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The Passing of Michael Jefferson

We have some very sad news to share with the HAA community.

Michael Jefferson passed away on November 22, 2022.

Mike was a founding member of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers, and a familiar face on our council over the years. His contributions to the club have been many. More importantly, he was a treasured friend. We are going to feel his loss keenly. 

Photo credit: John Gauvreau

No Perseids Event Scheduled for 2022

Just a reminder to all that we will not be hosting a Perseids meteor shower event this year, We look forward to hosting everyone for the Perseids in 2023.

2021 Perseids Meteor Shower

Tonight marks the peak of the 2021 Perseids and although there will be NO PUBLIC EVENT this year due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, you are still able to view this reliable meteor shower from any area with a clear view of the Perseus constellation which can be found in the area of the Big Dipper.

More details on the Perseids can be found here – https://skynews.ca/getting-ready-for-the-perseid-meteor-shower/.

We hope to be back bigger and better next year!

The Life of a Star

Join us this Friday June 11 at 7:30 PM for our members meeting as we welcome Robert Chapman as our special guest speaker. Robert will be delivering his popular talk “The Life of a Star”.

Robert is one of the provinces most accomplished observers, having completed many observing programs from the Astronomical League and the RASC as well as creating his own.  Observing now from just outside Algonquin Park, Robert is working toward completing his lifetime goal of observing all 2,500 objects on the original Herschel list.

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Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

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

2020 Perseids Event Cancelled

Please be advised that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Perseids event scheduled for August 15 has been cancelled. Public safety for all is our main concern and look forward to hosting this event again in 2021. For more details on the Perseids you can visit here.

June 2020 Event Horizon Newsletter

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

In this issue you’ll find…

  • The Sky This Summer 2020
  • What Have I Been Doing During The Lockdown?
  • CaLIGHTs DSO Astrophotography Image Calibration Tool — June 2020 Update!
  • NASA Night Sky Notes
  • Eye Candy
  • Plus More

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

Photo credit: Sketch of Solar Prominences, by John Gauvreau. 

Introducing a New Portal for Astronomy and STEM Based Activities for Children

Today HAA is launching a new portal to help education, inform, and entertain the children in our lives as we adjust to the new normal of social distancing and remaining at home to flatten the curve.

To that end, we will be posting a daily astronomy or STEM based activity to help foster the learning process.

The new portal can be accessed here.

7 Ways to Improve Your Astrophotography

Join us on November 8th  2019 at 7:30pm – Admission is free and everyone is welcome!

HAA welcomes Trevor Jones as our guest speaker for our first meeting at McMaster Innovation Park, our new home.

Trevor Jones is the creator of AstroBackyard, a popular astrophotography website and YouTube Channel. From his light polluted backyard in St. Catharines, Ontario, he captures deep sky objects using a variety of camera and telescope equipment. Trevor brings his YouTube audience along for the ride, through every mistake, triumph, and especially run-ins with his black lab mix, Rudy. 

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Public solar observing and stargazing event cancelled

Our public solar observing and stargazing event scheduled for today has been cancelled due to the extreme heat. Please join us on August 9 for our Annual Public Perseids Meteor Shower Night at Binbrook Conservation Area.