What do OAFs do

OAFs like to observe with friends, in both convenient locations and dark-sky sites. Many OAFs also enjoy Sidewalk Astronomy and public Star Parties, where we allow the passing public to view interesting objects through our telescopes.

These events are always free — we do not charge or accept money. (Though we have accepted coffee and hot chocolate.)

Some of our favourite activities are:

• Sidewalk Astronomy: We setup a few telescopes set up in front of Chapters Kanata Centrum, and show passers-by something interesting in the sky (such as a quarter moon, Saturn, or Jupiter). The origins of Sidewalk Astronomy. For some insight into our sidewalk sessions see our Sidewalk Astronomy Tips page.
• Warming up and socializing after Sidewalk Astronomy at a nearby restaurant.
• pre-RASC OAFish dinners (most OAFs are members of the Ottawa Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and we usually gather for dinner before their monthly meetings.)
• Supporting RASC public star parties at locations such as Carp Library, or other star parties such as the Mill of Kintail.
• Spontaneous group observing when some OAF makes a public invite to “come over”. OAFs and the public are periodically invited to individual members’ observatories for dark-sky observing.
• Talk — A lot! About astronomy, telescopes, observing sites, equipment, astrophotography, where to have dinner, who is the bigger Farengi, and Monty Python. We do this when we meet, but mostly it happens in email.