About Us
The Astronomy Society takes part in a number of different activities that approach our member’s interests in Astronomy from many different angles. Be sure to visit our Event Calendar page for the latest times, dates, and locations!
Observing Nights at the Robinson Observatory
We’re extremely lucky in that we have an observatory on campus. This provides our faculty and students with a prime venue for conducting research and for casual sky observation. The Astronomy Society, in partnership with graduate students from the Planetary Sciences Group, host observing nights where students and the public alike have the opportunity to observe the cosmos through a variety of telescopes. We generally set up the smaller telescopes, and educate guests on the sights and equipment.
Robinson Observatory Tours
For groups that want a more personalized introduction to astronomy and sky observation, we offer paid tours of the observatory. These tours are put on as a joint effort with graduate students from the department, and our members generally help set up equipment and give an introduction to the visiting group. Interested in scheduling a tour for your organization? If so, please contact us for more information.
* We are currently not doing tours, but if you are interested, please contact us anyway!
Astronomy Gatherings and Festivals
Being an organization dedicated to astronomy, we generally will try and visit or take part in astronomy events taking place nearby. One of the most prominent in recent years has been the Harmony Dark Sky Festival, which we attend each spring. We’re also interested in visiting space related museums and facilities, such as Kennedy Space Center.
General Meetings
Typically, we hold general meetings every other week during the Fall and Spring semesters. During these meetings we address club business, discuss recent happenings in astronomy, and play astronomy-themed games. At the end of each semester, winners are recognized and awarded, giving you further incentive to brush up on your facts and constellations! In the past we’ve also had faculty come in to give scientific presentations, and hosted movie nights after the regular meetings.
Balloon Group
In the spring of 2013, Astronomy Society members launched a weather balloon into the stratosphere to collect images of the curvature of the Earth. Here is the video created from the 2013 launch. In the summer of 2017 and spring of 2019, members launched more weather balloons to collect video and take measurements of relative humidity, temperature, velocity and trajectory. We are currently in the process of looking for a new balloon project lead.
Membership
We welcome anyone to come out to our meetings to see what we’re all about. After attending two meetings as a guest, we ask that you apply for membership in the society. Membership makes you eligible for prizes, discounts on t-shirts, as well as any trips that the society helps fund. Yearly membership dues are currently set at $15, or $10 per semester.
As a registered student organization at the University of Central Florida, you must be an active UCF student in order to be eligible to become a member. This is defined as being enrolled in at least one course for the current semester, excluding summer.
You can download the membership application or grab a paper copy available at the meetings. Simply turn in the completed application with your dues at one of our meetings, and you’ll be all set.