Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

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Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
La Société Royale D'Astronomique du Canada
(RASC / SRAC)
founding 1890 in Toronto , Ontario
Seat Toronto
precursor Toronto Astronomical Club
motto Quo Ducit Urania (Where Urania Leads Us )
Action space Canada
Members approx. 5000
Website http://www.rasc.ca/

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada ( RASC ; French La Société Royale D'astronomique du Canada , SRAC ) is a non-profit organization founded in 1890 for those interested in astronomy in Canada, who are confirmed by a Royal Charter . The primary goal of the organization is to be Canada's premier astronomical society, bringing astronomy to everyone and everyone.

To achieve this goal, the RASC brings together around 5000 members from laypeople , teachers , and professional staff and offers services from 29 local centers. RASC is the largest and most widespread organization with a focus on astronomy.

history

On December 1, 1868, a group of interested people in Toronto , Ontario , founded the Toronto Astronomical Club (English Astronomical Club of Toronto ) without any formal registration . It was eight middle-class men who, for reasons unknown, met at the Mechanic's Institute on the corner of Adelaide St. and Church St. in Toronto. The names of the men are recorded in a protocol in which they agree to meet again in January. Within five months, they changed the name of their association to The Toronto Astronomical Society . The enthusiasm of the early years quickly faded, but activities never ceased entirely. In 1884 the interest was renewed with a new name, The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto (English Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto ) and in 1890 the association was officially registered in the register of associations of Ontario. Therefore, 1890 is considered to be the official founding date of the RASC, although the above-mentioned group had already met twenty-two years earlier.

The association found further supporters and contacted neighboring communities by 1900. On March 3, 1903, the society was renamed the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada after King Edward VII had signed the Royal Charter and thus allowed the use of the attribute Royal (English royal ). At that time the number of members was just 120 people. In 1968 the association was entered in the national register of Canada.

In 1906, another center was set up in Ottawa , conveniently close to the then newly built Dominion Observatory. Since then, the company has expanded across Canada and has branches in 27 other communities. With the exception of Prince Edward Island , the RASC is represented in all provinces and territories of Canada .

Vision and mission

The dissemination of astronomical knowledge and the awakening of enthusiasm for all areas and aspects of astronomy is one of the mission goals of the society. The company describes the values ​​pursued in four ways:

  • Share knowledge and experience
  • Cooperation and camaraderie
  • Enriching society through diversity
  • Discovery with the help of the scientific method

The organization derives a mandate from the vision and mission :

  • Stimulate interest and knowledge of astronomy and related topics
  • the means to acquire documents and instruments by which observations can be made
  • To publish books and magazines that serve the advancement of astronomy and society
  • Acceptance of gifts, donations and inheritances with society as the beneficiary
  • To support individuals and organizations involved in astronomy with grants and active help.

organization

The governing body of the company is the board. Board members are elected for three years by the general assembly. The board members choose five "officers" from their ranks:

  • Predisent
  • First Vice President (heads the Publications Committee and the Constitution Committee)
  • Second Vice President (heads the Nominating Committee)
  • National Secretary
  • Treasurer (heads the Finance Committee)

Around 2000 the RASC had two full-time employees, the Executive Secretary and the Membership and Publications Coordinator. Members receive the Observer's Handbook once a year and the association's magazine, the Journal, every two months.

activities

archive

The RASC maintains a detailed archive at its headquarters in Toronto, which is made available to interested parties upon request. The collection includes rare books from around 1700, all publications by the RASC itself, a collection of meteorites and a collection of Canadian objects related to astronomy, such as coins, postage stamps and historical, astronomical instruments.

environmental Protection

The RASC has been involved in the fight against light pollution since 1991 . A dedicated committee, the Light Pollution Abatement Committee, organizes the activities. As a result, Canada protects approximately 0.6% of its national territory in light protection areas (see list of Dark Sky Preserves in Canada ).

Publications

The RASC is responsible for issuing several publications, including the Observer's Handbook , which is published once a year in autumn and can be found in observatories around the world as a reference work . It provides brief information on the astronomical features of the following year, and helps as a reference work for important astronomical data, observation techniques, physical constants and optical properties of telescopes. The first two editions were published in 1907 and 1908. In the following two years the information was published in the company's executive body. Then it was decided to reissue the Observer, so that the third edition of the work was published in 1911. The 110th edition of the work was published in 2017. Also in 2017, a US version was published for the first time in cooperation with the Astronomical League .

The first publications of an association body were made as early as 1890. The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (ISSN 0035-872X) has been published continuously since 1907 and appears bimonthly with articles on Canadian astronomers, activities of the RASC and its centers, and peer-reviewed research reports. In addition, the National Newsletter was published from 1970 . In the beginning it was a four-page supplement to the journal, but over time the newsletter developed into an independent magazine. Publication was discontinued in 1990 and replaced by Bulletin in 1991. The Bulletin was published for nearly six years until it was finally merged with the Journal in 1996 when it received a face lift.

The Observer's Calendar publishes photos of astronomical amateurs. Every recording is described in an understandable way for laypeople and published with the relevant data.

Books

  • R. Peter Broughton (1994) Looking Up - A History of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d e W. MacDonald: Mission Statement. In: RASC website. Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, February 12, 2019, accessed November 21, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f The Royal Astronomical Society Of Canada - La Societe Royale d'Astronomie du Canada. A Historical Perspective. In: Website of Company Seven, Astro-Optics Division. Company Seven, Astro-Optics Division, accessed November 23, 2019 .
  3. ^ Astronomy Clubs. In: SkyNews website - The Canadian Magazine of Astronomy and Stargazing. SkyNews, accessed November 23, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g Diana Hannikainen: Happy Birthday, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada! The RASC is celebrating its 150th birthday! Join us in congratulating them on this memorable milestone. In: Sky & Telescope. November 30, 2018, accessed November 23, 2019 .
  5. ↑ a b c admin: Board of Directors. In: RASC website. Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, May 2, 2011, accessed November 21, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b Anonymous: National Archives. RASC Archives. In: RASC website. Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, May 23, 2011, accessed November 21, 2019 .
  7. ↑ a b c d e f admin: Our Printed History. In: RASC website. Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, April 26, 2011, accessed November 21, 2019 .