About

2013:

In October 2013, AstroPontiac hosted its first outreach event, Aylmer AstroNight. Over 200 people came out to glimpse through telescopes, speak with exhibitors and hear from our special guest speaker Marc Garneau.

2014:

In June 2014, with generous support from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Ottawa Centre, we hosted a solar observing session that drew more than 500 visitors. In August and September we also hosted a series of public viewings in Luskville, Quebec right beside the Ottawa River. It was a treat to have a range of visitors, from seasoned astronomers to people looking through a telescope for the first time.

2015:

The National Capital Commission provided us with a wonderful new home at the Luskville Falls entrance of Gatineau Park. With some amazing help from the Regroupement des Astronomes Amateurs de l’Outaouais Québécois, we were able to host a series of evening viewings and a solar viewing that drew over 200 people.

2016:

We hosted another series of evening viewings at Luskville in the late summer and fall. Thanks to some help from our amazing volunteers and Gatineau Park, we had the best attendance rate at our site to date, averaging over thirty visitors per evening.

2017:

Primary DateGo / No GoBack-up DateGo / No Go
Friday, September 15Go!xxxxxx
Friday, September 22Go!xxxxxx
Friday, October 13xxxxxxxxx
Saturday, October 21Go!xxxxxx

From 8:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, guests are welcome to join us at the Luskville Falls entrance to Gatineau Park to take in the night sky through our volunteers’ telescopes.

2018:

DateEventGo / No Go
Saturday, August 4Mars and Co. – Chance to see the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Sunday, August 12Perseids and planets – Take in the meteors and catch some of the planets visible this summer.

Saturday, September 8Deep space – Explore double stars, globular clusters and other phenomena

Friday, September 14The crescent moon – Hunt for Earthshine and striking craters.

Saturday, September 15The crescent moon – Hunt for Earthshine and striking craters.

Saturday, October 13Star Party! -Join us for a gathering of volunteer amateur astronomers offering views through their telescopes.

2019:

Exploring Cassiopeia and its neighbourhoodDateEventGo / No Go
Friday, May 31 / Saturday, June 1CancelledMay 31 — NO GO
June 1 — NO GO
Friday, June 28 / Saturday, June 29Come see Jupiter and explore the Great BearJune 28 — NO GO
June 29 — NO GO
Friday, July 5 / Saturday, July 6Learn about the life of a starJuly 5 — NO GO
July 6 — GO
Friday, July 26 / Saturday, July 27Join us to check out Saturn and the Summer TriangleJuly 26 — GO
July 27 — NO GO
Friday, August 2 / Saturday, August 3Exploring Cassiopeia and its neighbourhoodAugust 2 — GO
August 3 — NO GO
Friday, August 23 / Saturday, August 24Is there a teapot at the centre of our galaxy?August 23 — GO
August 24 — GO
Friday, August 30 / Saturday, August 31Double stars and star clustersAugust 30 — CANCELLED
August 31 — GO
Saturday, September 21Stories in the skySeptember 21 — GO
Friday, September 27 / Saturday, September 28Asterisms — Easy to find signposts in the skySeptember 27 — NO GO
September 28 — NO GO

2023:

  • Wednesday September 13 / Thursday September 14 / Friday September 15 / Saturday September 16
  • Friday October 6 / Saturday October 7 CANCELLED
  • Friday October 20 / Saturday October 21

AstroPontiac Downtown

Come join us in downtown Hull in the Place du Centre mall (200 Promenade du Portage) for our special popup exhibit until August 24! With a mix of free and paid activities, we will offer:

  • Immersive planetarium shows
  • Green screen “voyages” across the solar system
  • A hands-on telescope experience
  • Ideas for exploring the Outaouais region and beyond. . .

Plus, a chance to win a telescope!

Operating hours are:

  • Tuesdays through Fridays: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Observing in Luskville

Over the summer months, we will be putting most of our energy into our popup exhibit. But we can’t miss the Perseids! Watch this space for updates on our activities on the peak evenings of August 12 and 13.

We will get back to our program of regular Luskville observing nights in September an October. Exact dates to follow.

Thank you for supporting our observing activities in Luskville and our planetarium shows across the region. Please refer to our Facebook page or our Twitter feed for a “Go” or “No Go”. That way you’ll know when clouds or rain are likely.