Local Guides World
Sarah Zulak
2 reviews on 1 places
We booked a night with the stars through the Richmond Hill website.
We were greeted at the front of the observatory by a volunteer from RASC (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada or Rascles lol). Upon entry we learned about the dome, its history and why it's built the way it's built.
(Accessibility is limited because of the age of the historical site, so stairs are you're only option.)
As we enter up to the telescope landing, you're greeted by a red light (allows you to still see, but isn't as aggressive as white light. (As a nightshift worker I had a deep appreciation for this.) and standing in the middle of the room is the colossal telescope weighing in at literal tones.
Lucky for us, the night was clear, so the dome was open and before we had entered the building the team of volunteers had trained the telescope for us.
We learned about the equipment used, and the mechanics of the telescope (From the concrete rebar foundation sitting 30 feet underground, to the mirror tip,) as they maneuvered it from its first train to the second. (Communication is integral).
We also learned about the history of the people who built it, and used it to make it the historical land mark it is today.
We were taught about constellations, star clusters, black holes, lightyears, planets, light pollution and my particular favorite diffraction gratings. (No spoilers, you'll have to go yourself).
Overall a once in a lifetime experience, the volunteers from RASC were knowledgeable, and eager to talk about their passion.
I find myself looking up more than I used to, so thank you to the volunteers from RASC who delighted our minds.
We were greeted at the front of the observatory by a volunteer from RASC (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada or Rascles lol). Upon entry we learned about the dome, its history and why it's built the way it's built.
(Accessibility is limited because of the age of the historical site, so stairs are you're only option.)
As we enter up to the telescope landing, you're greeted by a red light (allows you to still see, but isn't as aggressive as white light. (As a nightshift worker I had a deep appreciation for this.) and standing in the middle of the room is the colossal telescope weighing in at literal tones.
Lucky for us, the night was clear, so the dome was open and before we had entered the building the team of volunteers had trained the telescope for us.
We learned about the equipment used, and the mechanics of the telescope (From the concrete rebar foundation sitting 30 feet underground, to the mirror tip,) as they maneuvered it from its first train to the second. (Communication is integral).
We also learned about the history of the people who built it, and used it to make it the historical land mark it is today.
We were taught about constellations, star clusters, black holes, lightyears, planets, light pollution and my particular favorite diffraction gratings. (No spoilers, you'll have to go yourself).
Overall a once in a lifetime experience, the volunteers from RASC were knowledgeable, and eager to talk about their passion.
I find myself looking up more than I used to, so thank you to the volunteers from RASC who delighted our minds.
Overall pleasantly happy with our stay.
Rooms are clean, kitchenette stocked with cookware and dishes/cutlery. Mini fridge,microwave,toaster and coffee maker in the room. Beds are comfortable. Space was modern, and very quiet at night.
The staff are super friendly no matter the time of day and very helpful.
The only downside is you have to book a pool time,(1 hour) you're only allowed a few people in at one time. So we couldn't exactly go whenever we wanted. Proactively we booked every night of our stay before bed, which has worked out very well. (Highly suggest)
Rooms are clean, kitchenette stocked with cookware and dishes/cutlery. Mini fridge,microwave,toaster and coffee maker in the room. Beds are comfortable. Space was modern, and very quiet at night.
The staff are super friendly no matter the time of day and very helpful.
The only downside is you have to book a pool time,(1 hour) you're only allowed a few people in at one time. So we couldn't exactly go whenever we wanted. Proactively we booked every night of our stay before bed, which has worked out very well. (Highly suggest)