Primary tabs

January 2023

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
 
 
 
 
 
InPerson

RASC DDO: Astronomy Speaker's Night

Event Date: 
Friday, January 6, 2023 - 19:00 to 21:00 EST

Event Date: Friday, January 6, 7:00 - 9:00 PM ET (in-person)

How to Find Life on Another Planet - Presented by Dr. Sarah Rugheimer

RASC Toronto and the David Dunlap Observatory

Friday, January 6, 7:00 - 9:00 PM ET, in-person at the David Dunlap Observatory

Visit a unique historical site in Richmond Hill and experience an engaging presentation led by experts and researchers in astronomy, covering a variety of exciting astronomy topics. After the presentation, participants will tour the observatory and see a demonstration of the 74” telescope pointed to an interesting celestial object for the visitors to view (Weather Dependent). Please wear / bring appropriate supplies for being outside. A registered adult must accompany all registered participants under the age of 16. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the program start time in order to be signed in. This program runs rain or shine.

This planet we call home is teeming with life from the very depths of the ocean where no light penetrates, to small brine layers between ice crystals and near-boiling iridescent waters of Yellowstone. As we discover the vast diversity of extremophile life on Earth, our minds can only begin to imagine the possibilities for life to exist on other planets in the Universe. In this talk I present how we are going to characterize terrestrial planet atmospheres orbiting other stars with future missions, starting with JWST, and hopefully find evidence of life in the Universe to answer the age-old question of "Are we alone?"

Prof. Sarah Rugheimer is an astrophysicist and the Allan I Carswell Chair at York University in Toronto. She works on how to detect life on an exoplanet by looking for atmospheric biosignatures. Her research interests are modelling the atmosphere and climate of extrasolar planets with a particular focus on atmospheric biosignatures in Earth-like planets as well as modelling early Earth conditions. In addition to research, Sarah is interested in public outreach. Her TED talk “The Search for Microscopic Aliens” has over 1.6 million views on TED.com. She previously has been awarded the Barrie Jones Award and the BSA Rosalind Franklin Lectureship in 2019, and the Caroline Herschel Lectureship Prize in 2018. Her new astrobiology course for the public is available on Amazon Audible Originals, called “Searching for Extraterrestrial Life.”

Register here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/richmondhill/activity/search/detail/81471?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

Continue Reading
@ 19:00
 
 
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
 
InPerson

RASC DDO: Planetarium Day

Event Date: 
Sunday, January 8, 2023 - 13:00 to 14:30 EST

Date and time: Sunday, January 8, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM and 2:30-4:00 PM EST (2 sessions)

Planetarium Day

RASC Toronto and the David Dunlap Observatory

Sunday, January 8, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM and 2:30-4:00 PM EST (2 sessions), in person at the David Dunlap Observatory

Enter a Digital Portable Planetarium and take a journey through the universe led by a DDO astronomer. We’ll tour the night sky, travel through space, and see immersive full dome movies. The unscripted format will allow guests to experience a variety of topics. Ask our astronomer questions and see the answers in a planetarium setting. Please note that all guests will sit on a clean floor. A registered adult must accompany all registered participants under the age of 16.

Register here!

Continue Reading
@ 13:00
 
 
 
 
Meeting

RASC Kingston: Hybrid January Meeting

Event Date: 
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 - 19:00 to 20:30 EST

Event Date: January 11, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET (hybrid)

Location: Online or at Room 226 Ellis Hall, Queen's University

Listen to guest speaker Scott D.Young as he presents "Dome @Home: Astronomy Talk shows for the Virtual Astronomy Community".

Link to Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83375335822?pwd=bUUxdE1YZTZwR2V1eCt2M0pTM0N4UT09

 

Continue Reading
@ 19:00
 
 
 
 
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
 
 
 
Class

Insider's Guide to the Galaxy

Event Date: 
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 - 15:30 to 17:00 EST

The Insider's Guide to the Galaxy

Presented by Chris Vaughan and Samantha Jewett

Join us every other Tuesday for our astronomy variety show!

Keep an eye on rasc.ca/insidersguide for updates about new sessions.

Register once for all sessions!

Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8vbimAGESjKjldwGbwjwEA 

If you have questions, email outreach@rasc.ca

Continue Reading
@ 15:30
 
 
 
 
 
Class

RASC KW: Comet Observing Workshop

Event Date: 
Saturday, January 21, 2023 - 14:00 to 15:30 EST

Date and time: Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 2:00pm-3:30pm ET

Comet Observing Workshop

Kitchener-Waterloo Centre

Saturday, January 21, 2023 @ 2pm ET (online)

 

The comet cometh! Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is rapidly moving higher in the sky and is already visible in moderate binoculars. It may become naked-eye visible in dark skies over the next few weeks. Join KW-Centre for an online workshop on comets for beginning observers and people who want to brush up on comet observation skills to be prepared for this apparition and for other comets in the future!

 

Workshop Topics:

-what are comets?

-how fast do comets move through the sky?

-how to find comets using charts, coordinates etc. and where to get this information

-how to observe comets through an amateur telescope or binoculars

-what to expect

-what to look out for

-coma type, tail length and structure, jets

-visually estimating magnitude

-simple photography techniques

-sketching

 

Pre-registration is required for security.

Click on the following link to register and the Zoom link to join the meeting will be sent to you following approval: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85935216764

For any questions, please email our host, Ellen Papenburg, at sagittaep@gmail.com

Continue Reading
@ 14:00
 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
 
 
 
Class

Stellarium intermediate course

Event Date: 
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 19:00 to 21:00 EST

Stellarium intermediate course (ONLINE)

Tuesday 24 January 2023

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Eastern time (note the time zone!)

Stellarium is a powerful planetarium application available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers.

Participants will learn how to load additional catalogues, customise the application including setting up specific locations, load new comets, modify the toolbar, choose landscape textures, use stepping zooming, copy object information, configure eyepiece and camera views, and slew a telescope mount to a target. This will provide an amateur astronomer a deeper understanding of the Stellarium program.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY.

Class sizes are limited. A waiting list is maintained for when courses are full.

https://rasc.ca/stellarium-level-2

Part of the Stellarium Training Series.

https://rasc.ca/stellarium-training

Who can attend: active RASC members
Fee: Free
Registration: Required
Organized by: RASC national office

Continue Reading
@ 19:00
 
 
Star Party

Explore the Night Sky - Members ONLY

Event Date: 
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 20:45 to 22:15 EST

Explore the Night Sky

RASC National Office

Tuesday, November 24th, 2023 @ 8:45 pm ET (weather permitting)

Join us via Zoom for the January 2023 Explore the Night Sky event on the RASC Robotic Telescope, an exclusive RASC Member event! 

We will start by giving a virtual "tour" of the telescope and the observatory and show you how we program a telescope run. Once it gets dark enough, we will take some exposures of deep-sky objects (which you help choose!) and end the session by watching the scope take the first few shots of the night's run! Everyone who registers will receive all the data we take on the telescope throughout the night via Google Drive (if the run works out!). If you have already joined a previous Explore the Night Sky event and are just interested in touring the night sky, we will start taking images at astronomical twilight (9:15 pm ET), so feel free to join the Zoom meeting then.

Registration and an active RASC Membership are required for this event! To learn more and register, visit bit.ly/explorethenightskyjan2023 or email telescope@rasc.ca

 

Continue Reading
@ 20:45
 
 
 
 
 
Class

RASC DDO: Up in the Sky

Event Date: 
Saturday, January 28, 2023 - 19:00 to 20:30 EST

Date and time: Saturday, January 28, 7:00 - 8:30 PM EST

Up in the Sky

RASC Toronto and the David Dunlap Observatory

Saturday, January 28, 7:00 - 8:30 PM EST, online

Join us, from the comfort of your home! This program provides an illustrated one-hour presentation and discussion about what exciting celestial events to look for each season. The events and phenomena will be explained using simple language, with recommendations about how best to observe and photograph them. Only one registration per household is required. Deadline to register for this program is Wednesday January 25, 2023 at 4pm. Prior to the start of the program you will be emailed information on the virtual program links and any specific information relating to your program.

Register here!

Continue Reading
@ 19:00
 
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
 
Star Party

RASC DDO: Sunday Sungazing

Event Date: 
Sunday, January 29, 2023 - 12:30 to 13:00 EST

Date and time: Sunday, January 29, 12:30 - 1:00 PM EST

Sunday Sungazing

RASC Toronto and the David Dunlap Observatory

Sunday, January 29, 12:30 - 1:00 PM EST, online

Safely observe the sun with us, from the comfort of your home! During these family-friendly sessions, a DDO Astronomer will answer your questions about our closest star: the sun! Learn how the sun works and how it affects our home planet. Live-streamed views of the sun through small telescopes will be included, weather permitting. Only one registration per household is required. Deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 3p.m. Prior to the start of the program you will be emailed information on the virtual program links and any specific information relating to your program.

Register here!

Continue Reading
@ 12:30
 
 
Class

Backyard EOS introductory course

Event Date: 
Monday, January 30, 2023 - 20:00 to 22:00 EST

Backyard EOS introductory course (ONLINE)

Monday 30 January 2023, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM Eastern Time (note the time zone!)

Backyard EOS is a popular camera control program that offers features beyond the Canon-provided EOS Utility software. 

BYE allows a user to operate the camera by remote for vibration-free imaging. It offers excellent focus control for camera lenses and imaging through a telescope. Imaging plans can be built and executed to capture multiple light, dark, flat, bias, and dark-flat frames. BYE allows exposure times beyond the 30-second limitation of many camera bodies.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY.

Class sizes are limited. A waiting list is maintained for when courses are full.

This training is not for the Backyard Nkion product.

https://rasc.ca/backyard-eos-level-1

Part of the Backyard Software Training Series.

https://rasc.ca/backyard-software-training

Who can attend: active RASC members
Fee: Free
Registration: Required
Organized by: RASC national office

 

Continue Reading
@ 20:00
 
 
Class

Insider's Guide to the Galaxy

Event Date: 
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 - 15:30 to 17:00 EST

The Insider's Guide to the Galaxy

Presented by Chris Vaughan and Samantha Jewett

Join us every other Tuesday for our astronomy variety show!

Keep an eye on rasc.ca/insidersguide for updates about new sessions.

Register once for all sessions!

Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8vbimAGESjKjldwGbwjwEA 

If you have questions, email outreach@rasc.ca

Continue Reading
@ 15:30