Rose City Astronomers promotes the education of astronomy and the exploration of the night sky through our public outreach programs.

Star Parties and events for the general public

In partnership with OMSI, we provide public star parties many times a year at Rooster Rock State Park and Stub Stewart State Park. RCA volunteers enthusiastically share their telescopes and knowledge of the night sky with all who are interested. In addition to our public star parties we hold an information fair annually and astronomy day events at OMSI one or two times a year. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend any, some or all of our Public star parties or events. We also open the Haggart Observatory on the Clackamas Community College campus once a month for public viewing nights. Our monthly meetings are also open to the public free of charge.

Outreach Programs for groups and organizations

We provide several types of outreach; public star parties, events open to anyone interested in astronomy, and outreach programs for individual groups and organizations (e.g. schools, churches, scout troops, etc.) at your location.

All of our outreach to non-profit organizations is provided by RCA volunteers at no cost and no speakers or volunteers are paid.
(For commercial companies a voluntary donation is gratefully accepted and are tax deductable)

Because we are all volunteers we cannot guarantee that we will be able to honor your request.

RCA encourages groups and organizations to contact us for outreach programs. We can provide evening observing sessions, daytime solar viewing, classroom presentations and hands-on educational activities all at your location. If your group is interested in scheduling an outreach event or would like more information, please contact Jim Higgs, our VP of Community Affairs. He will work with you to plan your event and recruit volunteers.

If you would like an event on a specific date, it is recommended that you contact is at least 2 months in advance of your date. Less time is needed if you are flexible on the dates and some events, such as daytime solar viewing, can be done with shorter notice.

 Because we are all volunteers we cannot guarantee that we will always be able to honor your request. So please contact us early with your requests.

Also, be aware of the hours of darkness as it is hard to view the stars when the sun is up or within an hour or so after it sets. Check our calendar for sunset times.