Richard talks to us about a new astronomy club he has started at the Champlain Public Library in Vankleek Hill.

Richard’s interest in astronomy began at 9-years of age. He says the allure of the unknown always captivated him. He joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Montreal chapter) in the early 1990’s. Richard was a member of the Starseeker’s astronomy club from 1995 to 2005 (also in Montreal). Upon moving to Alexandria in 1999, he and his wife founded the Glengarry Stargazer’s astronomy club.

Richard is self-taught and has done many presentations on astronomy to schools, organizations, and libraries. He also researches and prepares presentations for the general public.

“My primary interest in astronomy is the field of exoplanets and finding out if other bio-signatures are present in our galaxy. The existence of dark energy is another conundrum I spend my time reading about. My goal is to present astronomy in a fun and engaging way that would interest even the layperson,” enthuses Richard about his hobby and his passion.