Recreational Astronomy Night (ONLINE)

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 - 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Join us for our monthly recreational astronomy night meeting. This is where our members get to show their latest projects or give tutorials and tips on just about everything to do with astronomy.

• Andy Beaton - The sky this month
• Tom Luton - Introduction to asteroidal occultations
• Mayvis Rebeira - My first star party up north

https://rascto.ca/content/recreational-astronomy-night-online-8

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: RASC, Toronto Centre

Link: https://www.youtube.com/rasctoronto/live

Insider's Guide to the Galaxy: Astronomy at Other Wavelengths

Tuesday, October 12th, 3:30 to 5:00pm EDT

What would our night sky look like if we could see gamma rays? Many of the world’s telescopes scan the sky using wavelengths of light humans can’t see, like radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet, and x-rays. Those alternate views of familiar objects reveal new physics and deepen our understanding of the universe. Join us to learn about some of the coolest space telescopes out there, including the new James Webb Space Telescope, and what they’re looking for!

Register here to join on Zoom! This episode will also be livestreamed to the RASC YouTube Channel.

Webinar on Stellarium

What is Stellarium anyway? What can it do? How is it to use? What does it look like? Can it drive a telescope mount? Attend the webinar to find out.

This online dedicated webinar is meant to show what the Stellarium planetarium software can do. The computer application for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux is surprisingly rich and powerful. We'll briefly show some of the commonly-used features and then take questions, in a Q&A period afterwards. 

This is a informational webinar aimed at people interested in the Stellarium software, either completely new to the software, or with some limited exposure. I.e. beginners.

https://rascto.ca/content/stellarium-computer-software-webinar

Wednesday 13 October 2021
* 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM Eastern Time
* 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM Atlantic
* 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Pacific

Registration is required. Send an email to the Stellarium webinar adminstrator (stellarium AT rascto DOT ca). You will receive the Zoom meeting ID code to allow access to the webinar. The Zoom webinar size is limited to 100 people. 

Notes:
* This is not an interactive hands-on training course for Stellarium. 
* This webinar is not for the paid Stellarium app on smartphones.
* This webinar is not for the Stellarium web app.

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: RASC, Toronto Centre

Indus Space: International Observe the Moon Night (ONLINE)

Saturday, October 16, 2021 - 3:00pm to 9:00pm

This event unites Moon enthusiasts and curious people worldwide on one day each year to look at and learn about the Moon. Meet space professionals and explore Moon-related topics in a virtual setting. Get a chance to connect with organizations and people who are passionate about the Moon, space and STEAM.

The goals of this event are:
1. Unite people across the globe in a celebration of lunar observation, science, and exploration.
2. Provide information, a platform, and resources in order to:
• Raise awareness of NASA’s lunar science and exploration programs.
• Empower people to learn more about the Moon and space science and exploration, using Earth’s Moon as an accessible entry point.
• Facilitate sharing of Moon-inspired stories, images, artwork, and more.
• Inspire continued observation of the Moon, the sky, and the world around us.

Please email us at programs@indusspace.ca if you have any questions.

https://rascto.ca/content/indus-space-international-observe-moon-night-o...

RASC Toronto Centre will be providing live telescope views, weather permitting.

Event Style: Virtual Hop-in Session

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Tickets: Eventbrite
Organized by: Indus Space

International Observe the Moon Day

RASC Montreal Centre

To celebrate International Observe the Moon Day on Sat, Oct 16th, 2021 the RASC Montreal Centre hosts member and Astronomical League VP Chuck Allen for an exciting zoom presentation on the Moons of the Solar System starting at 4 pm EDT. Register in advance HERE!

Stellarium intermediate course (ONLINE)

Monday 18 October 2021

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Pacific time
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Mountain time
8:00 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern time
9:00 PM to 11:00 PM Atlantic time

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, check Jupiter's Great Red Spot position, 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://rascto.ca/content/stellarium-software-intermediate-course

Part of the Stellarium Training Series.

https://rascto.ca/content/stellarium-training-series

Who can attend: active RASC members
Fee: Free
Registration: Required
Organized by: RASC, Toronto Centre

Speaker's Night: Galactic Archaeology : Uncovering the Story of Our Home with Stellar Fossils (ONLINE)

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 - 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Keith A. Hawkins, Assistant Professor and Galactic Archaeology Lab leader at The University of Texas, Austin

https://rascto.ca/content/speakers-night-online-2

What are the processes that govern the formation, evolution, and assembly of galaxies across cosmic time? This question is among the most fundamental in modern astronomy, yet the answer still eludes us to this day. The Milky Way and its local group is the optimal laboratory for answering the questions of galaxy formation because it is one of the only systems to date where we can obtain detailed and precise data on the positions, motions, and chemical composition for billions of individual stars. This is the holy grail of Galactic Archaeology. Recent large-scale spectroscopic surveys have enabled a detailed observations of the Milky Way. In this talk, Dr. Hawkins will discuss his current work in Galactic archaeology and how data from these industrial surveys in stellar astronomy have been used to dissect the structure of our Galaxy. He will also explore the future of Galactic archaeology through chemical cartography.

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: RASC, Toronto Centre
Link: https://www.youtube.com/rasctoronto/live

Stellarium introductory course (ONLINE)

Wednesday 20 October 2021 - 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Mountain Time. 

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

Class participants will learn how to setup the software for a specific location, date, and time. They will learn how to view the simulated sky, zoom and pan, and search for and select celestial objects. Features such as gridlines, the meridian, sky settings, and red light mode will be explored. This will provide an amateur astronomer a basic overview of the Stellarium program.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY.

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

This training is not for the paid Stellarium app on smartphones or the Stellarium web app.

https://rascto.ca/content/stellarium-software-introductory-course

Part of the Stellarium Training Series.

https://rascto.ca/content/stellarium-training-series

Who can attend: active RASC members
Fee: Free
Registration: Required

We are all made of stardust but gold, silver and platinum are neutron stardust

Presented by Dr. JJ Eldridge

RASC Calgary Centre

Summary

All elements other than hydrogen and helium are made in stars. Each element is produced within different stellar death throes. I'll describe how stars make these elements and expel them into the interstellar medium to pollute the next generation of stars. I'll also describe how some elements, including those important for life, are only made in binary stars. Highlighting how the recent detection in gravitational waves of two colliding neutron star provide firm evidence for how precious elements are made by binary stars. Finally, I'll show the evidence for the different ways of making elements by showing evidence of how observed abundances have changed over cosmic history. 

Bio

Dr JJ Eldridge is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Auckland. Their general research concerns the lives and deaths of stars, from those in our own Galaxy to those in galaxies at the edge of the observable Universe. Particularly the effects of binary interactions on the lives of binary stars and how these change the appearance of galaxies, alter the rates of different types of supernovae and gravitational wave events.

This talk will take place Thursday, October 21st, 2021 @ 7:30 pm MDT (9:30 pm EDT).

Join Via Zoom HERE!

Password: 332932

Astronomy Speakers Night

Saturday, October 23, 2021 - 7:30 to 9:00pm EDT

Online. Register here!

Join us, from the comfort of your home! This program will feature live-stream views from the DDO's 74-Inch telescope (Weather permitting). Explore breaking news from space and current research into what lies beyond our home planet! Each night, we’ll take a virtual tour of the DDO, hear from our speakers about their own amazing space research, and ask them all our questions about what they know and what they’re discovering. Only one registration per household is required. The deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 3 p.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.

Sunday Sungazing

Sunday October 24 2021 - 12:30 - 1:00pm EDT

Online. Register here!

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. The deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 3 p.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.

Insider's Guide to the Galaxy: Binoculars Observing

Tuesday, October 26th, 3:30 to 5:00pm EDT

Seasoned observers often suggest exploring the night sky with binoculars. That’s because they’re readily available, portable, comfortable to use, and they show a wide swath of sky – making finding targets easy. Lots of nebulas, star clusters, and even galaxies are plenty large enough to see in binoculars. We’ll highlight some spectacular autumn binocular targets for you to check out on your driveway, at the cottage, or on that last camping trip of the season. We'll even cover a few spooky Halloween targets!

Register here to join on Zoom! This episode will also be livestreamed to the RASC YouTube Channel.

Space’s Scariest Monsters: Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Presented by: Dr Michelle Thaller, Goddard Space Center, NASA

RASC Mississauga Centre

For a Halloween treat, come learn about the extremely scary afterlives of stars.  After the destruction of a supernova explosion, the leftovers can become either a neutron star or a black hole.  These monsters can bend space and send time curing in front of our eyes, and things that go bump in the dark can rip parts of the earth’s atmosphere off from thousands of light-years away.  On a friendlier note, our bodies contain bits of stellar corpses from stars that died billions of years ago -we’d be dead without them!

Dr. Michelle Thaller is an astrophysicist with over two decades of science communication experience. Her research involves the lifecycles of stars, and she has worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Headquarters and the Goddard Space Flight Center, where she is currently the liaison between the Office of Communication and the Science Directorate. Outside her work at NASA, she has appeared in many television science programs, including How the Universe Works and Space’s Deepest Secrets.  Michelle has done two TEDx talks about astronomy and has hosted the podcast Orbital Path on public radio.

This talk is on Friday, October 29th @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm EDT.

Join Via Zoom HERE!

Up in the Sky

Friday October 29 2021 - 8:30 - 10:00pm EDT

Online. Register here!

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. The deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at 3 p.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.