The Richmond Hill Naturalists officially announces the formation of a new special interest section of the club — an astronomy group, to be known as the AstroNats.
“We are thrilled to have the AstroNats join our club,” said Richmond Hill Naturalists’ President Marianne Yake. “With the AstroNats we will be able to extend our enjoyment and protection of nature to the sky as well as to Earth.”
This new amateur astronomy group will be chaired by Ms. Heide DeBond, one of the current operators of the 74 inch telescope at the David Dunlap Observatory (DDO).
The core of the amateur astronomy section of the club is drawn from the DDO Defenders group which together with the Richmond Hill Naturalists has undertaken to preserve and protect the entire DDO site at 123 Hillsview Drive, Richmond Hill. The Astronats will service southern York Region and the Greater Toronto Area.
With the formation of the AstroNats, the Richmond Hill Naturalists and the David Dunlap Observatory astronomers have come full circle: In 1955 Helen Sawyer Hogg and Ruth Northcott, both resident astronomers at the Observatory, helped found the fledgling nature group called the Naturalists and later called the Richmond Hill Naturalists. From astronomers forming a nature group, we now have that same nature group forming an astronomy group.
The Richmond Hill Naturalists is dedicated to enjoying, protecting and promoting the environment and natural history. The club offers year-round activities and monthly speakers from September to April covering a wide range of topics. Included under the umbrella of the club are dedicated groups for bird watching, botany, the environment, and now astronomy.
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For further information on the Richmond Hill Naturalists please contact:
Marianne Yake
President
Richmond Hill Naturalists
[email protected]
Phone: 905-883-3047
https://www.rhnaturalists.ca/
