An extensive library is maintained by Victoria Centre:

  • General and technical books on astronomy
  • Current and back issues of magazines and journals
  • Astronomical media on CD-ROM and DVD

Titles may be borrowed free of charge by members – see our Librarian in the Astronomy Lounge, Fourth floor of the Elliott Building after the regular monthly meetings. Due to restricted access during the 2020-21 pandemic, please contact our Librarian directly to make alternate arrangements for borrowing and returning library media.

Alex Schmid Email 

 Library Index  – 135kb pdf

Online Publications

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Publications – The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has been involved with the sharing of astronomical information with our members and the public throughout its history. Not every publication produced by the Society is still in print however but, through the magic of digital technology, these publications can find new audiences today.

  • Looking Up A History of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – by R. Peter Broughton, Past President, RASC – RASC, Dundurn Press 1994 – Looking Up is a masterpiece of research covering the entire nationwide organization, since its founding in 1868. General readers will be surprised to find out what amateurs can learn from the sky. Leaders of volunteer organizations and educators looking for ways to promote greater appreciation of science will find many useful ideas in the book. Historians will also find interesting facts about the origins and contributions the RASC centres have made in their local communities.
  • The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (JRASC) – the official publication of the RASC containing peer-reviewed scientific articles, common interest articles, and society news.
  • Our Printed History – The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has been involved with the sharing of astronomical information with our members and the public throughout its history. Not every publication produced by the Society is still in print however but, through the magic of digital technology, these publications can find new audiences today.

Astronomy Books – Google Books search – hundreds (if not thousands) of books with “astronomy” in their title or subtitle are listing on these pages. Google Books makes books available online at no cost, including downloadable pdf versions and versions suitable for e-reader devices.

  • “Astronomy with an opera-glass” – by Garrett P. Serviss – Appleton & Co., 1888 – A popular introduction to the study of the starry heavens with the simplest of optical instruments. With maps and directions to facilitate the recognition of the constellations and the principal stars visible to the naked eye.

Edward Emerson Barnard’s Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way – Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1927 – This beautifully illustrated atlas of the Milky Way is now online courtesy of the Georgia Tech Collection. Original photos hand-picked by Barnard and charts make this atlas a special resource to examine online. Victoria Centre owns a copy of this atlas, however it is not available for loan due to the high value of this two volume set.

NASA Astrophysics Data System – an abstracting service offering a search interface into the scientific and technical literature covering astronomy, planetary science, physics, and the arXiv e-prints. Past issues of JRASC can be found here, along with thousands of other publications. Free access to all.

Open Library (openlibrary.org) – Subject: Astronomy

Online Videos

RASC Victoria Centre’s videos on Youtube – time lapse videos from our members, meeting presentations, public outreach videos, and star parties.

“Star Gazers Explore the Heavens” – NFB, 1955 – The National Film Board of Canada considered the grand opening of the new observatory in Regina, a “good story” to document. On June 4, 1955, a film crew showed up to record this documentary, which is just priceless to watch.

NASA Multimedia – video and images from NASA missions, including 3D resources, interactive features, blogs and podcasts.