Société d'astronomie de Montréal

Lore & Background

The Société d'astronomie de Montréal originated from the Montreal French Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, which was founded in 1947. In 1968, this centre obtained a provincial charter, establishing the Société as an independent club. For many years it held the distinction of being the largest French-language astronomy club in Quebec, a status it maintained until the mid-1980s when other clubs in the Greater Montreal area began to grow in membership.

The club published an Annuaire astronomique, an ephemeris book, for many years. Its members were offered telescope mirror polishing courses, held in the Montreal Botanical Gardens meeting room, which the Société occupied until 1980, when it had to move. Today, the Société is based in the Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough (district Saint-Michel).

Each year, the Société organizes the Concours annuel de fabricants de télescopes amateurs (CAFTA), a telescope-making contest, together with the Club d'astronomie Orion de Saint-Timothée.

Reader's Guide

The Société d'astronomie de Montréal holds significance as a key institution in French-language amateur astronomy in Quebec. Founded in 1968 from a pre-existing centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, it served for many years as the largest French-language astronomy club in the province, until the mid-1980s when other clubs in the Greater Montreal area began to attract members. Its long-running publication, the Annuaire astronomique, provided ephemeris data to members and the broader community. The club also fostered hands-on skills through telescope mirror polishing courses, held at the Montreal Botanical Gardens meeting room, which it used until 1980. After moving from that location, the Société eventually settled in the Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough. Its legacy includes the annual CAFTA telescope-making contest, co-organized with the Club d'astronomie Orion de Saint-Timothée, which continues to engage amateur telescope makers. The list of presidents from 1968 to 2007 documents the club's leadership over four decades.

Did You Know?

• The Société was founded in 1968 after the Montreal French Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada obtained a provincial charter.
• It was the largest French-language astronomy club in Quebec until the mid-1980s.
• The Société co-organizes the annual CAFTA telescope-making contest with the Club d'astronomie Orion de Saint-Timothée.