The Raleigh Astronomy Club meets on the second and fourth Fridays of every month. One meeting is an indoor meeting and the other is an observation session. In addition, RAC has special interest groups that meet separately. For meeting dates and times, see the Upcoming Events area on the Home page or the Club's Event Calendar.

Each month's RAC indoor meeting has an exciting astronomy related presentation given by a guest lecturer or club member. Afterwards, members and guests can share astronomical interests and learn about club activities. For information about presentation topics, speakers, and other meeting specific information, see the Club's Event Calendar.

RAC indoor meetings are held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at 7:30PM. The Museum is located on Bicentennial Plaza between Jones and Edenton Streets. Free parking is available in the lot east of the Museum and on the south side of Jones Street (across from the NC Archives and History building). For directions to the Museum and further parking information, see the museum's website.

To get to our meeting room, enter the Museum through the Bicentennial Plaza entrance. Once inside the first set of doors, turn LEFT and take the elevator down to Level A. Once on Level A, exit the elevator and turn LEFT. Our meeting room, which is the Level A Conference Room, is the first door on the RIGHT.

RAC Observing Sessions

The RAC observing sessions (RACOBS) are held at various dark sky sites, weather permitting. For observing session go/no-go status, locations, and start times, check the RAC Newsflash area on the Home page. Updates are posted by 5:00 pm on the night of the observing session.

If you need directions, please contact the Club at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it before 5:00pm on the night of the observing session.

You can also check observing session status and request directions through the Club's telephone recording service at (919) 460-7900. This service provides current Club information and a way to leave a message.

The RAC Special Interest Groups meet separately to discuss particular aspects of amateur astronomy, such as astronomical imaging (astrophotography). For information on meeting dates, times, locations, and topics, see the Upcoming Events area on the Home page or the Club's Event Calendar.