Welcome to ASRAS

ASRAS Board of Directors Meeting
2024-06-05 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-07-10 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-08-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2024-09-04 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | NY
Members welcome to attend. Contact Tony Golumbeck for details.

June Monthly Meeting
2024-06-07 19:30 - 22:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
In-person at Marian and Max Farash Center. Come as early as 7 pm to socialize.
Speaker: Hernan Rincon, University of Rochester
Topic: “DESI Science”

Observing to follow if skies are clear.

ASRAS at ADK Expo
2024-06-08 09:30 - 15:30 | Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford, NY, United States
ASRAS and other RAS sections will staff tables at the:
25th ANNUAL OUTDOOR EXPO presented by
Genesee Valley Chapter Adirondack Mountain Club and Monroe County Parks
Saturday, June 8th, 2024
9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford NY
Outdoor Expo

Come visit, or help.

Member Observing Night?
2024-06-08 20:30 - 23:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
If clear skies, member Observing Night at the Farash Center.

Private Event
2024-06-14 - 2024-06-15, 2024-09-14 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States

Free telescope observing at Strasenburgh Planetarium
2024-06-15 20:30 - 22:30 | RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, NY, United States
We open the 2 telescopes on the telescope platform on Saturday nights through the onset of winter if clear enough to view. Just park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, the 61 stairs to the telescope deck are on the right. Free! ASRAS volunteers will be there to man the scopes and chat about astronomy. No reservations are needed and bring the family, especially when there’s a nice partial Moon phase; there’s no good planets this year till September when Saturn returns to the evening sky.
Join us on 6/15/24 for free views of the Moon at a very good phase to see the craters and mountains. While the Moon will be the main target, we’ll be adding a few dimmer deep sky objects when it gets darker, after 10pm. The forecast looks very good and it’ll be a nice night on the roof in the low 60’s, so consider bringing a light jacket. Need more info? Call Jim Seidewand’s cell 585-703-9876.

Open House
2024-06-23 12:00 - 15:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Come out and see our facility / learn to use some of the equipment available at the Farash Center! (in the daylight)

Public Observing Night
2024-06-28 19:30 - 23:00, 2024-08-30 19:30 - 23:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 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!

ASRAS Astronomy Forum
2024-07-03 19:30 - 21:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Topic: Cleaning and Collimating Optics
Presenter: Frank Bov
As with most Forums, it will be geared towards a beginning or less experienced audience. All are welcome to attend. In person and likely on zoom.

Member Observing Night?
2024-07-05 19:30 - 23:30 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Note: No July monthly meeting with RocheStar Fest coming up.
If clear skies, take advantage of New Moon with member Observing Night at the Farash Center. Please use the LOWER parking area and use red flashlights.

Free telescope observing at Strasenburgh Planetarium
2024-07-06 20:30 - 22:30 | RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, NY, United States
Climb the 61 steps to the observing deck to view through the 2 telescopes and chat with ASRAS volunteers about astronomy and science in general. We’ll have weekly Saturday night sessions through the onset of winter conditions, altering the time each week depending n the objects available. Held only if clear enough to view.
On Sat 7/6/24, we don’t have a Moon or planets, so we’ll be waiting till nearly 10pm to be able to begin to see dimmer deep sky objects like the Ring Nebula. But it looks to be a pleasant night with temps in the 70’s and a light breeze, so a good night to come and chat while we wait for the very late sunset and lingering twilight that we see this time of year. That will improve weekly from here and next week, we also have a great first quarter Moon if it’s clear.
Park behind the Planetarium and climb the stairs to the right of the rear glass doors. Questions? Call Jim Seidewand 585-703-9876 for more info.

Free telescope observing at Strasenburgh Planetarium
2024-07-13 20:30 - 22:30 | NY
Strasenburgh Saturday night free telescope observing for 7/13/24: The night looks to be clear, with pleasant temps in the 70’s. This week is the first quarter Moon when the terminator, the day/night line, is right in the center of the Moon and the long shadows give us great views of the craters and mountains. This is the week to see the Moon! We’ll open about 8:30 but the Moon won’t look very detailed till about 9:30 as it gets darker. We close about 10:30, but may see a few dim objects like the Ring Nebula and the great Hercules Cluster in the darker skies of the last half hour.
So if you want to chat about astronomy on a pleasant night atop the planetarium, just park behind it and before entering the rear glass doors, climb the 61 steps to the observing deck where we have 2 telescopes and a number of volunteers, chomping at the bit to talk about science and the sky after so many cloudy weekends lately. Questions? Call Jim Seidewand’s cell 585-703-9876 for more info.
We’ll be trying to open every Saturday night till the onset of winter, but cancel if cloudy. Watch our FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/ASRAS.Club/ for the last minute weekly outlook as we get close on Saturday.

Open House
2024-07-14 12:00 - 15:00, 2024-08-18 12:00 - 15:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 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 ensure there will be someone there at the Open House to accommodate you. )

Strasenburgh Planetarium free telescope observing
2024-07-20 20:30 - 22:30 | NY
Strasenburgh free telescope observing update for tonight, 7/20/24: It’s going to be mostly clear to partly cloudy tonight with pleasant temps in the low 70’s, but with limited objects available. The Moon is full, not the time to see much detail, and by the time it rises above the trees it may be near 9:30. The strong moonlight may make dim deep sky objects very difficult to see, especially if there are even a few high clouds. No major planets till Saturn returns in September. So we’ll be there from 8:30 to 10:30 but won’t have anything to view till near 9:30 and even then, just a mostly featureless disk due to no shadows from a day/night terminator line.
We open the scopes weekly on Saturday night through the onset of winter if clear enough to view. Park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, climb the 61 steps to the telescope deck. ASRAS volunteers will be there to explain the views and chat about astronomy and science in general. Questions? Call Jim Seidewand, cell 585-703-9876 nights and weekends. Watch our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ASRAS.Club/ for late updates.

RocheStar Fest Night1
2024-07-26 18:00 - 23:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Arrival for camping, Astro-Jeopardy and music trivia contest (rain or shine)
Observing (beginning at dark, weather permitting)
See https://www.rochesterastronomy.org/rochestarfest-2024-registration/

RocheStar Fest!
2024-07-27 11:00 - 23:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
ASRAS Premiere Annual Event
Full Details at https://www.rochesterastronomy.org/rochestarfest-2024-registration/
See Registration form for costs, submit by Friday, July 19, 2024 for best value (and to help us get a headcount for food).

Strasenburgh Planetarium free telescope observing
2024-07-27 20:30 - 22:30 | RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, NY, United States
The forecast is clear for tonight. But we have no planets or Moon, so we are limited to dim deep sky objects after 9:30 pm. Our main concern for tonight is that we may have hazy skies again, we’ve been struggling with that for 3 weeks, and even some Canadian wildfire smoke starting to get here tonight. That could make dim objects tough to observe, so we don’t want to over-hype the night.
We’ll be there before sunset, about 8:30, for a nice 70 degree night and astro conversation and if lucky, will see a few dim objects after it gets darker after 9:30. Free, park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, use the stairwell to the right and climb the 61 steps to the observing deck. Questions? Call Jim Seidewand 585-703-9876
We’ll be trying weekly on Saturday nights through the onset of winter when clear. We’ll have a nice Moon on Aug 10th and our first very late views of Saturn the following week. Saturn will get earlier every week and Jupiter joins the party in late October.

RSF Breakfast and Cleanup
2024-07-28 09:00 - 12:00 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Breakfast 9 am
Clean-up 10 am to Noon

Member Observing Night?
2024-08-02 19:30 - 23:30 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Note: No official August monthly meeting with RocheStar Fest the week before. Informal meeting/activity possible.
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.

Perseid Meteor Shower viewing?
2024-08-10 - 2024-08-12 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
Weather will dictate which night(s) we observe at the Farash Center.

Cumming Nature Center Perseid Meteor Shower viewing
2024-08-10 20:00 - 23:00 | Cumming Nature Center, Naples, NY, United States
Alanna Dolen of the Cumming Nature Center (part of RMSC) has invited ASRAS members to attend a Perseid Meteor Shower viewing event, and bring expertise and/or portable telescopes if possible.
“8 pm – 11 pm so that people can hike out in daylight, but we’ll have a lantern lit trail so people can come out anytime. If you bring large equipment, we could drive up to the field before 8 pm with it to get it set up.”
https://rmsc.org/events/perseidmeteorshowerviewing/

Strasenburgh Planetarium free telescope observing
2024-08-10 20:30 - 22:30 | NY
Strasenburgh Planetarium Free Telescope outlook for Sat 8/10/24:
Very hopeful with mostly clear skies. Temp in the high 60’s but a bit of a breeze, so wear a light jacket. We’ll be open from 8:30 till 10:30.
This night will feature a beautiful 30% crescent Moon, best early as it sets before 11. It gets dark a bit earlier each week now, so we may be able to start viewing dimmer objects about 9:30 if the haze improves this week. No promises, but we may get our first low views of Saturn at the very end of the night, low in the east and still a bit fuzzy being low.
We do this weekly on clear Saturday nights till winter weather sets in. Park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, climb the 61 steps to the observing deck. Need more info or last minute weather info? Call Jim Seidewand 585-703-9876

Strasenburgh free telescope observing
2024-08-24 20:30 - 22:30 | RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, NY, United States
Strasenburgh free telescope observing is on for tonight, 8/24/24. We’ll be there from 8:30 to 10:30 pm. No Moon tonight, so we’ll be doing dimmer deep sky objects like double starts and clusters starting about 9, and we hope to have Saturn above the trees around 9:45. Should be a pleasant night, about 70 with only a light breeze.

Free! Park behind the planetarium and just before entering the rear glass doors, climb the 61 steps to the observing deck. Questions? Call Jim Seidewand 585-703-9876.

September Monthly Meeting
2024-09-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY, 14475, United States
In-person at Marian and Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy, in Ionia NY.
Come as early as 7 pm to socialize.
Speaker: Nitya Ravi, University of Rochester Physics and Astronomy Ph.D. Candidate
Topic: “Observing Dark Matter”

Observing to follow if skies are clear.
