Thank you for your interest in the Rappahannock Astronomy Club. RAC is a non-profit organization located in the Fredericksburg, VA area. The club is dedicated to the advancement of public interest in, and knowledge of, the science of astronomy. Members share a common interest in astronomy and related fields as well as a love of observing the night sky.

Membership is open to anyone interested in astronomy regardless of level of knowledge. Owning a telescope is not a requirement. All that is needed is a desire to expand your knowledge of astronomy. RAC members are primarily from the Fredericksburg area including, but not limited to, the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, and King George.

RAC annual membership is $15 per family. Students membership is $7.50. Click link below for printable PDF application form.

• For beginners, an opportunity to learn about astronomy and the night sky from experienced amateur astronomers
• For those considering a purchase, an opportunity to look through many different types of telescopes and consult with owners
• For those living in light polluted locales, an opportunity to observe from area dark sky sites at our monthly star parties
• RAC affiliation with the Astronomical League provides members with a subscription to The Reflector, the magazine of the AL.
• RAC members are eligibile for discount subscriptions to Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines
• The club email list can be used for exchange of information

• The club Yahoo group alerts members to celestial events
• Members may use the club book, DVD and magazine library
• Members may borrow the club's loaner telescopes and other equipment on a monthly basis
  • 8" Dobsonian-mounted Newtonian Reflector
  • 6" Orion equatorially mounted Newtonian Reflector
  • 5.5" Celestron Schmidt-Newtonian Reflector
  • 5" Celestron NexStar 5 Schmidt-Cassegrainn GoTo
  • 6" Orion Dobsonian-mounted Newtonian Reflector
  • 40mm Coronado Personal Solar Telescope
  • Meade Deep Sky Imager digital Astro-camera

RAC has an email distribution list for astronomy and club related messages. Membership is not required. To subscribe, send an email to majordomo@m31.us with the line "subscribe raclub" in the body of the message. You will receive an email with additional instructions.

If you encounter problems, send an email to Glenn Holliday with the address at which you want to receive messages and you will be administratively added to the list.

RAC maintains a Yahoo group for members, titled rac_group. The group administrator is Scott Busby.

Content includes informative news announcements, notice of upcoming events in astronomy, documents and images created by club members and a club calendar of events.

Contact Scott Busby by email to join the group.