our gem in the woods.

 
Reminder: Any headlamp or flashlight you bring must be a red light or be covered with red cellophane.
 
For those new to astronomy and/or are visual observers, bring your binoculars (and telescopes if you have one) - you can see some wonderful objects in the sky. The Astroimagers in our Centre will be there taking pictures of the night skies that I am sure they would love to share. 
 
Bring layers of warm clothing to ensure you stay warm from the time of the BBQ through the observing session. There is a Warm Room and warm beverages will be available throughout the evening should anyone get cold, but be prepared for a cooler evening outdoors.
 
If you have any questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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RASC, Halifax Centre Jan. 10th, 2025 Public Meeting 

David Baron - "The Martians"

 

Meetings of Halifax Centre are from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM on the FIRST SATURDAY of the month (except July and August and OCT 2023). There may be exceptions if the date falls on a holiday weekend. All meetings and special sessions are recorded and are accessible on the RASC Halifax Centre YouTube channel. 

Time: Jan. 10th, 1:00 PM Atlantic (12:00 Noon, Eastern)
Place: Room AT101, The Atrium,  Saint Mary's University or by Zoom

We would love to see you at Saint Mary's University. However, if you are a distant member or would prefer not to attend at this time, you can attend via Zoom. If there is a change in location at SMU, we will notify members beforehand.

Register for the Zoom meeting using this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

 

Public Meeting

  • Welcome & Introductions - David Hoskin
  • Photo Montage - David Hoskin

  • Keynote Speaker - David Baron.    The Martians

    A mere century ago, Martians were thought to be real—not fictional—creatures. “Mars is inhabited by a highly civilized and intelligent race of beings,” proclaimed Alexander Graham Bell after astronomers discovered what looked like irrigation canals on the red planet. When Nikola Tesla, in 1899, detected radio signals believed to have came from Mars, an all-out craze swept society. Best-selling author David Baron spent seven years investigating this strange case of mass delusion. In his fast-paced, highly illustrated talk—filled with period photographs and depictions of the putative Martians themselves—he reveals what the episode says about the human mind: the fallibility of our senses, the power of belief, and the lure of sensationalism. It is a tale both cautionary and uplifting. Although the Martians never were real, the excitement about them was genuine and world-changing, for it sparked a new genre called science fiction and helped launch us into space—toward Mars.

    David Baron, an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, is author of The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America that has been named a “Top Read of 2025” by Science News and a “Must-Read Book of 2025” by TIME. A former science correspondent for NPR and Chair in Astrobiology at the Library of Congress, he has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other outlets.

  • News from the Board - Tony McGrath
  • Night Sky What's Up? -  David Hoskin
  
David Baron
David Hoskin
Tony McGrath
Paul Heath
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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 Observe With Us 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.

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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).

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  1. Outreach

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