Welcome to ASRAS

Open House
2025-03-16 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Come out and see our facility’s layout when it’s light, and see some of the equipment we have for member’s use.
*Also, if there is snow, there may be sledding*
(If you’d like to get practice opening up and operating a building/telescope, please let us know via the e-mail group so we can ensure there will be someone there at the Open House to accommodate you. )

ASRAS Astronomy Forum (March 2025)
2025-03-26 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom
Topic: “How to talk to people about Science”
Presenter: Jim Bader, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium Director
Jim describes his presentation as follows: Amateur astronomy is an extremely rewarding hobby that you can share with anyone and everyone around you. However, the way we talk about the interesting things we see in the sky can quickly lead others into false truths and contradictions if we aren’t careful. My career is communicating sometimes difficult concepts in a way that everyone can grasp to some extent, but on occasion the simpler explanation can bite away at the truth in it all. Although it sometimes may feel self-deprecating, gracefully pointing out the beauty in our lack of understanding can give friends and family a window into the reality and wonder of science and astronomy that a mere fact might often overlook.”
As with most Forums, it will be geared towards a beginning or less experienced audience. All are welcome to attend. Contact Craig Kaplan (ckaplan0951@gmail.com) for zoom link.

Messier Marathon
2025-03-29 19:00 - 23:30 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Weather dependent.
Look to do a Messier Marathon the night of March 29. (This is the same date as the sunrise partial eclipse.)
Mark Minarich will be there after 10 pm, we’ll see who can show up to get it started.

ASRAS Board of Directors Meeting
2025-04-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-05-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-06-04 19:00 - 21:00 | NY
Members welcome to attend. Contact Tony Golumbeck for details.

April Monthly Meeting
2025-04-04 19:30 - 21:30 | RIT Carlson 1125, RIT Carlson 1125, Rochester, NY, United States
In-person at RIT Carlson Building Room 1125 (simulcast on zoom)
Come as early as 7 pm to socialize.
Speaker: Jitrapon Lertprasertpong, RIT Ph.D. Student
Topic: “Galaxy Formation and Evolution” – several topics related to galaxy evolution and the death of galaxies.
Jitrapon Lertprasertpong is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Program at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is currently working with Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe to investigate how the local environment influences galaxy properties, including star formation rates and AGN activities. Throughout his academic journey, from undergraduate to graduate studies, he has been involved in various astronomy research, including The Coincidence Analysis of Neutrino Events from KamLAND and IceCube (2020-2021), The Study of the Galactic Bulge Models for Determining JASMINE’s Precision (2020-2021), and The Study of Environmental Quenching of Galaxies in CANDELS Fields (2021-Present). He also has hands-on experience in observational astronomy, having collected data using the Keck Telescope in Hawaii, and is proficient in using various data analysis tools for his research.

Private Event?
2025-04-05 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States

Private Event
2025-04-11 - 2025-04-13, 2025-05-03, 2025-05-31, 2025-06-07 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States

Open House Apr2025
2025-04-13 12:00 - 15:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Come out and see our facility’s layout when it’s light, and see some of the equipment we have for member’s use.
(If you’d like to get practice opening up and operating a building/telescope, please let us know via the e-mail group so we can try to ensure there will be someone there at the Open House to accommodate you. )

RAS Annual Meeting and Spring Lecture
2025-04-22 19:00 - 21:00 | RIT Carlson 1125, RIT Carlson 1125, Rochester, NY, United States
RAS 2025 Spring Lecture Smith Frost Town
The Rochester Academy of Science Annual Meeting and Spring Lecture are Tuesday, April 22, 7:00 p.m. This live meeting (with Zoom remote) will be at the Rochester Institute of Technology Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Room 1125, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623. After a brief introduction and report, the Annual RAS Officer election will conclude the business meeting. Note that you must have renewed your membership by March 31st to vote.
The Spring Lecture will follow the business meeting at 7:30PM. Our speaker is Dr. Alexander Smith, professor of Anthropology at SUNY Brockport. He is head of our RAS Anthropology Section. He leads the Archaeology project in partnership with the Rochester Museum & Science Center. This project is dedicated to the excavation and better understanding of an abandoned mill town known as “Frost Town”, located on what is now the Cumming Nature Center in South Bristol, NY. If time permits, Dr. Smith will also discuss his excavations of iron-age sites on Mediterranean islands such as Mallorca and Menorca.

ASRAS Astronomy Forum (April 2025)
2025-04-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom
Presenter: Craig Kaplan
Topic: “Cool Things to Know about a Hot Object”
This presentation will address the structure of the sun and origins of magnetic phenomena that affect the earth. Participants will also learn about web-based resources that will help them predict the occurrence of future powerful magnetic storms and aurorae.
As with most Forums, it will be geared towards a beginning or less experienced audience. All are welcome to attend. Contact Craig Kaplan (ckaplan0951@gmail.com) for zoom link.
Note: Rescheduled from February 26, 2025.

Public Observing Night
2025-04-25 19:30 - 23:00, 2025-05-16 19:30 - 23:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Join us for Public Observing at the Marian and Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy. All welcome. Members come help visitors look at deep sky objects through our telescopes!

Member Observing Night
2025-04-26 19:30 - 23:30, 2025-05-24 19:30 - 23:30 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
If clear skies, take advantage of New Moon weekend with member Observing Night at the Farash Center. Please use the LOWER parking area and use red flashlights.

May Monthly Meeting
2025-05-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
In-person at the Marian and Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy in Ionia, NY.
Come early to socialize and setup telescopes for observing, if weather is conducive.
Speaker: David Bishop, FRAS
Topic: Astronomy Year in Review

Strasenburgh Planetarium Free Telescope Observing
2025-05-10 21:00 - 22:30 | RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, NY, United States
Strasenburgh outlook for Sat 5/10/25: Yeah! We’ll finally be opening from 9 to 10:30 tonight as most forecasts show us clear, although a few show some clouds increasing. It will be in the mid 50’s but dress warm for a light wind.

Objects will be limited though. Jupiter early but getting low during the session, and disappearing into the sunset in the coming weeks. A nearly full Moon will make dim deep sky objects difficult and will only show a bit of crater detail on the very edge. Double stars will be ok. Mars there but now very small. There is a very bright space station pass starting at 9:35, passing high in the sky, so look up then even if you’re not downtown with us.

To visit us, park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, on the right, climb the 61 steps to the observing deck. We have a short window for observing as we have to turn the keys in about 10:45, and that window will be even shorter as we get into June.

We do this weekly on Saturday nights if clear. Free. Questions? Call Jim Seidewand 585-703-9876.

Open House May2025
2025-05-11 12:00 - 15:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States

Tour of Farash Center
2025-05-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
David Bishop will lead a tour of the Marian and Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy for our friends and neighbors in the Mohawk Valley Astronomical Society (Syracuse’s Astro club).

ASRAS Astronomy Forum (May 2025)
2025-05-28 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom
Topic: How to buy a Telescope
Presenter: Anthony Krishock, Mohawk Valley Astronomical Society
As with most Forums, it will be geared towards a beginning or less experienced audience. All are welcome to attend. Contact Craig Kaplan (ckaplan0951@gmail.com) for zoom link.

Joint Mineral/Fossil Section meeting & picnic
2025-06-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
The Mineral and Fossil Sections will have a joint meeting and picnic at the Farash Center.

June Monthly Meeting
2025-06-06 19:30 - 22:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
In-person at the Marian and Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy in Ionia, NY.
Come early to socialize and setup telescopes for observing, if weather is conducive.
Speaker: Kevin Righter, University of Rochester
Topic: OSIRIS- REx sample from Bennu

Strasenburgh Free telescope observing
2025-06-07 20:30 - 22:30 | RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, NY, United States
We’re hoping for clear skies tonight, most forecasts show only a few clouds. We’ll be open from 8:30 to 10:30pm with temps expected in the mid 60’s and almost no wind. We have a gibbous Moon, best after 9pm, some double stars. Dimmer objects will be difficult in the bright moonlight made even worse by the smoke passing over the region. Alas, no good planets till Saturn in late September.
Telescope observing at Strasenburgh is always free. Park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, climb the 61 steps to the observing deck. We do this weekly on Saturday nights till winter sets in, but cancel if too cloudy to observe. Watch here for weekly updates on Saturday afternoon. Need more info? Call Jim Seidewand 585-703-9876.

Open House June2025
2025-06-08 12:00 - 15:00 | Farash Center, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States

ASRAS @ ADK Expo
2025-06-14 09:00 - 15:30 | Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford, NY, United States
ASRAS will staff a table at:
The 26th ANNUAL OUTDOOR EXPO presented by Genesee Valley Chapter Adirondack Mountain Club and Monroe County Parks
Saturday, June 14th, 2025
9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford NY

Outdoor Expo

RAS Board Meeting
2025-06-18 19:00 - 21:00 | NY
The RAS Board will meet at the Farash Center. Contact RAS President Michael Grenier for additional details.
