The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Royal BC Museum present
International Astronomy Day
at the Royal BC Museum
Saturday, May 14, 2016 10AM to 4PM
Amazing Astronomical Activities for all Ages!
2016-IAD-MediaRelease (59k PDF)
All Astronomy Day activities are FREE and available to the general public. Membership in RASC is not required.
Regular admission applies to Royal BC Museum and IMAX Theatre. A Beautiful Planet – an IMAX® 2D and 3D Experience – Take a Journey on the International Space Station! – starting at 11AM (every 2 hours).
Royal BC Museum – 10AM to 4PM
675 Belleville Street, Victoria
- Interactive activities and displays both inside and outside
- View the Sun safely through solar telescopes on the plaza
- “Walk Among the Planets” display on the plaza
- Telescope mirror grinding – inside
- Astrophotography – inside
- Historical displays – inside
- Hands-on activities for the kids – inside
- Lectures
- 1PM – Death Stars in the Orion Nebula: Recent Observations of Planet Formation – Dr. Rita Mann
- 2:30PM – Baby Galaxies in a Grown-up Universe – Maan Hani
Centre of the Universe and the Observatory – 7:30PM to 11PM
Observatory Hill, 5071 West Saanich Road, Saanich
- Plaskett telescope tours
- Observing through telescopes
- Lectures
- 8PM – Journey to the Edge of the Solar System. New Horizons: The First Mission to the Pluto System and the Kuiper Belt – Ivar Arroway
- 9PM – The Greatest Show on Earth: Solar Eclipses – Michael Webb
- Only holders of (free) tickets will be admitted to this evening event!
- Reserve your tickets (one week prior to the event) – sorry, all tickets are gone!
Press
- Observatory plans out-of-this world celebration – Saanich News, May 12, 2016
- International Astronomy Day – The Q-100 FM, May 9, 2016
- Astronomy Day – Royal BC Museum
- Astronomy Day – Tourism Victoria
- Astronomy Day – HarbourLiving.ca
What a day! Absolutely first-rate effort by RASC-Victoria members for a successful International Astronomy Day at the Royal BC Museum and Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.
Huge thanks to our incredible RASC volunteers, as well as those who generously donated their time and knowledge from NRC, FDAO, UVic, Pearson College, the Planetary Society, and our guest speakers Rita Mann, Maan Hani, Ivar Arroway and Michael Webb. Special thanks go to David Lee and Nelson Walker who arranged the volunteers and guest speakers, and made the whole event look amazing.
We had fun, and the public LOVED it.
Well done, and THANK YOU everyone!Sherry Buttnor, President, RASC Victoria Centre
Congratulations and thanks to everyone from RASC, FDAO, Science Ventures, Planetary Society, NRC-HAA, and the RBCM who made two extraordinary events possible. The community commitment to engaging, quality outreach and to support of the work of the Herzberg staff at DAO is phenomenal. That we have come so far since CU closure is the result of sustained effort by so many people, for which my gratitude is boundless!
Jim Hesser, former Director of the DAO
Thanks to all the volunteers during the day and at night at the DAO who made it a very worthwhile day.
Lauri Roche, Past President, RASC Victoria Centre