Who is the Raleigh Astronomy Club (RAC)?
RAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit hobby club dedicated to promoting amateur astronomy in the Raleigh, NC, USA area. Our mission is to promote amateur astronomy in the community:
- To increase and enhance the Raleigh Astronomy Club member’s knowledge of astronomy and
their skills to constructively pursue amateur astronomy - To stimulate interest of the citizens of the city of Raleigh and surrounding communities in
astronomy and related sciences - To encourage members of the Raleigh Astronomy Club to serve the citizens of the city of Raleigh
and surrounding communities by providing educational assistance on subjects related to
astronomy.
Our Members
In 2020, membership in RAC grew to over 300 astronomy enthusiasts with a diverse range of interests in the hobby. RAC is a great place to start learning – many of our members do not have a telescope or are just starting to learn how to use one. At the same time, more experienced members are happy to help. All our members seem to have a different interests and we come together to share our experiences and learn from each other.
Membership
There are no requirements to join us as a member. Read about the benefits of membership and if you are ready, join our club. Once you join, be on the lookup for more information from our treasurer to get you connected to our email and other resources.
Where can you find us?
*** Updated for COVID ***
RAC meets virtually (on the Zoom videoconferencing platform). We meet monthly for a club meeting which includes a presentation followed by a business meeting. Additionally, our Imaging group meets monthly for a presentation and to share members photos. These meetings are open to the public but require advance registration on our website (find the event on the calendar and sign up).
The club is not doing face-to-face outreach at this time. Our monthly observing session is currently restricted to members only until the virus is under control and government restrictions eased. We are holding occasional virtual observing sessions, streamed over Zoom – keep an eye on our Facebook or Twitter for details.
