About us

Founded in 1961, the Queen’s College Astronomers’ Club is the first astronomy club within Hong Kong secondary schools. Student-run and driven to inform, educate and entertain, we make the cosmos accessible to everyone through diverse, engaging activities. Beyond sparking a curiosity for science, we use the wonders of the night sky to unite our peers, dedicated to not only promoting astronomy among our brethren but also forging lifelong bonds and expanding their social circles across all forms.

Join Us as a Member

As one of the few premium, membership-based major clubs, we are glad to have over 240 members for the 2025-2026 academic year, making us the largest paid-membership club at Queen’s College. Becoming a member unlocks fantastic privileges, including priority for all activities and exclusive discounts on paid events. New joiners will also receive a limited-edition welcome gift package, which is available on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last.

We warmly welcome students from all forms and backgrounds year-round. If you are interested, simply drop by the Astronomers’ Room during opening hours, or pick up an application form before or after any of our events. Your membership will be processed upon submission of the completed form alongside the membership fee.

Our Equipment & Facilities

The Queen’s College Astronomers’ Club is fortunate to house an exceptional range of astronomical hardware and research-grade equipment, which stands among the very best available in the secondary school sector, providing our students with a highly supportive and professional learning environment.

The Dome and Astronomers’ Room

Perched on the school rooftop, our iconic Dome houses a research-grade RCOS 16-inch reflecting telescope alongside a 6-inch refracting telescope. Equipped with high-precision automatic GoTo and paramount systems, these instruments allow students to cut through urban light pollution to capture crisp details of the lunar surface, planets, and bright nebulae. The Astronomers’ Room also houses around ten portable telescopes and mounts for event use and internal training.

DIY Large-Aperture Telescopes

Carrying forward a decades-long tradition of hand-grinding primary mirrors, the Club still maintains and operates several telescopes meticulously crafted by students under the guidance of our legendary former teacher, Mr Chan Yuk-lun. This collection includes a massive 24-inch reflecting telescope weighing nearly 50kg. A true legend in Hong Kong’s amateur astronomy scene back in the day, it holds immense historical and educational value.

Stanley Ho Astronomical Observatory (Tai Tam)

Managed by our Club’s dedicated alumni, this rural stargazing base is situated away from city lights and is fully aligned with top-tier international amateur observation technologies. The observatory features an automated, remote-controlled 16-inch optical telescope paired with a full-frame cooled astrophotography camera. It also houses various specialised portable setups, including a 14-inch EdgeHD telescope, Japanese Takahashi refractors and catadioptrics, and an H-alpha solar telescope for solar chromosphere observations. We also house Hong Kong’s largest 3.7-metre radio telescope, giving students an opportunity to experience cutting-edge observational science.

Regular Activities

As one of the most active clubs at Queen’s College, we host engaging events roughly once a month. All Queen’s College boys are welcome to sign up, regardless of membership status. Selected events are even open to parents, alumni, other schools, and the general public.

Orientation Day

Held at the start of the academic year, Orientation Day is designed to spark students’ interest in the cosmos. We weave astronomical concepts into fun, immersive games so newcomers can learn effortlessly. It is also a fantastic opportunity for freshers to meet like-minded peers, make friends, and ease into campus life.

Astronomer’s Night

Usually held on Friday evenings or ahead of school holidays, these student-led evenings introduce students to various fields of astronomy. We include hands-on experiments and interactive quizzes to bring the mysteries of the universe to life. After the talk, we set up telescopes on the school rooftop and open the Dome for stargazing, giving students a chance to practice observation skills and experience the beauty of the stars right in the heart of the city.

Joint-School Activities

Every year, we team up with other schools to offer a variety of collaborative events, including full-day astronomy day camps, joint stargazing nights, and guided tours of our facilities. When hosting our joint-school day camps, participants reinforce what they have learned through interactive group games and hands-on experiments. As night falls, we head out to rural areas with less light pollution for an unforgettable stargazing experience, allowing our boys to exchange ideas and build friendships with fellow astronomy enthusiasts from other schools. In recent years, we have had the pleasure of collaborating with DMHCSM Astronomy Club, TLGC Science & Technology Society, and SSGC STEAM Society. Let's collab

Rural Stargazing

We regularly take students out of the concrete jungle to quiet rural spots for stargazing. Some of these trips feature a casual barbecue, allowing everyone to enjoy good food while chatting about their passion for the stars. By moving the classroom into nature, these outings strengthen the bond and brotherhood within the club, giving everyone a moment to unplug and appreciate the quiet majesty of the universe.

Open Days

A major highlight of the Queen’s College calendar, our Open Days showcase features exhibitions, telescope demonstrations, guided tours of the Dome, and interactive booth games. Visitors can also pick up custom souvenirs and a copy of our annual journal, Flash. Parents, old boys, students from other schools, and members of the public are all warmly welcome.

Solar Observations

Observing sunspots is a long tradition of the Queen’s College Astronomers’ Club. Whenever solar activity is high and the weather is ideal, we use telescopes in our Dome for solar observation during lunchtime or after school. We invite schoolmates to join us through announcements and campus promotions.

Special Astronomical Events

Whenever rare celestial events like solar or lunar eclipses occur, we host viewing sessions and set up our gear so our schoolmates can appreciate these rare sights together. If an event occurs at a time unsuitable for an official club event, we will instead host a private observation session reserved for our committee and subcommittee members only.

Behind the Scenes & Internal Events

Internal Stargazing

Beyond events for our members and students, we host exclusive private stargazing trips for our committee and subcommittee members. These sessions offer a flexible and in-depth platform for advanced observation. Free from the logistics and administrative hurdles of school events, our team can head out to the countryside at short notice to catch the best weather windows and astronomical cycles. It is the perfect opportunity to sharpen our observation skills, master professional gear, and build team chemistry in a relaxed environment.

Astrophotography

We host dedicated astrophotography workshops and practical nights for our subcommittee members, introducing them to deep-sky imaging. Whether using DSLRs or the club’s professional cooled astronomy cameras and mounts, our team members learn to capture stunning nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies millions of light-years away. It is a rewarding blend of science and art that trains patience, technical precision, and yields stunning personal prints of the cosmos.

Operations & Maintenance

The smooth running of the club relies entirely on the teamwork of our committee and subcommittee members. At the Queen’s College Astronomers’ Club, every single activity, event, and administrative task is completely planned, hosted, and run by students. From venue setup and financial management to liaison with school authority and the routine maintenance of our delicate equipment under our Club’s alumni guidance, everything is driven by our team members and passed down through the generations.

Internal Gatherings

Alongside our rigorous academic and observational pursuits, we place a high value on the bonds within our team. We organise exclusive dinners, festive celebrations, and casual social outings for our committee and subcommittee members. These gatherings offer a warm, tight-knit environment to unwind after schoolwork, boosting team morale and fostering a genuine sense of belonging and brotherhood.

Join our Team

Looking to challenge yourself and help co-lead one of Queen’s College’s premier clubs? We cordially invite F1 to F5 students who are passionate about astronomy or event management to apply as a subcommittee member.

As a core part of our team, you will assist with running major events and managing daily operations, gaining hands-on experience in event planning, publishing, and administration.

We value passion over experience, meaning no prior knowledge is required, as comprehensive training and mentorship will be provided. Aside from building useful skills, you will enjoy exclusive access to our internal socials, astrophotography workshops, and advanced stargazing trips.

Interested students can fill out the Subcommittee Application Form, after which an interview will be arranged. The interview helps us understand you as a person, especially your goals, personality, communication skills, and logical reasoning, ensuring a good fit for both your personal growth and the Club’s development.

Please note that your interview performance is not the sole factor for consideration, as we look closely at your overall enthusiasm. Students who show exceptional proactiveness during our regular events may even be invited to join our team directly.

We truly look forward to welcoming new faces to our team and always try our best to accommodate as many passionate students as we can. If you have applied before, we warmly invite you to re-apply, as many previous turndowns were simply due to limited training capacity at that moment.

Stay Connected

We share our latest updates and event schedules across multiple channels, including campus posters, assembly announcements, and our official social media platforms. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram at @qcastron. Check out our Instagram for extra astronomy news, event recaps, and behind-the-scenes snippets.

To revisit our past events, feel free to read our annual publication, Flash, or browse our official website.

For any further enquiries, you can drop us an email or slide into our DMs on Instagram at @qcastron, and we will be delighted to help.