Medicine Hat Astronomy Club
Founded in 1979, the Medicine Hat Astronomy Club is a non-profit society created as a legal entity under the Societies Act in October 1980. In August 1983, the club opened it's own observatory, the Sunridge Observatory located on Range Road 72 approximately 17 km west of Medicine Hat on Highway 3. The club operates to promote the hobby of amateur astronomy and provides a focal point for like minded people to gather and engage in the hobby of amateur astronomy.
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MHAC and Sunridge Observatory
Housing a 16 inch Meade Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope (SCT), along with a theater room and kitchen area, Sunridge is now in it's 40th year of operation. All members with proper training can gain a key to access our club facility. The Medicine Hat Astronomy Club is the owner of this facility and holds clear title to the property and facility. The MHAC holds both executive and member meetings according to its bylaws.
Club Membership
Club Membership runs from November 1 to October 31 of next year. Dues are $120 per year for individual and $180 a year for a family memebership. Membership gets you access to the facility and all its perks including loaner telescopes, the use of on premises telescopes, a multi-session astronomy course, access to the library and more.
Loaner Telescope Program
The Medicine Hat Astronomy Club has two loaner telescopes, both 8 inch SkyWatcher Dobsonian telescopes that are available for members to sign out and take home and use. These telescopes were graciously donated to the MHAC by long time former member Arthur Krause. In qddition to these loaner telescopes, there are also two 10 inch Dobsonian scopes on premises and a classic orange tube Celestron 8 on clock driven fork mount that can be used on premises.
Exploradome
An exciting project that has been in the works for several years is the adjacent Exploradome that is also on the club's premises. This project is in development but Summer 2024 is looking like the time when some really interesting new things could be happening there as we move to get our remote imaging system online. This is an exciting new area that we are entering into.
SASP
Originally conceived in 2020, the Southern Alberta Star Party (SASP) went public in 2022 and just completed it's second year of operation and has been very popular with hobbyists. Held at the Whispering Pines Camp in Cypress Hills near the town of Elkwater, SASP is a Bortle 2 location with full amenties for both camping and cabin stays. The facility has kitchen, dining hall, theater, games room, showers, laundry facilities and more. This 5 or 6 day event is put on by members of the MHAC as the club's big star party event. SASP is growing quickly.