Welcome to the Rochester Astronomy Club
Rochester, Minnesota
*** Read COVID-19 requirements for planned Public Sky Observings ***
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RAC Forum Migration
Hello! We have migrated the original RAC forum to a new platform that will better integrate with the RAC website and allow us to make some nice enhancements in the near future. If you used our original forum, your user account, posts and photos / media attachments have been migrated to the new forum. Original forum: https://rochesterskies.org/forums New forum: https://rochesterskies.org/forum […]
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Nova Cas 2021
A bright nova ignited in the constellation Cassiopeia, which is also available in the binoculars. The current brightness is around 7.8 mag (March 19, 2021) and still is getting brighter. Nova was given the designation Nova Cas 2021. It can be found close to the M52. The flare of the nova discovered Japanese Yuji Nakamura March 18, 2021 as an […]
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Solstice December 21, 2020 sunrise
December 21, 2020
Josef Chlachula
FrontPage, Members Blog
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On Monday December 21, 2020 at 10:02 UTC (4:02 AM CST) Sun has reached the southernmost point in the Earth sky. Picture shows sunrise above Root River Park, even though sky was mostly cloudy. There was a surprise on the opposite side of the horizon in form of Sun dog, something rare to see.
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Morning Mercury
Weather permitting, second half of the November is a good time to see Mercury on East horizon before sunrise! To spot Mercury can be difficult. On Friday November 13 2020 it was actually very easy. Mercury was visible under sliver of the Moon between two trees, as you can see on picture taken at 5:52 AM (exposure 1.3s, ISO 800). […]
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Minnesota Statewide Virtual Star Party by the Bell Museum
November 9, 2020
John Martin
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When you look up at the night sky, do you ever wonder how different it would look under really dark skies? What do others across the state see compared to the view in your town? What actions can you take to protect our night skies or help scientists understand the effects of light pollution? Join us for the Bell Museum’s […]
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The Most Astounding Fact
By Mitchel Medvec The video idea came from a day when I was incredibly bored, sitting on my couch during quarantine watching astrophotography videos on youtube. I have always had an incredible interest in astronomy and the cosmos in general, which is why I am currently majoring in Astrophysics at the University of Minnesota. It wasn’t until I started this […]
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Winter Sky above Oxbow
February 28, 2020
Josef Chlachula
FrontPage, Members Blog, Public Events
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On Friday February 28 the Rochester Astronomy Club hosted Public Sky Observing at Oxbow Park. It was a nice winter day, that turned into beautiful evening for observing. This public event started at 6:30 PM and several RAC members provided telescopes. Tables and chairs were also setup inside the visitor center so observers could warm up and see presentations by […]
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Evening Mercury
The first three weeks of February 2020 there is good chance to spot elusive planet Mercury on the evening sky. Mercury is the innermost planet and doesn’t go far from Sun. This time of year Mercury can be seen on the evening sky about half hour after sunset. High above southwest horizon, there is also visible much brighter planet Venus. […]
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What to expect at RAC Night Sky Viewing Events
October 10, 2018
John Martin
FrontPage, Members Blog
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The RAC hosts regular Night Sky Viewing and Dark Sky Viewing events. If you are new to astronomy or new to the club, these events may be new for you as well. Knowing what to expect might make the events easier to navigate and more enjoyable. The observing events typically take place in a public location, after dark. Club members […]
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Getting Connected with RAC!
September 12, 2018
John Martin
FrontPage, Members Blog, News
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The Rochester Astronomy Club is always looking to connect with our community and encourages anyone that is interested in astronomy to attend our events. We have monthly meetings that are open to the public with interesting and informative presentations. Additionally, we have regular public observing events where club members set up telescopes and share viewing experiences with anyone that has […]
