Community
ARC strives to create an inclusive and welcoming community that encourages people from all walks of life to share our curiosity about the night sky and explore the complexities of our Universe. We welcome the new Uvic AISES chapter and look forward to working with them.
We pursue several initiatives, both on and off campus, to communicate our research activities and engage interested learners. We also highlight various community organizations and projects on these pages, either hosted by ARC members or by groups well aligned with our goals. We welcome the curiosity of all, particularly young minds - our possible future astronomers!
Many outreach events are currently on hiatus or have moved online due to Covid-19. Be sure to check the webpages of events for the latest information.
Are you an educator?
We love having student groups visit our facilities!
Visit our Telescope Outreach page for more details. We also recommend Discover the Universe, which provides free online training for educators, drawing on the skills of astronomers across Canada.
Are you a parent?
We'd love to help inspire your young astronomers.
Visit the Telescope Outreach page for info about our open houses and school visits. The Community Connections page also lists other initiatives that may be of interest.
Are you a prospective graduate student?
We encourage you to explore the Research page to find out more about the exciting science done at ARC.
Are you an ARC member looking to find out what's happening in our community?
We encourage you to explore these pages and the Research pages to find out what's happening in ARC. In particular, we highly recommend delving into the Indigenous Acumen pages.
If you have exciting science results or a community initiative, please reach out to sciarc@uvic.ca and let us know. We'd love to feature your work!
Do you think space is cool and want to learn facts to impress your friends?
Telescope Outreach
Every Wednesday night throughout the year, we host a free open house on the roof of the Bob Wright Centre (our open houses are currently being offered online). We also hold open houses for big events such as solar and lunar eclipses, planetary transits, and visible comets, and offer daytime astronomy tours to groups of all ages. For the latest news and events, check out the UVic telescope facebook page.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity
ARC recognizes astronomy, and more broadly STEM, does not reflect the diversity of our global community. We are working to create a more inclusive space and to welcome people from underrepresented groups. Our departmental EDI website provides numerous resources relevant to our UVic community.
Indigenous Acumen
We recognize that astronomers have a relationship with Indigenous Peoples which is unique in academia due to the specificity of our observatory sites. ARC strives to develop Indigenous cultural acumen in our community, with the intention of moving forward with increasing respect and understanding.
Initiatives by ARC Members
ARC members host, collaborate and participate in many community events and groups, including Nerd Night, Café Scientifique, and the Astrophotography Club.
Community Connections
There a numerous organizations, both professional and amateur, linked by a shared love of the night sky. Here we highlight local and national organizations that may be of interest to those keen on learning more.
Astronomy and our Climate
We recognize the impact of astronomy on our favourite planet - Earth! Here, we compile some of the many initatives to address and minimize our impacts. We encourage you to engage in the conversation.
Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory