Enjoy the stars up close at the Rothney Physical Observatory’s annual Milky Way Nights event
By Julianna Keskic, July 22 2024—
From July 25-27, the University of Calgary’s Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (RAO) located just outside Priddis, Alberta is hosting their annual Milky Way Nights Event. The late night observing event begins at 10 p.m. and lasts until 2 a.m. Tickets are available for $10 per person through eventbrite.
The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is a field station for the U of C and was established in 1972. The observatory is home to five research telescopes including one of the largest telescopes in Canada. In an interview with the Gauntlet, Jennifer Howse — the education specialist at RAO — shared more about the upcoming event.
“It’s an opportunity to observe, and sit alongside astronomers and see the type of work that they do, the type of observing they do, as well as see first hand the rewards and challenges of doing that type of research and collecting that type of data,” said Howse.
Howse explained that Milky Way Nights is one of several public events offered by RAO and has been offered since 2009. The event will provide the opportunity to see deep sky objects such as planetary nebula and globular clusters of stars.
“The Milky Way Nights Event was established in 2009, which was the international year of astronomy. Dr. Langil, who is the director of the Rothney Observatory, had the terrific idea of a late night observing event,” Howse said.
Howse shared that weather conditions can greatly affect what can be seen. Holding the event over three consecutive days allows for a better chance of favourable star viewing conditions. Astronomers will be present to answer questions from the public as well.
“We’re very hopeful that we’ll have a successful year where we’re going to have three nights of clear skies,” Howse said.
Additionally, Howse shared that RAO will have multiple telescopes, with some set up by the Royal Astronomical Society — a community partner RAO works with regularly.
“[The Royal Astronomical Society] will also have their telescope set up. They are wonderful, have a wealth of knowledge and have the coolest equipment. So we’re always really happy to work with them,” Howse highlighted.
Howse highlighted some logistics around attendance due to the cooler night weather and dark conditions at RAO.
“We want to warn people to dress for the weather. Make sure that you have a coat with you as you may want to just sit out on the grass and watch the sky. And as wonderful as that sounds, it can be a chilly experience,” Howse said. “It is also a dark area, so bringing a flashlight to get around is allowed.”
In terms of accessibility, Howse explained that the observatory is wheelchair accessible with ramps into the building. However, one of the telescopes has stairs to climb to look through the lens.
“We are wheelchair accessible to all areas except for one of the telescopes that has a few steps to go and those can actually be difficult to navigate for most people,” said Howse. “For the rest of the buildings as well as between the interpretive centre and the observatory building there are sloped ramps.”
Howse shared that the Milky Way Nights Event is an experience for all ages and offers the community both a chance to see the stars up close and to learn more about space and the astrophysical sciences.
“[The event] is really all about having a look at the sky and seeing as much as we can. When you’ve got clear sky conditions, it’s quite amazing because you can start seeing some objects that are much more detailed. You may get to see planetary nebulae as well as the amazing Hercules cluster.”
Milky Way Nights event tickets can be purchased through eventbrite.