Founded in 1918, the Montreal Centre is part of a Canada-wide network of 29 Centres affiliated under the banner of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Our members are hobbyists from all walks of life. Some members look at the sky through telescopes, others through binoculars, or with the unaided eye. Still others are armchair astronomers who don’t observe at all. What they do have in common, though, is an interest in astronomy.

MEMBER BENEFITS

Astronomy lectures
The Montreal Centre presents major talks by professional astronomers, graduate students in astronomy as well as the Centre’s own members on various aspects of astronomy. Talks are scheduled about once a month, with a major Townsend lecture at the end of the year. Talks are usually held in the John Abbott College auditorium and at the Morgan Arboretum during the summer months.

The Montreal Centre library
The Montreal Centre maintains one of the finest libraries devoted to astronomical literature in Canada. There are over one thousand books and bound volumes of magazines as well as a growing collection of videotapes of Centre lectures and commercial programs. Many of the volumes are of a historical nature; indeed we have a few books that were first published in the nineteenth century! Our books deal with every aspect of astronomy from studies of the moon to research on galaxies and quasars at the frontiers of the universe.

Observer’s meetings
The meetings are chaired by our Director of Observational Activities, who presents a brief overview of observing events visible during the month, as well as tips on how to get the most out of your observational activities. These meetings take place at the Morgan Arboretum or on the John Abbott College campus. The Montreal Centre also has access to dark observing sites in the surrounding region, such as St-Chrysostôme in Quebec.

Newsletter – Skyward
The Montreal Centre publishes a bi-monthly newsletter chronicling events and activities at the Centre. Its name is Skyward and it has the distinction of being the oldest, continuously published astronomical newsletter in Canada. You will find a broad range of articles in its pages; everything from articles relating to events at the Centre through to articles offering tips on observing and getting the most out of your astronomical equipment.

Telescope rental
The Montreal Centre offers a program whereby binoculars or small telescopes can be rented at a nominal charge. Currently two pairs of 7×50 binoculars, a three-inch refractor, four-inch and six-inch reflectors and a 5-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope are part of the program.

Observer’s Certificates
The Montreal Centre and the RASC offer certificates upon completion of the following:
- Binocular Challenge
- Isabel K. Williamson Certificate
- Messier Certificate
- NGC 100 Certificate
- Finest NGC Certificate
Please visit the projects page of this website for more information.

Publications
Besides receiving the Montreal Centre newsletter Skyward, members also receive three publications issued by the RASC nation-wide:
The Observer’s Handbook – an astronomy guide-book, published yearly
SkyNews – a bi-monthly full colour astronomy magazine
Journal – a bi-monthly magazine featuring Canadian astronomy news

OUR TEAM

Please click here to see our current Board of Directors.

Our By-Laws
To down-load a pdf document with our Centre’s By-Laws, please click here.