Here is an image of the full Moon from last night. Actually taken just past midnight, so lets say it was taken on July 20th, 47 years to the day after Apollo 11 first landed on the Moon.

This image is actually several images that I hand stitched together. My regular old DSLR camera was shooting through my 5″ class refractor. The camera was set to ISO400 and the exposure time was 1/400th of a second.  The version seen here has had contrast adjustments made and been reduced in file size.

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[ 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.

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Public Stargazing Night at Bayfront Park this Saturday July 9^th

Join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at Bayfront park for a evening of stargazing and planet viewing. Starting at 9:00pm knowledgeable club members will be onhand to answer questions so bring yourself and your family. Gaze through telescopes at celestial wonders; Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and more!
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General Meeting for June 10, 2016 @ 7:30pm

In the last 20 years, the amateur astronomer has gained access to three paradigm-changing technologies: The Internet, progressively sophisticated astronomy software, and the CCD camera. This presentation will outline how an amateur astronomer, armed with these technologies, can engage in professional-amateur (pro-am) collaborations and contribute to astronomical sciences by monitoring a wide-range of transient astrophysical phenomena. The presenter will describe some of the projects that he has been involved with, and how any amateur can participate in doing science with their astronomical equipment.
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The June issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available and jam-packed with great content!

In this issue you’ll find…

• HAA Outreach Report – Bayfront Park
• The Sky this Summer 2016
• Educational Presentations and Public Outreach
• A New Member Perspective
• Expanding Confusion: Misconceptions About the Universe
• Eye Candy
• Cartoon Corner
• Upcoming McCallion Planetarium Shows & Events

Download your copy from the newsletters section.

Photo credit: Mars, Saturn, Antares (alpha Scorpii) & the Rho Ophiuchi Region, by Bob Christmas

Public Stargazing Night at Bayfront Park this Saturday May 14^th

To celebrate Astronomy Day this year, join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at Bayfront park for an afternoon of solar observing and evening of stargazing. Solar telescopes will be setup to observe the disk of the sun, sunspots and solar flares.  Later that evening, cast your gaze upon the night sky for a complete astronomy experience. Knowledgeable club members will be onhand to answer questions so bring yourself and your family.
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General Meeting for May 13, 2016 @ 7:30pm

Astronomers have long known about Mercury and Venus transits of the Sun. However, this technique, now commonly referred to as the Transit Technique, has been amazingly successful in detecting exoplanets, planets around other stars. To date, nearly 6,000 exoplanets or planetary candidates have been detected, the majority of them using the Transit Technique. This talk will deal with some of the historical observations of Mercury and Venus transits and then summarize the state of current exoplanetary observations.
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The May issue of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Event Horizon newsletter is now available.

In this issue you’ll find…

• The Sky This Month
• The Beginnings of Life on Earth
• Hamilton Amateur Astronomers in the Community
• Photo Eye Candy
• Plus Much More!

Download your copy from the newsletters section.

Photo credit: The setting Moon, Hyades & Pleiades, by Dane Anderson

This April 23rd the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers will be holding their public scope clinic and open house. Telescopes of all types will be setup, amateur astronomers will be available to answer questions, talk about equipment, observing and anything astronomy related. The scope clinic is a great way to get introduced to astronomy, where to start, and learn about the hobby.

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Join the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at T.B. McQuesten Park this April 16th for a public stargazing night. Telescopes will be setup and club members will be available to answer astro-questions. Public stargazing nights are a great way to look at the universe in a friendly environment; bring yourself, your family and friends!

T.B.McQuesten Park
1199 Upper Wentworth St, Hamilton
7:30 – 11:00pm
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Subject to weather conditions.