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Author: Sigma Editor

2026 June Parsec Monthly Event

In June, our program will be to learn the history of the Allegheny Observatory atop Observatory Hill north of the city. This will conclude with a tour of the observatory, and Pittsburgh skies-willing, a close-up look at the moon. For those online and/or who cannot make the trip up the 100 steps and tight corridors to the telescope, there will be a further discussion about the observatory and the night sky in the observatory’s library.

Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2026; Time: 7 to 9 pm
(Zoom opens at 6:45 and ends at 9:00 pm.)
Allegheny Observatory
159 Riverview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA and on Zoom.
Registration Requested, as space is limited.
Check www.parsec-sff.org for more details.

If you are driving from Pittsburgh on I279 N, take Exit 2 for Hazlett street and turn left on East St., but do NOT turn left on Milroy. Continue on East St. and let your GPS reroute. Check https://www.observatory.pitt.edu/directions for more information.

This historic building is partially handicapped accessible. Please ring the bell next to the door at the top of the ramp. The first floor includes the lecture hall, library, rotunda and workroom.

2026 May Parsec Monthly Event

Apparently there was a time when the Parsec meetings didn’t always include invited speakers, special guests, or presentations. That was before my time, but let’s try bringing that back. Sometimes we can forget that it’s the love of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror, that got us all interested in things like Parsec, Sigma, and Confluence.

Join us at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – East Liberty, to talk about our favorite genre works, both of all time and recently discovered works. Books, movies, TV, comics/graphic novels, animation, or actual-science related items.

Hope to see you there. Bring a friend!

Date: Saturday, May 16th, 2026; Time: 1 to 2:30 pm
(Zoom opens at 12:45 and ends at 3:00 pm.)
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – East Liberty,
Meeting Room and on Zoom.

CLP is not the host or organizer of this event. CLP does not support, sponsor, or represent this group or event.

2026 April Parsec Monthly Event 

Join Parsec on April 18th, at the Hazelwood Public Library, where our guest will be Todd Sanders. We’ll talk publishing, design, board games, his own journey as a poet and translator.

Note this month’s location is the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Hazelwood. CLP is not the host or organizer of this event. CLP does not support, sponsor, or represent this group or event.

Bring a friend!

Todd Sanders bio: Todd Sanders lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he works as a graphic designer, poet and translator.

In 1997 he formed the Air and Nothingness Press to facilitate the publishing of his translations of French Surrealist poet Robert Desnos. To date he has published five books of translations by Desnos – The Circle and The Star (2000), The Secret Book For Youki (2001), Calixto (2004), Mythmaking (2006), and Voyage to Burgundy (2008). He also has five collections of his own poetry published – Underland (1997), Lack River (1998), Species of Night (2010), Qila-Kolis (2019) and Ild-Irys (2025).

Todd has also found time to be a successful board game designer. His game, Pulp Detective, was a Kickstarter success with his publisher AV Studio Games, and is printed in five languages. It has had 3 successful expansions and was followed up by Pulp Invasion, and Pulp Romance. He has other games published with LudiCreations and Button Shy Games.

The Air and Nothingness Press is currently celebrating its 29 year and publishes multi-genre short story collections and F/SF anthologies.

Date: Saturday, April 18th, 2026
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm [EST]
Location: Hazelwood Public Library – Meeting Room
5006 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15207
(Zoom room opens at 12:45pm)

Free to attend and open to the Public! 

Register for Zoom Meeting

Please note that this is a new zoom registration link as of January 2026

2026 March Parsec Monthly Event 

Our program this month is to brainstorm about this year’s Confluence Conference, to be held at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel on July 24, 25 & 26 2026. 

The focus of this month’s event is to propose and discuss panel topics for the Confluence conference. We welcome input and ideas from all Parsec members and guests of Parsec.

Bring a friend!

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm [EST]
Location: Mt. Lebanon Library, Meeting Room A
16 Castle Shannon Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15228
(Zoom room opens at 12:45pm)

Free to attend and open to the Public! 

Register for Zoom Meeting

Please note that this is a new zoom registration link as of January 2026