Meetings
The latest issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available for download!
In this issue you’ll find…
• The 2019 Christmas Social
• November Astrophysics Group Meeting Summary
• The Sky This Month for December 2019
• NASA Night Sky Notes
• Eye Candy
• 2018-2019 Financial Statements
• Upcoming Events
• Plus More
Download the latest issue or visit the newsletters section for past issues.
Photo credit: Galaxy NGC 891 in Andromeda, by Matthew Mannering
Join us on December 13th 2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
HAA welcomes our very own Kevin Salwach as our guest speaker for our final meeting of 2019. There are also some 2020 calendars available so grab yours now as they also make a great stocking stuffer!
It is perhaps one of the most well known Biblical narratives. A dazzling star shining in the east, guiding the Magi towards the Nativity of Jesus Christ. It has become a centrepiece of the Nativity story, and a staple of Christmas lore. Surprisingly however, there is very little discussion of the Star of Bethlehem in the Gospels, and it’s true nature has been the topic of debate for centuries. Kevin will be discussing the many theories put forth over the years to scientifically explain what exactly the Three Wise Men were following towards Jesus’ manger two millenia ago, and whether the Star of Bethlehem was simply an astronomical phenomenon, or a miraculous sign from above in this Christmas themed talk at our December meeting.
General Meeting for October 11th 2019.
Join us this Friday for our annual general meeting, in which we hold elections for the next year’s council, hear what everyone has been up to and generally take care of business.
But that’s not all! It’s also game night; get ready for Messier Bingo! Grab your bingo sheet as you come in the door and be ready with your Messier objects trivia.
Optics expert Barry Sherman will be showing us his newest (in a long line) of telescopes.
Bob Christmas will once again share his vast knowledge of the sky with an installment of The Sky This Month which you won’t want to miss!
Place and Time
We’ll be meeting at The Hamilton Spectator Building located at 44 Frid St, near the junction of Highway 403 and Main St West in Hamilton for one last time. Starting time is at 7:30pm. Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
Door Prizes
There will be a draw for door prizes at the meeting and a free door prize ticket to all who arrive before the 7:30 start time!
Food Share Donations
Donations of non-perishable food for the Hamilton Food Share program will be collected at this meeting. Please drop off any items at the drop-box located near the entrance of the auditorium. All donations gratefully accepted and thanks to your generosity we’ve collected thousands of pounds of food since we began. Let’s keep up the great work as the need continues.
Photo credit: National Science Foundation
Join us on September 13th 2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
After our 2 month summer break, we’re back to our regular monthly meetings. Join us on September 13 at The Hamilton Spectator Building as our very own Chair John Gauvreau continues from his earlier topic titled “Visions of the Future” about 3 artists work as they conceptualized the future of space travel. In part 2, John looks backwards at how the moon was depicted in art, comparing pre-telescopic views, to more recent detailed ones and finally how it is portrayed in the photographic age.
Non-members are welcome
Non-members are welcome to join us at our general meeting events to see what we’re all about. You’ll find a club full of enthusiastic amateur astronomers passionate about this fascinating science and hobby. We’re confident you’ll want to become a member of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers and join us in exploring this fascinating hobby.
Place and time
We’ll be meeting at The Hamilton Spectator Building located at 44 Frid St, near the junction of Highway 403 and Main St West in Hamilton. Starting time is at 7:30pm.
Door prizes
There will be a draw for door prizes at the meeting and a free door prize ticket to all who arrive before the 7:30 start time!
Food share donations
Donations of non-perishable food for the Hamilton Food Share program will be collected at this meeting. Please drop off any items at the drop-box located near the entrance of the auditorium. All donations gratefully accepted and thanks to your generosity we’ve collected thousands of pounds of food since we began. Let’s keep up the great work as the need continues.
Become a member
Becoming a member of the HAA opens up new opportunities to take your love of astronomy further! Members have access to our star nights at the Binbrook Conservation Area, our telescope loaner program, social events such as our Cosmology Discussion Group, and more!
Photo credit: Crescent moon by John Gauvreau
Join us on June 14th 2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
HAA welcomes Brian McNamara as our guest speaker for the evening.
McNamara studies galaxies and clusters of galaxies. He is interested in how they form and evolve under the influence of powerful radio jets launched by supermassive black holes. His most recent work involves making measurements with the earth-orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory and the newly commissioned Atacama Large Millimeter Array, which is the most powerful telescope in existence. He is a former member of the Hitomi X-ray Observatory Science Team and is current team member of its successor, the XARM X-ray observatory, which is planned for launch from Japan in 2021. McNamara is best known for his studies of energetic feedback from massive black holes and how the energy released by accreting black holes shapes the universe around them.
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Join us on May 10th 2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Alanna Mitchell. Alanna is the author of ‘The Spinning Magnet’, her most recent book, all about the Earth’s magnetic field. Part history, part science, it explores all we know about one of the most important and least understood parts of our planet. From our discoveries about the connection between magnetism and electricity to the possibility that we are about to undergo a pole reversal, Alanna brings a spirited talk about this fascinating subject off the page onto our stage.
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It’s that time again! The HAA will be hosting our spring workshop on Saturday April 20, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. There will be a jam packed schedule for those interested in learning some key skills in the field of astronomy. As always, be sure to bring your questions and curiosity as there will be several knowledgeable amateur astronomers available to help you start out in astronomy or take it to the next level.
There will also be a number of door prizes available including a beginner’s telescope!
The schedule of speakers is as follows;
1:00 – How to use planispheres and Binoculars with Matthew Mannering
1:30 – Star hopping across the Sky with Steve Germann
2:00 – Intermission
2:30 – Seeing and Transparency with Leslie Webb
3:00 – Keeping an Observing Journal with Bernie Venasse
Admission is free so bring your family and friends!
Location:
Hamilton Spectator Building at 44 Frid St, Hamilton
When:
Saturday, April 20 2019 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Food Share Donations:
Donations of non-perishable food for the Hamilton Food Share program will be collected at this meeting. Please drop off any items at the drop-box located near the entrance of the auditorium. All donations gratefully accepted and thanks to your generosity we’ve collected thousands of pounds of food since we began. Let’s keep up the great work as the need continues.
Join us on April 12th 2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
Our guest speaker will be Stephen Holmes. Stephen writes; “I suspect we all wonder about alien civilizations. SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the Drake Equation set out some tools to help us get our heads around these huge numbers and consider realistically how plentiful or rare these civilizations are. Astronomy gives us the tools to determine realistically the star systems that might host these civilizations. Join me to consider some of these considerations.”
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Amateur astronomy is a hobby of great diversity. From observing faint galaxies millions of light years away, to CCD astrophotography, to reading the latest magazine at the coffee shop, to comet chasing, tinkering with the latest equatorial mount, radio astronomy, enjoying a planetarium show and everything else in between. But for those who take a keen liking to the hobby – the time and money spent perfecting our craft can be astronomical, and we often lose sight of what it is that makes stargazing so appealing and so important. Join Kevin as we take a step back and a look up at the grander picture of the heavens above, and journey back to that very first moment when you realized the universe was calling for you to take a peek.
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Join us on January 11th 2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
William Shakespeare lived at a remarkable time – a period we now recognize as the first phase of the Scientific Revolution – and yet “Shakespeare” and “science” are rarely uttered in the same breath. But as award-winning journalist Dan Falk has found, a reassessment is at hand. In this illustrated talk, Falk will explore Shakespeare’s interest in the scientific discoveries of his time, with a particular focus on the changing conceptions of the cosmos, from Aristotle to Copernicus and Galileo.
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