Come join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers for a night under the stars. This March 19th we will be holding a public stargazing night at the Niagara Gateway Tourism Centre between 7:30 – 11:00pm. Our friendly club members will have telescopes setup where you can ask questions and gaze upon celestial objects of interest;  The Moon, Jupiter, Orion constellation, etc.

Niagara Gateway Tourism Centre
424 South Service Rd., Grimsby
7:30 – 11:00pm
View Map

Subject to weather conditions.

General Meeting for March 11, 2016 @ 7:30pm

Long ago Vincent van Gogh said, “The lamps are burning and the starry sky is over it all.” How times have changed with the emergence of light pollution. Today bright city lights are burning all over the evening sky, outshining the greatest night show on earth to the detriment of future generations. If the starlight storytellers are to disclose the tale of the universe, then the night needs to stay alive. This lecture presentation will examine light pollution from its onset; discuss its consequences, and then outline the measures one can take to curb its effects.

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The March issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available.

In this issue you’ll find…

• The Sky This Month
• Beginner Astrophotography and Home Depot
• Upcoming Events
• Cartoon Corner
• Plus Much More!

Download your copy from the newsletters section.

Photo credit: The Moon, by Peter Wolsley

The February issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available.

In this issue you’ll find…

• The Sky This Month
• Chair’s Report
• Chaos & The Cosmos
• Upcoming McCallion Planetarium Shows
• Cartoon Corner
• Plus Much More!

Download your copy from the newsletters section.

Photo credit: Binbrook Conservation Area & Lake Niapenco, by Kevin Salwach

General Meeting for February 12, 2016 @ 7:30pm

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is a new and powerful radio telescope that has recently completed construction on a high plateau in northern Chile. The first science results from ALMA include a stunning array of images of astronomical sources ranging from very young stars that are still in the process of forming to galaxies at the limits of the visible universe. Professor Christine Wilson has been involved with ALMA in a variety of roles throughout its design and construction and will give an overview of the telescope itself as well as some of its most exciting science.

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General Meeting for January 15, 2016 @ 7:30pm

As a reporter with CHCH-tv for many years, Karen Cumming was used to telling other people’s stories.  Turns out she has a pretty interesting one of her own to tell now.  In February of last year, Karen was chosen as one of 100 people from around the world who are moving on to the final round of astronaut selection in the Mars One Mission.  They’re known as “The Mars 100”.  Their goal?

To colonize Mars.  Oh, and did we mention?  It’s a one way trip.  To say the whole experience has been surreal would be an understatement.  Join Karen on January 15th as she tells us about her own unique space story.
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1960’s Star Trek could only imagine the power we wield today with our smart phones and the amount of information available at our fingertips. I’m never far from my phone, dawning it from my pocket whenever I need a bit of information or to access some tool for a task at hand. Somewhat akin to Mr. Spock’s tricorder, using astronomy apps I can point my phone at the cosmos and see what star is in view, when the International Space Station will cross the sky or predict upcoming aurora. Here is a list of some of the apps I use and while I’ll be focusing on iOS apps, many of these or similar are also available for Android and other platforms.

Be it under a night sky or riding the train home from work, Aurora Forecast provides up-coming aurora predictions and includes a 3D view of the Earth showing exactly where the aurora is presently visible. Added details such as solar wind speed and density help provide a complete picture which can be fascinating on its own even if the aurora is not visible.

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I just wanted to offer congratulations to a few members for a great job well done.

I have really enjoyed Bruce Pawlett’s recent articles in the newsletter. Having submitted now for three months in a row he is at risk of becoming a regular feature in the Event Horizon! His topics have been diverse, and I enjoyed all his work and look forward to more in the future. Well done, and thanks Bruce!

Our own webmaster, David T., is also our calendar editor this year, and although the calendar is advertised right here on our website, there is little mention of a great newspaper article that featured the calendar and its editor. David did put a link to the article below the notice (look a few blog posts below this one), but was clearly too modest to say more, and although it was briefly refered to in the newsletter, there was no information on the article, name or link provided. I say well done David and very glad to see some well deserved recognition! The calendar is hard work (I know!) and David did a great job this year. And, as you can see by heading to the following website to see the article, it was picked up by a number of newspapers, including the Hamilton Spectator. http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6202926-hamilton-amateur-astronomer-calendar-tells-you-when-to-watch-the-night-skies/

Finally, although certainly not deserving of last place, a personal nod to Alex Tekatch for creating a cartoon for the newsletter each and every month for over 6 straight years now! Aside from being one of my favourite features in the newsletter, Alex has quietly become perhaps out longest running contributor! Well done Alex! I enjoy the Cartoon Corner each and every month!

The January issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available.

In this issue you’ll find…

• The Sky This Month
• Chair’s Report
• Treasurer’s Report
• Upcoming McCallion Planetarium Shows
• Plus Much More!

Download your copy from the newsletters section.

Photo credit: Andromeda Galaxy by Peter Wolsley

The December issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available.

In this issue you’ll find…

• November Letter From B.A.S.E.F.
• Eyepiece Review
• The Sky This Month
• NASA’s Space Place
• Plus Much More!

Download your copy from the newsletters section.

Photo credit: The Pleiades (M45), by Janice Mannering.