Open House and Awards Picnic at the E.C. Carr Astronomical Observatory

Download the Schedule for July 7th

Toronto Centre members and their families are cordially invited to attend the 20th Annual Carr Astronomical Observatory (CAO) Open House and RASC Toronto Centre Awards Picnic on Saturday, July 7th, 2018. With ample shelter available in the house, this is a rain or shine event, so plan to be there.  It provides a great opportunity to network and socialize with your fellow members.

Tour the Geoff Brown Observatory with its Paramount robotic mount and newly installed 16-inch RC telescope.  Check out the construction progress on our new remote astro-imaging observatory. Browse the Fred Troyer Library, enjoy a picnic in the country, and take part in the traditional model rocket launches. More details will be available soon on the Toronto Centre website.

An interpretive hike along the Margaret Paull loop and the Bruce Trail will begin at 1:00pm, with a trivia quiz or scavenger hunt at 2:30pm and rocket launching beginning at 3:30pm. The Awards Presentation will begin at about 4:45pm, but you are welcome to arrive anytime. Bring a lawn chair, sunscreen, bug spray and warmer clothing for evening observing.

The Toronto Centre will provide refreshments and snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc.). Various salads and other summer foods to add to the communal table would also be appreciated. Don't forget to bring along something to grill on the huge charcoal barbecue that will be available for your use!

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of our operation of the CAO, we are very fortunate to have a special after dinner speaker in Toronto Centre member Dr. Sara Seager who will provide us with an update on exoplanets and the TESS satellite mission. Also, to help mark the 20th anniversary new RASC TC and CAO logo wear will be available, so bring some cash to purchase yours.

If skies permit, we will do some dark-sky observing in a safe and friendly environment. Bring your telescopes and binoculars, but don't worry if you don't have any of your own; our astronomers have been taught to share the view! With a favorable moon phase, we will be able to hunt down some deep sky faint fuzzies shortly after twilight ends.

In addition to 12 beds, there are several mattress pads and foldaway beds available. There is plenty of green space for camping and several B&B’s nearby. If you haven’t attended an event at the CAO before, this video of a previous StarBQ will give you an idea of what’s in store.

To register your attendance, please use the CAO Bookings form (National ID and password required) as soon as you can, whether you are coming for the day or overnight. There is no charge to attend or stay overnight, but we ask you to register so the organizing committee can plan for refreshments and snacks.

For directions to the Carr Observatory, if you would like more information, or if you would like to volunteer to help, please contact cao@rascto.ca.

We look forward to seeing many of you at this great annual event!

B. Ralph Chou
President