Our meetings are currently online for paid members of our Society, who should receive meeting invites by email.

For our members meeting this month we have the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (FDAO) :

Presentation

‘Can Public Outreach Work Online?’

Brief :

The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on Observatory Hill in Saanich is anchored by the 1.8-metre Plaskett telescope, in operation since May 1918.  The large white dome that houses the telescope is visible from almost anywhere around Victoria. Well over 100 people work at the DAO, which is the responsibility of the National Research Council of Canada’s Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre.  The DAO became a national historic site in 2010.

The adjacent Centre of the Universe (CU) public education centre opened in 2001, offering interactive exhibits, telescope tours, and programs in the theatre and small planetarium.  Members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Victoria Centre offered night sky viewing to the public through their telescopes, and summer camps took place.

When the federal government withdrew funding from the CU in 2013, members of the astronomy community, strongly supported by the public and local politicians, formed the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, a non-profit charitable organization.

Till March 2020, the FDAO held public Summer Star Parties on Saturdays on “the Hill”, which included the above-mentioned activities.    Since then the FDAO has delivered programming online, including monthly Star Parties, curriculum for teachers (ExoExplorations), programs for students (Canadian Youth Exploring Space [CanYES]), and virtual tours.

Tonight we’ll detail how our operations fared in this new format.

Here’s where to check out the Centre of the Universe and Plaskett Telescope Virtual Tour before the presentation!

Bio’s :

Lauri Roche is on the board of the Friends of the DAO, and a Royal Astronomical Society of Canada member busy teaching astronomy to students for both organizations. Amy Archer is board member, Treasurer, and Gift Shop Purveyor for the Friends of the DAO. Calvin Schmidt is the Curriculum development project manager for the Friends of the DAO.