Rothney Astrophysical Observatory

The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is an astronomical observatory located near the hamlet of Priddis, Alberta, Canada, about 25km southwest of Calgary. The observatory is owned and operated by the University of Calgary, and was dedicated in 1972. The facility is used for research, undergraduate and graduate teaching, and public outreach. Research performed at the RAO included a variable star search program, follow-up observations of variable star discoveries, and detailed investigation of binary stars. An outstanding minor planet search program was also performed with comet discoveries by Rob Cardinal. The RAO now participates in many follow-up observation programs, including the Quark Nova project.