We Got the Astronomy Blues Open House

The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is partnering with the Cross Conversation Area and the Priddis/Millarville Community Association for a fun night of light. Like the animals that hang out in the Cross Conversion Area, our astronomers love dark skies and we are working hard to protect the Wilderness the night sky. Join us for games, give-aways and talks which highlight the importance of light pollution abatement to our community. Using humour and popular culture, Jason Nishiyama and Roland Dechesne hope to introduce you to the colourful science of astronomical spectroscopy, by focusing on all the different things blue light can tell us about the Solar System and the Universe. UFO… or UAV? Lucy Poley is an ecologist and PhD student in the Department of Geography at the University of Calgary, and she has spent the past summer flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) over the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory property. When equipped with high-resolution digital cameras, UAVs are a great new way for researchers to quickly and efficiently map study areas, providing valuable data on species and their habitat that simply couldn’t be collected at ground level. The prairie ecosystem on the RAO property has provided the perfect place for Lucy to practice her flight skills, develop her research methods, and occasionally retrieve the UAV from a tree. All open house events feature access to an array of telescopes operated by University of Calgary astronomers and members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Calgary Centre. You have the opportunity to look through the telescopes and astronomers will be on hand to answer questions. The observatory is a dark sky area so please bring flashlight, preferable dim or red. We are located on a windy hill, so please dress for the weather. The cost is $20 per car OR $10 per person All proceeds go towards the RAO educational programming

Location:

Rothney Astrophysical Observatory

More information at http://www.ucalgary.ca/events/calendar/we-got-astronomy-blues-open-house