Big changes at RASC National

Posted by as News

Charles Ennis, President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has posted this message to the national RASC email list. The complete message is reposted here in the interest of communicating with those Victoria Centre members who may not subscribe to that email list.

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada seal and logo

February 26, 2023

Good day to everyone. The Board of Directors of the Society is providing this update to the membership concerning decisions that have been made after consultation with the National Council and with the Centres through a poll that was conducted in the last two weeks, as well as changes to head office staff.

First, SkyNews: As the membership knows, for many years SkyNews magazine has published by SkyNews Inc., which is an Ontario business corporation. Nine years ago the RASC acquired SkyNews Inc. from its previous owners, and SkyNews Inc. thereupon became a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of the RASC. SkyNews Inc. has its own board of directors, who are appointed by the RASC through the Society’s Board of Directors. The SkyNews board makes all decisions concerning the business and affairs of SkyNews Inc.

SkyNews astronomy magazine
SkyNews astronomy magazine

SkyNews has lost money in four of the nine years of the Society’s ownership. Disregarding the one-time $60,000 COVID relief grant that SkyNews received in the 202-21 financial year (two-thirds of which has to be repaid this year), on average SkyNews has lost more than $10,000 per year during this nine-year period. The losses are increasing. The average loss in the last five years has been more than $25,000, and the loss for the current financial year, which ends on March 31, will be on the order of $50,000. These losses have to be financed by the shareholder, the RASC, which therefore effectively costs each member more than $10, and also endangers the RASC’s charitable status. As is the case with so many periodicals in North America, the SkyNews subscriber base has diminished sharply, from about 20,000 nine years ago, to 6-7,000 today. Advertising revenue has also declined dramatically, to less than one-third of the level when the Society acquired SkyNews.

As a result, SkyNews is no longer sustainable. After numerous meetings and discussions over the last few weeks, and consideration whether SkyNews could be saved in any form (including digital only), the Society’s Finance Committee and Board of Directors therefore concluded that SkyNews Inc. should cease all operations, including publication of the magazine. A majority of the Centres who responded to the poll agreed. Last week, therefore, the board of directors of SkyNews Inc. passed a resolution implementing the RASC Board’s recommendation, with the result that SkyNews will be shutting down. The SkyNews Inc. board will be meeting this coming week with legal counsel to start the shutdown process. The Editorial Board of the Society will be considering whether in future some of the content that has previously appeared in the SkyNews magazine can be incorporated into the RASC’s other publications, such as the Journal.

Second, the robotic telescope: The RASC board has also decided, again after consultation with the National Council and the Centres, to divest the Society of the robotic telescope, which is also a money-losing operations.

Third, head office: One of the important areas in which the Society can reduce expenses is with the number of head office staff. Some staff have been let go, and two others have resigned. This included Executive Director Phil Groff, who has been with the RASC since the fall of 2019 and has now found a position that is more in line with his previous training and experience. We wish Phil all the best with his future endeavours. While the Board conducts a search for a new Executive directors in the coming period, we are fortunate that former Executive Director Randy Atwood has agreed to step in as acting E.D. for the next few months. Randy has been a member of the Society since the 1970s, is a former President of the Society and an RASC Fellow, and has detailed knowledge of the operations of both head office and the Society as a whole.

The Board intends to communicate regularly with the membership about additional decisions that will be taken to place the Society on a more stable financial and operational footing.

Clear Skies, Charles Ennis, President

Skynews is closing

Posted by as News

Vintage editions of Skynews

After nearly three decades, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has announced that SkyNews will be shutting down at the end of February 2023. While it is sad to say goodbye, we are proud of the work that has been published and of the community that supported the magazine for so many years.

Skynews magazine

Update: The article I quoted above no longer appears on the national Skynews website. It appears the national RASC Board is still considering options about Skynews magazine.

As a life member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), I’m sad to see Skynews end. That said, I can reassure my fellow RASC Victoria Centre members that our local Skynews newsletter will continue to be published. It is the RASC National Skynews magazine (using the same name) which will no longer be published due to what appears to be a continuing poor market for speciality glossy publications. RASC tried to keep Skynews afloat and relevant after it was purchased from the previous publisher Terry Dickinson, but in recent years the magazine proved to be too much of a drain on the finances at the national level. The RASC National Board consulted with RASC Centre executive over the last few weeks, but in the end, this difficult decision had to be made.

Skynews provided a good balance of interesting articles, observing hints and tips, some cosmology, astronomy and space news, and a forum for night sky photography and gear reviews. Skynews was a less-intimidating entry point to astronomical subjects for beginning enthusiasts, and being focused on Canadian astronomy, it highlighted how to pursue our hobby from northern latitudes.

Skynews on Youtube
Skynews on Youtube

Skynews also provided an opportunity for RASC to reach out to people interested in astronomy who were not members. RASC Victoria Centre used the magazine at public events such as Astronomy Day to promote interest in astronomy to the wider community.

I hope some of the contributors to Skynews will find opportunities to continue to write about Canadian amateur astronomy, observing the night sky, and issues that affect us as astronomers. It would be great to see the skynews.ca Domain name be retained by RASC for the promotion of amateur astronomy in Canada. Perhaps the website could be used to encourage up-and-coming Canadian journalists who have an interest in astronomy and space. The Skynews Youtube channel is also a valuable asset worth nurturing and keeping up-to-date, but some resources from RASC will obviously be needed.

Joe Carr, Webmaster

SkyNews - March/April 2023
SkyNews – March/April 2023

March 2, 2023 – I received my last issue of SkyNews magazine today, a week after posting my thoughts (above) about the loss and the possibilities going forward. It’s sad to read about Carina’s new column planned for astrophotographers, Phil Groff’s wish to finally be free of the pandemic restrictions to fulfill his plan to visit RASC members across the country, Nathan’s 2023 Galactic Travel Guide, and other articles giving observing hints and targets for the coming months under Spring skies. So much optimism that now goes up in smoke since SkyNews will no longer be there to help those of us who are amateur astronomers in Canada to pursue our passion.

Thanks go to all the current and past contributors to SkyNews, who made this publication come alive, and also thanks to the advertisers who supported the magazine. Finally, thanks to RASC National for owning and operating the magazine over the last few years.

Astronomy Cafe – March 22, 2021

Posted by as Astro Cafe

VIdeo transcript of meeting

Brief notes & links

  • GSNST: A Sky Survey to Search for Transients Unsing an Array of Robotic Telescopes – Malhar Kendurkar, President of Prince George Centre – FDAO Star Party at the DAO this Saturday, March 27th 7:00PM
  • Antikythera Mechanism – APOD showed a photo and it is also highlighted in a Nature magazine article – Ken Atkinson
  • MAIN SPEAKER: Allendria Brunjes, Skynews Editor-in-Chief. Allendria has been a journalist for 15 years, living in Ontario, and joined Skynews a year and a half ago.
    • Next May/June issue focuses on public outreach, with help from Janeane and focusing on BC and Hawaii
    • Some of the changes to the back end of the magazine over last 1.5 years include: subscriber management tools, marketing, new printer, branding, website and social media.
    • Financial and editorial changes made last year highlighted by Chris Gainor
    • New art and design – Isabelle Santiago
    • New writers, editors: Chris Vaughan, Blake Nancarrow, Ivan Semaniak, Elizabeth Howell, Alan Dyer, Nicole Mortillaro, and others
    • Biggest challenges and rewards discussed
  • Sky This Week – review by Randy Enkin
  • One Sky, Many Astronomies by Indigenous star lore expert Wilfred Buck – repeat presentation on March 26th online at UVic
  • There is an occultation on April 23rd and if interested in photometry, contact David Lee