Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday Under the Stars | May 9 | 8:00 – 11:00 PM (good to set up around 7:00 if we can) These events are usually well attended and we could use several astronomers if you are available and can help. Please send an email to me at this address or president@richastro.org if you can help (if you have not already sent me a message). |
| RAS monthly meeting | May 12 | Our monthly meeting will be held at the Science Museum of Virginia (in the Thalhimer Theater) and online at 7:30 pm. We will open the video conference at 7:00 PM at this link for people to chat, if they like, and keep it open after the meeting. Please join us if you can. |
| Outreach Event | May 22 | Telescope viewing. Held on the front lawn of the Science Museum, 2500 W Broad, Richmond. Start time is around 7 pm. |
You can find a full list of venues on the Venues Page
Searching for Information About the Sky?
What’s in the Sky Tonight?
What’s in the Sky Tonight? That really bright star in the South is Sirius. To its right, more to the West, you’ll see the three belt stars of Orion. From there, you…
Telescope Buying Guide
Do you want to buy a telescope, but don’t know where to start? You might consider using a pair of binoculars first, to become acquainted with the night sky. You…
Schedule a Skywatch
Are you a teacher? Scout Leader? We offer skywatch sessions, free of charge, for any educational purpose. We’ll bring one or more telescopes, depending on the size of the crowd….
Future and Past RAS Events
Jupiter is Dominant in April
It’s almost straight overhead, and you can use it as a landmark to identify the bright stars around it. I have it highlighted in the image (at the top)-the stars…
Observing / Outreach Opportunities at Green Bank
Amateur astronomers needed to lead observing sessions at Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia!
RAD Report (Richmond Astronomy Day) 2025
The stars were aligned for us this year-we had a great venue at Dorey Park, and beautiful weather. We had tables set up inside the rec center: a meteorite display;…
Michael Holland
Michael Holland, longtime associate of the Richmond Astronomical Society, passed away on February 27, 2025 at the age of 76. He was a US Navy veteran and served in the…
Blood Moon this Thursday (3/13)
Get ready! A total lunar eclipse is happening on March 13-14. We’ll see a lunar eclipse late on March 13, stretching into the wee hours of March 14. It starts just…
Observing Charts by Steve Bellavia
RAS member Steve Bellavia has created a set of excellent observing charts focusing on the Messier objects and the more popular NGC objects. Each chart is printable and shows the…
The Library Telescope Project
An Update from John Sokol (Editor’s note: The Library Telescope Program is a project that a number of astronomy clubs support. Participating clubs purchase and maintain simple telescopes that are…
A Venus Nighthawk
She’s Got It – an update from Josh Urban’s adventures on the farm and in the city. #212 By Josh Urban – Nov 18 Appearing in the Altavista Journal, etc:…
A System of Binoviewing
by John C Raymond I’d like to share some of my ideas and opinions on binoviewing. What is a System of Binoviewing? An assembly of common observing equipment that’s powerful,…
Peter Tlusty’s Students to Compete in International NASA Challenge!
NASA recently selected 75 student teams to begin an engineering design challenge to build rovers that will compete next spring at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near the agency’s…
First Astronomy Day at Crump Park
RAS decided to try something different this year, and partner with Henrico County for Astronomy Day. While the crowd was not great, everything else worked out very well, and we…
Pass Me a Wrench…
Letters from Josh (A weekly update from Josh Urban’s adventures on the farm and in the city. #204) Excerpted from a Letter from Josh as it appeared in the Altavista…