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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for RASC Hamilton
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241218T234700
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241218T234700
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18748-1734565620-1734565620@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Watch Algol Brighten
DESCRIPTION:The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei\, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. During a ten-hour period that repeats like clockwork every 2 days\, 20 hours\, and 49 minutes\, Algol dims noticeably and re-brightens by about a third when a fainter companion star with an orbit nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of its much brighter primary\, reducing the total light output we perceive. Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1\, similar to the nearby star Almach (aka Gamma Andromedae). But while fully dimmed\, Algol’s brightness of magnitude 3.4 is almost identical to Rho Persei (or Gorgonea Tertia or ρ Per)\, the star sitting just two finger widths to Algol’s lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south). On Wednesday evening\, December 18 at 6:47 p.m. EST or 23:47 GMT\, Algol will be at its minimum brightness while it shines about two thirds of the way up the eastern sky\, above and between the bright star Capella and Jupiter. Five hours later Algol will return to full intensity while it shines high in the western sky below Capella and Jupiter.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/watch-algol-brighten/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241219T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241219T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18749-1734566400-1734566400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Stellar Halo around Mirfak
DESCRIPTION:On mid-December evenings the constellation of Perseus is climbing the northeastern sky. Just for 2024\, bright Jupiter will also be gleaming to the lower right of Perseus. The outer rim of our Milky Way galaxy runs through Perseus’ stars\, filling its territory with rich star clusters. The largest of those surrounds his brightest star\, Mirfak\, or Alpha Persei. That elderly yellow supergiant star has evolved out of its blue phase and is now fusing helium into carbon and oxygen in its core. Melotte 20\, also known as the Alpha Persei Moving Group and the Perseus OB3 Association\, is a collection of 100 or so young\, massive\, hot B- and A-class stars sprinkled over several finger widths (or 3 degrees) of the sky around Mirfak. The cluster can be seen with unaided eyes\, but it’s especially dazzling in binoculars (orange circle). Its stars are approximately 600 light years from the sun and are moving as a group – Mirfak along with them.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/stellar-halo-around-mirfak/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241220T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241220T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18750-1734652800-1734652800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Hyades Cluster
DESCRIPTION:Located only about 150 light years away from the sun\, Taurus\, the Bull’s triangular face is actually one of the nearest open star clusters to our solar system. Its stars are commonly called The Hyades\, named for the five daughters of Atlas in Greek mythology. It also has the designations Melotte 25 and Caldwell 41. The cluster contains several hundred stars\, with a half-dozen or so readily seen under moonless suburban skies\, many as close-together pairs. It’s a superb target to view in binoculars. The five brightest members\, all naked-eye stars\, are within a few light years of one another. The cluster’s stars likely formed together about 625 million years ago. The bright orange star Aldebaran\, at the lower (or southeastern) vertex of the Hyades triangle\, is actually not part of the cluster. It is less than half as far away! In mid-December\, the Hyades climbs the eastern sky in early evening and reaches its highest point due south around 10:30 p.m. local time. This winter\, Jupiter will be gleaming just a palm’s width to the left (or 6 degrees to the celestial northeast) of the bull’s face.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-hyades-cluster/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241221T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241221T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18752-1734739200-1734739200@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Ursids Meteor Shower Peak
DESCRIPTION:The Ursids meteor shower\, which is produced by particles of debris dropped by the periodic comet 8P/Tuttle\, runs from December 17 to 26 every year. The weak\, short-duration shower will peak (usually with only 5 to 10 meteors visible in an hour) while Earth is traversing the densest part of the debris field on Sunday morning in the Americas\, but the best time to watch for Ursids meteors will be Saturday evening\, December 21 before the bright\, waning gibbous moon rises around midnight local time. True Ursids will streak away from a location near the North Star Polaris\, but the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/ursids-meteor-shower-peak/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241221T092100
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241221T092100
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18751-1734772860-1734772860@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Northern Winter Solstice
DESCRIPTION:Winter in the Northern Hemisphere will officially commence in the Americas on Saturday\, December 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST and 1:21 a.m. PST\, or 09:21 GMT. At the solstice\, the sun will attain its southernmost declination for the year\, resulting in the lowest elevation in the sky of the noonday sun\, the least amount of solar insolation\, and the shortest amount of daylight of the year. Conversely\, the Southern Hemisphere will see its highest sun and maximum daylight hours for the year. After the December solstice\, the amount of daylight time will begin to increase for the Northern Hemisphere.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/northern-winter-solstice/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241222T221800
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241222T221800
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18753-1734905880-1734905880@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Third Quarter Moon
DESCRIPTION:The moon will complete three quarters of its orbit around Earth\, measured from the previous new moon\, on Sunday\, December 22 at 5:18 p.m. EST\, 2:18 p.m. PST\, or 22:18 GMT. At its third (or last) quarter phase the moon is half-illuminated\, on its western\, sunward side. It will rise around midnight local time\, and then remain visible until it sets in the western daytime sky during early afternoon. Third quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth in our trip around the Sun. About 3½ hours later\, Earth will occupy that same location in space. The week of dark\, moonless evenings that follow this phase are ideal for observing fainter deep sky targets.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/third-quarter-moon/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241223T074800
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241223T084800
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18754-1734940080-1734943680@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Two Shadows and the Red Spot Cross Jupiter
DESCRIPTION:From time to time\, observers with good quality telescopes can watch the small\, round\, black shadows of the Galilean moons traverse Jupiter’s disk. On Monday morning\, December 23\, sky-watchers located in the Americas can watch two of the shadows and the Great Red Spot crossing the southern hemisphere of Jupiter together for about an hour. At 2:48 a.m. Eastern Time (or 07:48 GMT)\, the red spot and the small shadow of Io will join the much larger shadow of Ganymede\, which began its own crossing of the planet’s south polar zone 70 minutes earlier. Ganymede’s shadow will leave Jupiter at 3:48 a.m. EST (or 08:48 GMT)\, leaving Io’s shadow and the spot to continue on alone until 4:58 a.m. EST. Watch for Io itself to move off of Jupiter’s disk by 4:35 a.m. EST.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/two-shadows-and-the-red-spot-cross-jupiter/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241224T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241224T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18755-1734998400-1734998400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Crescent Moon Moves Toward Spica
DESCRIPTION:Early risers on Tuesday morning\, December 24 will see the pretty sight of the waning crescent moon shining in the southern sky close to Libra’s brightest star\, Spica. The star will be twinkling a few finger widths to the moon’s lower left (or celestial southeast) from about 3 a.m. local time to the onset of civil twilight. Hours later\, observers in a zone extending from eastern China\, most of Japan\, and the northernmost islands of the Philippines and southeast through Micronesia\, most of Melanesia\, and Polynesia can watch the moon occult Spica. Use an app like Starry Night or Sky Safari to look up the times for the occultation.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/crescent-moon-moves-toward-spica/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241225T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241225T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18756-1735084800-1735084800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation
DESCRIPTION:On the mornings surrounding Wednesday\, December 25\, Mercury will reach its widest angle of 22° west of the sun\, and peak visibility\, for its current morning apparition. Starting around 5:45 a.m. in your local time zone\, look for the planet shining very low in the east-southeastern sky\, and climbing. The bright star Antares will sparkle a palm’s width to the planet’s lower right (or 6 degrees to the celestial SSW). In a telescope\, Mercury will exhibit a 64%-illuminated\, waxing gibbous phase. Mercury’s position above the morning ecliptic will make this a good apparition for mid-northern latitude observers\, and reasonably good showing for those located south of the Equator\, too. The planet will continue to be well-placed for viewing for two weeks after greatest elongation. Turn all optical aids away from the eastern horizon before the sun rises.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/mercury-at-greatest-western-elongation/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241226T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241226T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18757-1735171200-1735171200@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Night’s Brightest Star
DESCRIPTION:Sirius\, the brightest star in Canis Major and in the entire night sky\, too\, is hard to miss once it clears the trees and rooftops in the southeast by 7:30 p.m. local time. Also known as the Dog Star\, it will climb to its highest point in the lower part of the southern sky shortly after midnight local time. If you are walking through your darkened house in the middle of the night\, Sirius might catch your eye out a window because it never climbs very high. Sirius is a hot\, blue-white\, A-class star located only 8.6 light-years from our sun. Its extreme brightness and its low position in the sky combine to produce spectacular flashes of various colors as it twinkles. A very large telescope may allow you to see Sirius B\, a faint white dwarf companion star located just 10 arc-seconds to the east of Sirius.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/nights-brightest-star/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241228T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241228T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18758-1735344000-1735344000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Earthshine Moon with Antares and Mercury
DESCRIPTION:If the weather forecast calls for clear skies to the southeast on Saturday morning\, December 28\, it will be worth venturing outside around breakfast time to see the pretty spectacle of the old\, waning moon’s slender crescent shining close to Scorpius’ bright star Antares and brighter Mercury. All three objects will clear the treetops by about 6:15 a.m. local time. Reddish Antares will sparkle just to the moon’s lower left. They’ll be extra close together for observers in westerly time zones. Mercury’s bright dot will be positioned nearly a fist’s diameter to the left (or 9 degrees to the celestial northeast) of Antares. The old moon should also display Earthshine\, also known as the Ashen Glow and “the old moon in the new moon’s arms”. The phenomenon\, sunlight reflected off Earth and back onto the moon\, slightly brightening the dark portion of the moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere\, appears for several days before and after each new moon.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/earthshine-moon-with-antares-and-mercury/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241230T222700
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241230T222700
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241209T172213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T172213Z
UID:18759-1735597620-1735597620@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Second New Moon of December
DESCRIPTION:The moon cycles through its phases every 29.5 days\, allowing a phase to repeat if it first occurs early in a calendar month. For the second time in December\, the moon will reach its new moon phase on Monday\, December 30 at 5:27 p.m. EST\, 2:27 p.m. PST\, and 22:27 GMT. At that time our natural satellite will be located within Sagittarius and 5.5 degrees south of the sun. Since sunlight is only reaching the far side of the moon\, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun\, the moon becomes completely hidden from view. On the evenings following the new moon phase\, Earth’s planetary partner will return to shine in the western sky after sunset.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/second-new-moon-of-december/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250101T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250102T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19035-1735761600-1735794000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Pleiades (all night)
DESCRIPTION:In the evening during early January\, the prominent open star cluster known as the Pleiades\, the Seven Sisters and Messier 45\, is climbing the southeastern sky. The stars of its home constellation Taurus\, the Bull will be below the cluster. This year\, the brilliant planet Jupiter will be shining about 1.3 fist diameters to the lower left (or 13 degrees to the celestial east) of the cluster. The “sisters” are medium-bright\, hot blue stars named Asterope\, Merope\, Electra\, Maia\, Taygeta\, Celaeno\, and Alcyone. In Greek mythology\, those characters were the daughters of Atlas\, and half sisters of the Hyades. They are indeed related – born of the same primordial gas cloud. To the unaided eye\, only six of the stars are usually apparent\, including their parents Atlas and Pleione huddled together at the east end of the grouping. In binoculars (inset) and backyard telescopes\, hundreds of fainter stars surround them. Not surprisingly\, many cultures\, including Aztec\, Maori\, Sioux\, Hindu\, and more\, have developed stories about those stars. In Japan\, it is called Subaru\, and forms the logo of the eponymous car maker. Due to its shape\, the cluster is sometimes confused with the Little Dipper.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-pleiades-all-night-2/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250102T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250103T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193106Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19036-1735848000-1735880400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Andromeda Galaxy (all night)
DESCRIPTION:After the sky fully darkens in early January\, the Andromeda Galaxy is positioned near the zenith\, which is ideal for viewing it through a minimum of Earth’s atmosphere. The galaxy will descend the western sky as the hours roll by\, but you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it. This large spiral galaxy\, also designated Messier 31 and NGC 224\, is 2.5 million light years from us\, and covers an area of sky measuring 3 by 1 degrees (or six by two full moon diameters)! Under dark skies\, M31 can be seen with unaided eyes as a faint smudge located a palm’s width to the lower right (or 7 degrees to the celestial north-northwest) of the medium-bright star Mirach. The three westernmost stars of W-shaped Cassiopeia\, Caph\, Shedar\, and Navi (Gamma Cas)\, also conveniently form an arrowhead that points towards M31. Binoculars (orange circle) will reveal the galaxy very well. In a telescope\, use your lowest magnification eyepiece and look for M31’s two smaller companion galaxies\, the foreground\, brighter Messier 32 and the more distant\, fainter Messier 110.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-andromeda-galaxy-all-night-2/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250103T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250103T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193106Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19037-1735923600-1735934400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Crescent Moon Meets Venus (early evening)
DESCRIPTION:The southwestern sky will provide a beautiful photo opportunity on Friday evening\, January 3 when the slender waxing crescent moon will shine near the brilliant planet Venus. They’ll be close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle) from sunset until they set at about 8:30 p.m. local time. Keep an eye out for Earthshine on the moon. Sometimes called the Ashen Glow or the Old Moon in the New Moon’s Arms\, the phenomenon is visible within a day or two of new moon\, when sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon slightly brightens the unlit portion of the moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere. A backyard telescope will reveal that Venus has a half-moon shape.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/crescent-moon-meets-venus-early-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250103T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250104T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193106Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19038-1735934400-1735966800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak (all night)
DESCRIPTION:Named for a now-defunct constellation called the Mural Quadrant\, the Quadrantids meteor shower runs from December 26 to January 16 every year. Quadrantids meteors always radiate from a point in the northeastern sky below the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle. This shower commonly produces bright fireballs because it is produced by particles dropped by an asteroid designated 2003EH. The Quadrantids’ most intense period\, when up to 50 to 100 meteors per hour can appear during a short\, 6 hour window\, will occur on Friday\, January 3 at 18:00 GMT. That converts to daytime in the Americas\, but observers located in the Pacific Ocean and eastern Asia will have ideal conditions in the hours before dawn. The moon will not interfere with the shower this year.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/quadrantids-meteor-shower-peak-all-night-2/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250104T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250104T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T192900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:18956-1735948800-1735948800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Earth at Perihelion (at 8 a.m. EST)
DESCRIPTION:The Earth will reach perihelion\, its minimum distance from the sun for the year\, on Saturday\, January 4 at 8 a.m. EST\, or 5 a.m. PST\, or 13:00 GMT. At perihelion Earth will be 91.404 million miles (or 147.101 million km) from our star\, about 1.67% closer than our mean distance of 1.0 Astronomical Unit. As winter-chilled Northern Hemisphere dwellers will attest\, daily temperatures on Earth are not controlled by our proximity to the sun\, but by the number of hours of daylight we experience.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/__trashed-23/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250104T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250104T193000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19040-1736011800-1736019000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Waxing Moon joins Saturn (evening)
DESCRIPTION:In the southwestern sky after sunset on Saturday\, January 4\, the yellowish dot of Saturn will appear several finger widths below (or celestial WSW of) the waxing crescent moon – close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Venus will gleam to their lower right. The moon and Saturn will be visible from dusk until they set at about 10 p.m. local time. Hours earlier\, skywatchers located in a zone extending across northwestern Africa\, most of Europe\, Iceland\, and northeastern Greenland can safely watch the moon occult Saturn with unaided eyes\, binoculars\, and backyard telescopes. Use an app like Starry Night or Sky Safari to look up the event’s start and end times where you live.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/waxing-moon-joins-saturn-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250105T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250105T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19041-1736103600-1736114400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Watch Algol Fade (from 6:42 to 11:42 pm EST)
DESCRIPTION:The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei\, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. During a ten-hour period that repeats like clockwork every 2 days\, 20 hours\, and 49 minutes\, Algol dims noticeably and re-brightens by about a third when a fainter companion star with an orbit nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of its much brighter primary\, reducing the total light output we perceive. Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1\, similar to the nearby star Almach (aka Gamma Andromedae). But while fully dimmed\, Algol’s brightness of magnitude 3.4 is almost identical to Rho Persei (or Gorgonea Tertia or ρ Per)\, the star sitting just two finger widths to Algol’s lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south). On Sunday evening\, January 5 at 6:42 p.m. EST (or 23:42 GMT)\, Algol will start to fade from its usual brightness. At that time it will be shining very high in the eastern sky\, above and between the bright star Capella and Jupiter. Five hours later\, at 11:42 p.m. EST (or 04:42 GMT on Monday)\, Algol will have faded to its minimum brightness. It’s location at that time will be about halfway up the western sky below Capella and Jupiter. If you miss this attempt\, you can watch Algol brighten from its minimum starting at 7:02 p.m. EST on Thursday\, January 30.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/watch-algol-fade-from-642-to-1142-pm-est/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250106T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250106T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19042-1736190000-1736200800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:First Quarter Moon (at 23:56 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:The moon will complete the first quarter of its 29.53-day journey around Earth on Monday\, January 6 at 6:56 p.m. EST\, or 3:56 p.m. PST\, or 23:56 GMT. At first quarter\, the moon’s 90-degree angle from the sun causes us to see it half-illuminated on its eastern side. First quarter moons always rise around mid-day and set around midnight\, so they are also visible in the afternoon daytime sky. The evenings surrounding first quarter are the best ones for seeing the spectacular lunar terrain when it is lit by low-angled sunlight\, especially along the terminator\, the pole-to-pole boundary that separates the moon’s lit and dark hemispheres.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/first-quarter-moon-at-2356-gmt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250107T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250108T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19043-1736280000-1736312400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Goat Star and Her Kids (all night)
DESCRIPTION:On early-January evenings\, the constellation of Auriga\, the Charioteer is positioned high in the eastern sky. The constellation is dominated by the very bright (magnitude 0.05)\, yellow\, sun-like star Capella\, nick-named the Goat Star. Look several finger widths to the right (or 4 degrees to the celestial south) of Capella for a narrow\, sideways triangle of three fainter stars known as the Kids –Almaaz\, and Hoedus I\, and Hoedus II (or Epsilon\, Zeta\, and Eta Aurigae). The main stars of Auriga form an ellipse\, although the medium-bright star Elnath at its right-hand (or southern) end is actually the northern horn-tip star of Taurus\, the Bull.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-goat-star-and-her-kids-all-night/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250108T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250108T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19044-1736362800-1736373600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Stars of Orion’s Belt (evening)
DESCRIPTION:The three stars in Orion’s belt may look the same at a glance\, but they are actually quite different under closer inspection. Magnitude 1.85 Alnitak (Zeta Orionis) on the left and magnitude 1.65 Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis) in the center shine at almost the same brightness\, though Alnilam is almost twice as far away. The magnitude 2.4 star Mintaka (Delta Orionis) on Orion’s right hip is quite a bit fainter. Alnitak is blue\, while the other two stars are whiter in color. In a telescope\, Alnitak (Arabic for “the Girdle”) is revealed to be a very tightly-spaced double star\, while Mintaka is a more widely spaced pair. Using binoculars (orange circle) look for a large\, upright\, S-shaped asterism of dim stars in the space between Alnilam and Mintaka. Sigma Orionis the medium-bright star shining less than a finger’s width to the lower right (or 0.8 degrees southwest of) Alnitak\, is a beautiful little grouping of ten or more stars when viewed under magnification.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-stars-of-orions-belt-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250109T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250109T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19045-1736449200-1736460000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Moon Crosses the Pleiades (evening)
DESCRIPTION:Skywatchers in the Americas on Thursday evening\, January 9 can watch the orbital motion of the bright\, 82%-illuminated gibbous moon carry it through the Pleiades star cluster (aka Messier 45\, Subaru\, and the Seven Sisters). In the Eastern Time zone\, the event will last from about 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EST (or 00:00 to 03:30 GMT on Friday). In the Pacific Time zone\, the moon will start crossing in a bright sky. While bright moonlight overwhelms fainter objects\, viewing the encounter through binoculars (orange circle)\, will show the “sisters” well. Skywatchers in other parts of the world will see the moon shining close to the cluster.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/moon-crosses-the-pleiades-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250110T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250110T193000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19046-1736530200-1736537400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation (after sunset)
DESCRIPTION:On Friday\, January 10\, Venus will officially reach its widest separation of 47 degrees east of the sun. Viewed in a telescope (inset)\, the planet will exhibit a half-illuminated phase. For best results\, observe Venus during evening twilight when the contrast between the bright planet and the surrounding sky is lower. After Friday\, our sister planet will continue to brighten and increase in apparent disk diameter as it swings sunward for its inferior solar conjunction in late March.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/venus-at-greatest-eastern-elongation-after-sunset/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250110T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250111T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19047-1736539200-1736571600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Bright Moon Joins Jupiter (all night)
DESCRIPTION:At dusk on Friday\, January 10\, look to the east for the brilliant planet Jupiter shining several finger widths to the lower right (or celestial south) of the bright\, waxing gibbous moon – cozy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The duo will make a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some nice foreground scenery. As the moon and Jupiter climb higher\, the bright stars of winter will appear around them\, particularly yellowish Capella on their upper left (celestial north) and reddish Aldebaran to their right (celestial south). Both stars are part of the huge winter hexagon asterism. The moon and Jupiter will culminate due south around 9:30 p.m. local time and set in the west before dawn on Saturday morning. By then the diurnal rotation of the sky will lift the moon above Jupiter.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/bright-moon-joins-jupiter-all-night/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250111T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250112T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19048-1736625600-1736658000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Mars Closest to Earth (overnight)
DESCRIPTION:A few days before Mars reaches opposition on January 15-16\, the red planet will be closest to Earth on Saturday\, January 11 in the Americas. That night\, Mars will be 59.70 million miles\, 96.08 million km\, or 5.33 light-minutes away. You can view the bright reddish planet from late evening onward\, near the bright stars Pollux and Castor in Gemini. In a telescope\, the planet will exhibit its maximum apparent disk size of 14.6 arc-seconds\, revealing the greatest amount of surface detail this year. Mars will continue to brighten in the sky until opposition night. The difference in the two dates arises because the distance between Earth’s and Mars’ elliptical orbits is increasing at this time of the year.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/mars-closest-to-earth-overnight/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250112T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250112T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19049-1736708400-1736719200@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Full Moon in the Winter Football (evening)
DESCRIPTION:From Friday until Sunday night\, January 12\, the nearly full moon will shine inside the Winter Football asterism\, also known as the Winter Hexagon and Winter Circle. The asterism is composed of the brightest stars in the constellations of Canis Major\, Orion\, Taurus\, Auriga\, Gemini\, and Canis Minor – specifically Sirius\, Rigel\, Aldebaran\, Capella\, Castor & Pollux\, and Procyon. Once Sirius has risen above the rooftops in the southeast around 7 p.m. local time\, the huge pattern will straddle nearly 70 degrees of the southeastern sky. In late evening\, the asterism will stand upright in the southern sky\, with the Milky Way ascending vertically through it. The hexagon is visible during evening from mid-November to spring every year. Jupiter\, which is brighter than any of the asterism’s stars\, will be spending this month on the western rim of the football\, between Aldebaran and Capella.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/full-moon-in-the-winter-football-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250113T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250113T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T192900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:18967-1736726400-1736726400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Full Wolf Moon with Mars (at 22:27 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:The January full moon\, which always shines in or near the stars of Gemini or Cancer\, will occur on Monday\, January 13 at 5:27 p.m. EST\, 2:27 a.m. PST\, or 22:27 GMT. At that time\, the bright red planet Mars will be shining just to the moon’s lower left (or celestial east). This full moon is known as the Wolf Moon\, Old Moon\, and Moon after Yule. The Indigenous Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region call it Gichi-manidoo Giizis\, the “Great Spirit Moon”\, a time to honor the silence\, and recognize one’s place within all of Great Mystery’s creatures. (You might recall that name from hearing or singing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha.) The Cree of North America call the January full moon Opawahcikanasis\, the “Frost Exploding Moon”\, when trees crackle from the extreme cold temperatures. Full moons during the winter months climb as high in the sky as the summer noonday sun\, and cast shadows in the same locations. Bright ray systems radiating from the youngest large craters are prominent around the full moon.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/__trashed-11/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250113T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250113T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19051-1736794800-1736805600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Full Moon Occults Mars (10 p.m. EST)
DESCRIPTION:On Monday evening\, January 13\, observers across the continental USA\, northern Mexico\, south and eastern Canada\, and northwestern Africa will be treated to the full moon passing in front of\, or occulting\, Mars. The event can be observed with unaided eyes\, binoculars\, and any backyard telescope. The start and end times vary by location\, so use an app like Starry Night or Sky Safari to determine your own circumstances. In New York City\, the leading edge of the moon will cover Mars at 9:21 p.m. EST. Mars will reappear from behind Mare Smythii on the moon’s opposite limb at 10:37 p.m. EST. In Africa\, the occultation will occur before dawn on Tuesday morning. Lunar occultations are safe to observe without filters. Start watching several minutes ahead of your scheduled occultation times.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/full-moon-occults-mars-10-p-m-est/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250115T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250116T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T025731
CREATED:20241229T193138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241229T200939Z
UID:19052-1736971200-1737003600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Mars at Opposition (all night)
DESCRIPTION:Mars will officially reach opposition at 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday\, January 15. On that night\, the bright red planet will rise with the stars of Gemini at sunset\, climb to its highest position due south around midnight local time\, and then set at sunrise. The bright\, recently full moon will rise two hours after Mars and follow it across the sky. On opposition night\, Mars will shine with a peak visual magnitude of -1.38. Although its distance from Earth of 59.83 million miles\, 96.29 million km\, 0.644 AU\, or 5.35 light-minutes will be slightly farther than it was at closest approach on January 11\, Mars will still be an impressive sight in backyard telescopes for some time\, showing an apparent disk diameter of 14.55 arc-seconds. (In comparison\, Jupiter’s disk spans about 42 arc-seconds.) Mars’ Earth-facing hemisphere on January 15 will display its bright northern polar cap – visible as a small bright spot along the planet’s edge\, as well as the dark Aurorae Planum\, Acidalia Planitia\, Meridiani Planum\, Terra Sabaea\, Syrtis Major Planitia regions\, and the lighter-toned Chryse Planitia and Arabia Terra regions. Mars oppositions occur approximately every 25.5 months.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/mars-at-opposition-all-night/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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