Beginning out in amateur astronomy can seem like a daunting and expensive task. Especially nowadays with the wealth of information, resources and equipment on the market, it can be difficult to find a path to start out in the hobby. Luckily, there is a tried and true avenue to hone your stargazing skills and knowledge as a novice, without breaking the bank, or your back hauling around a dozen cases and mounts.

Join us this Friday May 14 at 7:30 pm as Kevin Salwach discusses how a simple pair of binoculars can open up a view to hidden craters on the Moon, the moons of our fellow planets in the Solar System, hundreds of star clusters, galaxies, nebulae and many more objects and phenomena one would never guess they could see without a telescope. A cheap and effective way to become a pro stargazer, exploring the skies with binoculars is an easy way to get into the hobby with something most of us have sitting in our closet.

The latest issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available for download!

In this issue you’ll find…

• HAA Explorers
• The Sky This Month for May 2021
• Notes from My Virtual Table, May 2021
• The Artemis Space Program
• Introducing “HAA Presents”
• Annular Solar Eclipse of June 10, 2021
• The Hazards of Celestial Real Estate
• NASA Night Sky Notes
• Plus More

Download the latest issue or visit the newsletters section for past issues.

Photo credit: Galaxy NGC 4565, by Michel Audette

Join us this Friday April 9th for our April members meeting. Our very special guest this month is Mary Beth Laychak, Director of Strategic Communications for the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. 

Mary Beth will be giving us an overview of this world-class observatory, and the great work they do there.  This is an extraordinary opportunity to get an insider’s view of this amazing facility and talk to one of the staff there.  This will truly be a CAN’T MISS EVENT!

There will also be another installment of The Sky This Month with Christopher Strejch filling in for Matthew Mannering this month, along with an assortment of door prizes!

Members will receive a ZOOM link for the meeting and all others can watch via our YouTube channel here. Subscribe if you haven’t done so already so you can watch past meetings as well as some additional content.

We hope to “see” you there!

Photo credit: www.cfht.hawaii.edu

The latest issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available for download!

In this issue you’ll find…

• HAA Explorers
• The Sky This Month for April 2021
• Notes from My Virtual Table, April 2021
• What’s Up in Awards, April 2021
• Annular Solar Eclipses of Long Duration in Canada
• When is Neighbourhood Light Pollution Not a Nuisance?
• NASA Night Sky Notes
• Plus More

Download the latest issue or visit the newsletters section for past issues.

Photo credit: Elephant Trunk Nebula by Peter Wolsley.

Join us this Friday at 7:30pm for our March members meeting.  This month our special guest speaker is Tom Field, contributing editor to Sky and Telescope magazine and accomplished amateur spectroscopist.  Tom will be giving an overview of spectroscopy and how the amateur can contribute with their own spectra.

For the past 10 years Tom has been a contributing editor to Sky and Telescope Magazine.  About the same time as he began that he founded Field Tested Systems as a way to share his passion for hands-on-science, education, and citizens’ science.  Specializing in amateur spectroscopy his software allows the user to analyze stellae spectrographs in real time, allowing amateurs to explore the composition of stars.

The latest issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available for download!

In this issue you’ll find…

• HAA Explorers
• The Sky This Month for March 2021
• Notes from My Virtual Table, March 2021
• Total Solar Eclipses of Long Duration in Canada: 0-3000
• How to Calculate Astrophoto Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
• NASA Night Sky Notes
• Plus More

Download the latest issue or visit the newsletters section for past issues.

Photo credit: Waxing gibbous moon, by John Gauvreau.

Join us online this Friday February 12th at 7:30pm for our monthly meeting as Dr. Philip Groff of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) joins us to talk about running a large, national organization through these trying times as well as provide some of the fascinating history of the RASC and give a tour of its wonderful collection of astronomical artifacts.

Welcome back!  Last month we took a look at what’s up in the sky.  This month we are staying on the ground and checking out our home — planet Earth.  Have fun!

What on Earth??              

Unless you’re an astronaut living on the International Space Station (ISS), you, and everyone you know, live here on planet Earth. It is one of 8 planets that go around (orbit) the star that we call our Sun. Earth is the third planet from the Sun, which is 150 million km away. Earth is special!! We haven’t found life anywhere else in the Universe…yet!

The latest issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available for download!

In this issue you’ll find…

• HAA Explorers
• The Sky This Month for February 2021
• Notes from MyVirtual Table, January 2021
• Canadian Solar Eclipses: 0-3000
• Where Is Astronomy Going From Here?
• NASA Night Sky Notes
• Eye Candy
• Plus More

Download the latest issue or visit the newsletters section for past issues.

Photo credit: Backyard shadows from an almost-full moon by Jo Ann Salci

Join us live on YouTube now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2LTDy8xm8U

Join us online this Friday January 8th at 7:30pm for our monthly meeting, as our very own PR guru Mario Carr gives us a peak behind the scenes with stories as the region’s go to astronomy guy for the media. You’ve seen him on tv and read his newspaper columns; now here is your chance to talk to him directly!