Events & Outreach
Thinking about purchasing a telescope for Christmas? Not sure what to get or not sure how to use the scope that you have? Grab it and come to the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Scope Clinic and Open House on Friday, November 17, 2017. Held in the auditorium of the Hamilton Spectator Building, 44 Frid St Hamilton, the doors are open to the public from 5:00 till 10:00PM.
Admission is free so bring your family and friends!
The HAA 2018 Celestial Events Calendar will be available at this event.
On Monday August 21, 2017 a partial solar eclipse will be visible from Hamilton and surrounding areas. This is a wonderful opportunity to see a rare and spectacular natural event. The eclipse will last over 2½ hours, changing in appearance throughout that time, with the greatest amount of the Sun being eclipsed at 2:31 pm. At that time about 76% of the Sun will be blocked.
Join Us – All Welcome for the Annual Perseid Meteor Shower Event this August 12, 2017
Free Admission
Watch the Perseids meteor shower with the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at the Binbrook Conservation Area from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday August 12. Admission is free so bring the whole family for a fun evening under the stars! There will also be a meteorite display, night sky tour and members will set-up their telescopes for observing celestial objects.
The Hamilton Amateur Astronomers’ very own John Gauvreau will be speaking at Hamilton & Grimsby Public Libraries between July and October. Well worth checking out, John covers a wide range of astronomical topics both informative and entertaining.
Be sure to visit an event near you!
- Thursday July 13 – 2:30pm – Terryberry Library. Kids show.
- Friday July 28 – 2:30pm – Red Hill Library. Kids show.
- Wednesday August 9 – 2:30pm – Barton Library. Kids show.
- Monday September 18 – 6pm – Saltfleet Library. General audience. ‘The Past, Present and Future of Planet 9’
- Tuesday September 19 – 7pm – Grimsby Library. General audience. ‘Tour of the Universe’
- Thursday September 21 – 7pm – Terryberry Library. TBA (I’m not doing this talk, Bernie is)
- Thursday September 28 – 7pm – Turner Park Library. General audience. ‘The Past, Present and Future of Planet 9’
- Thursday October 5 – 7pm – Westday Library. General audience. ‘The Past, Present and Future of Planet 9’
Public Solar Observing Event at Confederation Park, June 24th
Join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at Confederation Park for an evening of solar viewing. Fun and educational for the whole family, club members will be on-hand to answer cosmic questions. Telescopes will be setup to view our closest star through.
Continue Reading
The Hamilton Amateur Astronomers will have solar eclipse glasses available at upcoming events between now and the August 21st event. Please be sure to visit the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at one of our stargazing events and grab yourself a pair. If you have questions about the upcoming solar eclipse, be sure to ask! Our club members are happy to share their experience and offer tips for great viewing.
Come join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers this November 19th between 1 and 4pm for our Telescope Clinic and open house! At this event you’ll find knowledgable amateur astronomers with their telescopes and gear on display and available to answer questions. This is a great opportunity if you’re thinking about getting into astronomy! Learn where to get started, the type of gear you should buy and more importantly avoid. Already an amateur astronomer? This is a great way to take your hobby to the next level and learn about more advanced topics such as CCD imaging, auto guiding and more!
Public Stargazing Night at Bayfront Park, September 10th
Join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at Bayfront park for a evening under the cosmos. Starting at 8:00pm Saturn and Mars will be low on the horizon, a half Moon will be visible along with many visible constellations. Fun and educational for the whole family, club members will be unhand to answer cosmic questions.
Continue Reading
Unfortunately due to unfavourable weather conditions we are forced to cancel the Perseid Meteor Shower event planned for Friday, August 12th. The Weather Network is forecasting thunderstorms this evening which presents both unfavourable skies and a safety risk.
If the weather clears in your area and you would still like to catch the meteor shower here are a few tips. However, please be mindful of your surroundings and use common sense — avoid open fields if lightning is forecast.
- Try to get away from city light pollution to darker skies. With darker skies you’ll be able to view more of the fainter meteors.
- The best way to experience the show is to recline or lay down on a blanket and just look up.
- While August 11-12 is the peek, the Perseid’s can also be viewed a couple days after the main event and its worth a look up.
We’ll try again next year with hopefully better weather conditions.
If you’re interested in the sky above and would like to learn more about meteors, the stars, and planets please keep an eye on our event calendar. The Hamilton Amateur Astronomers host public stargazing nights where the whole family can look through telescopes, chat with knowledgable amateur astronomers and get first hand experience with the cosmos.
Please join us for a future event.
[ Please note, this event has been cancelled ]
Join Us – All Welcome for the Perseid Meteor Shower, August 12, 2016
Free Admission
Watch the Perseids meteor shower with the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at the Binbrook Conservation Area from 8 to 11 p.m. on Friday August 12. Admission is free so bring the whole family for a fun evening under the stars! There will also be a meteorite display, night sky tour and members will set-up their telescopes for observing celestial objects.