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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for RASC Hamilton
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BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Toronto
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DTSTART:20240310T070000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250517T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250518T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250502T144341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T144341Z
UID:19813-1747512000-1747544400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Catch the Colors of Stars (all night)
DESCRIPTION:Stars shine with a color that is controlled by their surface (or photospheric) temperature\, and this is captured in their spectral classification. In mid-May every year\, the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle asterism are climbing the eastern sky after dusk. Deneb\, Vega\, and Altair are A-class stars that appear blue-white to the eye and have temperatures in the range of 7\,500 to 10\,000 Kelvin. Arcturus\, which dominates the southern sky in evening\, is an orange\, K-class giant star with a temperature of only 4\,300 K. Chara\, the fainter of Canes Venatici’s two stars\, is a yellowish\, G-class star with a temperature of 5\,900 K\, similar to our sun’s. Reddish Antares\, the heart of Scorpius\, which twinkles above the southern horizon\, is an old M-class star with a low surface temperature of 3\,500 K. You can estimate the temperatures of other stars by comparing their color to these bright reference stars.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/catch-the-colors-of-stars-all-night/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250520T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250520T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250502T144341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T144341Z
UID:19814-1747767600-1747778400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Third Quarter Moon (at 11:59 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Tuesday\, May 20 at 7:59 a.m. EDT\, 4:59 a.m. PDT\, and 11:59 GMT. Third quarter moons always rise around midnight in your local time zone and then linger into the southern sky after sunrise. At third\, or last\, quarter\, the moon’s western half is illuminated by the pre-dawn sun and the pole-to-pole terminator line becomes a straight line. The week of dark\, moonless evening skies that follow this phase will be ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes\, especially spring galaxies.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/third-quarter-moon-at-1159-gmt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250522T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250522T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250502T144341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T144341Z
UID:19815-1747872000-1747872000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Crescent Moon with Saturn and Neptune (pre-dawn)
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday morning\, May 22\, the pretty\, waning crescent moon will begin its monthly cruise past the planets gathered above the eastern horizon. The moon will rise in the east during the wee hours of the morning. About 20 minutes later\, the prominent\, yellowish dot of Saturn will become visible several finger widths to the moon’s lower left (to its celestial east). The duo will share the view in binoculars (orange circle) while the morning sky brightens ahead of sunrise. The tiny blue speck of the distant planet Neptune will be positioned a generous thumb’s width to Saturn’s left (or 2 degrees to the celestial northeast)\, but it will be a challenge to see from mid-northern latitudes\, where the slope of the ecliptic will keep the planets lower in the hazy sky. Early-rising skywatchers at southern latitudes\, where the planets will be higher in a darker sky\, will have a better view of the conjunction.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/crescent-moon-with-saturn-and-neptune-pre-dawn/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250523T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250523T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250502T144341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T144341Z
UID:19816-1747958400-1747958400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Old Moon joins Venus and Saturn (pre-dawn)
DESCRIPTION:After another 24 hours of easterly orbital motion\, the old crescent moon will shine between Saturn and much brighter Venus on Friday morning\, May 23. Their assemblage above the eastern horizon will offer a nice photo opportunity when composed with some interesting foreground scenery. Venus\, the last of the trio to rise\, will clear the horizon by about 4 a.m. local time. It will continue to gleam on the moon’s lower left until almost sunrise\, but Saturn will fade from sight before then. If Friday brings clouds\, don’t worry. On Saturday morning\, the moon’s sliver of a crescent will be positioned to the left of Venus with Saturn off to their upper right.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/old-moon-joins-venus-and-saturn-pre-dawn/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250526T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250526T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250502T144342Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T144342Z
UID:19817-1748286000-1748296800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The New Moon (at 11:02 pm EDT)
DESCRIPTION:The moon will officially reach its new moon phase on Monday\, May 26 at 11:02 p.m. EDT or 8:02 p.m. PDT\, which converts to Tuesday\, May 27 at 03:02 GMT. While new\, our natural satellite will be located in Taurus\, and 4 degrees north of the sun. While at its new phase\, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only shine on the far side of the moon\, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun\, it becomes completely hidden from view from anywhere on Earth for about a day. After the new moon phase\, Earth’s natural satellite will return to shine as a very thin crescent in the western evening sky.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-new-moon-at-1102-pm-edt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250702T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250702T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185308Z
UID:19973-1751414400-1751414400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:See the Lunar X and V (peaks at 9 p.m. EDT)
DESCRIPTION:Several times a year near the moon’s first quarter phase\, small clair-obscur effect features on the moon called the Lunar X and the Lunar V become visible in strong binoculars and backyard telescopes for a few hours. The Lunar X\, a prominent X-shaped pattern\, appears when the rims of the craters Purbach\, la Caille\, and Blanchinus are illuminated from a particular angle of sunlight (inset). Look for it beside the terminator about one third of the way up from the southern pole of the Moon. The Lunar V forms along the northern span of the terminator near the crater Ukert. On Wednesday\, July 2 the features are predicted to start developing by about 9 p.m. EDT (or 01:00 GMT on Thursday\, July 3)\, peak in intensity at around 10:15 p.m. EDT (or 02:15 GMT on July 3)\, and then gradually fade out toward midnight Eastern time. The event will occur during waning daylight for observers in western North America – but you can observe the moon in a telescope during the daytime\, as long as you take care to avoid aiming it near the sun. The Lunar X will be visible anywhere on Earth where the moon is shining\, especially in a dark sky\, between 01:00 and 04:00 GMT on July 3.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/see-the-lunar-x-and-v-peaks-at-9-p-m-edt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250702T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250702T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184052Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185308Z
UID:19972-1751482800-1751493600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:First Quarter Moon (at 19:30 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth\, measuring from the previous new moon\, on Wednesday\, July 2 at 3:30 p.m. EDT or 12:30 p.m. PDT\, which converts to 19:30 GMT. The 90 degree angle formed by the Earth\, sun\, and moon at that time will cause us to see our natural satellite half-illuminated on its eastern side. At first quarter\, the moon always rises around mid-day and sets around midnight\, allowing it to be seen in the afternoon daytime sky\, too. The evenings surrounding the first quarter phase are the best ones for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/first-quarter-moon-at-1930-gmt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250703T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250703T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185308Z
UID:19974-1751500800-1751500800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Earth at Aphelion (at 20:00 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, July 3 at 4:00 p.m. EDT\, 1:00 p.m. PDT\, or 20:00 GMT\, Earth will reach aphelion\, its greatest distance from the sun for this year. Aphelion’s 94.51 million miles (152.09 million km) distance is 1.67% farther from the sun than the mean Earth-sun separation of 92.96 million miles (149.6 million km)\, which is also defined to be 1 Astronomical Unit (1 A.U.). Seasonal temperature variations arise from the Earth’s axis of rotation tilting towards and away from the sun\, and not from our distance from the sun. Earth will reach its minimum distance from the sun\, or perihelion\, on January 4\, 2026.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/earth-at-aphelion-at-2000-gmt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250703T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250703T193000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185308Z
UID:19975-1751563800-1751571000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation near the Beehive (after sunset)
DESCRIPTION:After sunset on Thursday evening\, July 3\, Mercury (orbit shown in red) will stretch to its widest separation of 25.9 degrees east of the sun\, and its maximum visibility\, for its current apparition. This appearance of the planet will be reasonably good for both Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere observers. The optimal viewing time at mid-northern latitudes will commence around 9 p.m. local time. Viewed in a telescope (inset) the planet will exhibit a waning\, nearly half-illuminated phase. As the sky darkens\, watch for the scattered stars of the Beehive cluster aka Messier 44\, spread out to Mercury’s upper right (or celestial north)\, and Cancer’s medium bright star Delta Cancri shining to Mercury’s upper left (or celestial east). Mercury will pass very close to that star on the following evening\, July 4.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/mercury-at-greatest-eastern-elongation-near-the-beehive-after-sunset/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250703T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250703T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185308Z
UID:19976-1751569200-1751580000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Gibbous Moon Slides by Spica (evening)
DESCRIPTION:When the sky darkens after dusk on Thursday\, July 3\, Virgo’s brightest star Spica will appear just to the upper right of the waxing gibbous moon in the southwestern sky. Until they set after midnight\, the duo will share the view in binoculars (orange  circle). Observers viewing the pair later\, or in more westerly time zones\, will see the moon’s easterly orbital motion carry it farther from the star. Hours earlier\, that motion will cause the moon to pass in front of Spica for skywatchers located at the extreme southern end of South America and most of Antarctica.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/gibbous-moon-slides-by-spica-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250704T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250704T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185310Z
UID:19977-1751587200-1751587200@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Venus Passes Uranus (pre-dawn)
DESCRIPTION:The brilliant planet Venus will dominate the eastern predawn sky for most of this year while it slowly swings back toward the sun. On the mornings surrounding Friday\, July 4\, Venus will pass close enough to Uranus to allow early risers to use Venus to locate the far fainter planet in binoculars (orange circle). On the previous mornings\, the magnitude 5.8\, blue-green speck of Uranus will shine several finger widths to Venus’ left (or 3.5 degrees to its celestial northeast). At their closest approach on Friday the distant planet will be about half that distance to Venus’ upper left (or celestial north). From Saturday onward\, Uranus will shift farther above Venus\, but they will share the view in binoculars until about July 9. Watch for the bright Pleiades star cluster above Uranus.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/venus-passes-uranus-pre-dawn/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250705T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250705T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185310Z
UID:19978-1751742000-1751752800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Sinus Iridum’s Golden Handle (evening)
DESCRIPTION:On Saturday night\, July 5\, the terminator on the waxing gibbous moon will fall just west of Sinus Iridum\, the Bay of Rainbows. The circular 155 mile (249 km) diameter feature is a large impact crater that was flooded by the same basalts that filled the much larger Mare Imbrium to its east – forming a rounded handle-shape on the western edge of that mare. The “Golden Handle” effect is produced by way the slanted sunlight brightly illuminates the eastern side of the prominent Montes Jura mountain range surrounding the bay on the north and west\, and by a pair of protruding promontories named Heraclides and Laplace to the south and north\, respectively. Sinus Iridum is almost craterless\, but hosts a set of northeast-oriented dorsae or “wrinkle ridges” that are revealed at this phase. (Image – Jul05-2025 at 10 pm – Sinus Iridum’s Golden Handle.jpg)
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/sinus-iridums-golden-handle-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250707T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250708T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185310Z
UID:19979-1751918400-1751950800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Bright Moon Follows Antares (overnight)
DESCRIPTION:In the southern sky after dusk on Monday\, July 7\, the prominent reddish star Antares will be twinkling several finger widths to the right of the bright\, waxing gibbous moon. By the time that Antares sets ahead of the moon\, at around 2:30 a.m. local time\, the rotation of the sky will have shifted it lower than the moon. About half a day earlier\, residents of the southern tip of Africa\, the Kerguelen Islands\, and easternmost Antarctica can watch the moon occult Antares using their unaided eyes or through binoculars and backyard telescopes. Antares marks the heart of Scorpius\, the Scorpion\, and is frequently visited by the moon and planets.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/bright-moon-follows-antares-overnight/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250709T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250710T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185310Z
UID:19980-1752091200-1752123600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Saturn Returns to the Evening (overnight)
DESCRIPTION:On the nights around Wednesday\, July 9\, the ringed planet Saturn will finally begin to rise before midnight for observers located at mid-northern latitudes – making Saturn available for evening viewing again after a long absence. During the wee hours\, the bright\, creamy-yellow planet will  climb the southeastern sky below the Great Square of Pegasus. Due to Earth’s motion around the sun\, the stars and distant planets rise about 4 minutes earlier each day – or about half an hour earlier with each passing week. Saturn will be returning just a few weeks before the red dot of Mars disappears into the western twilight. Then Saturn will reign until Jupiter enters the evening sky around mid-October.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/saturn-returns-to-the-evening-overnight/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250710T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250710T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185310Z
UID:19981-1752105600-1752105600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Full Thunder Moon (at 20:37 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:The moon will reach its full phase on Thursday\, July 10 at 4:37 p.m. EDT or 1:37 p.m. PDT and 20:37 GMT. The July full moon\, commonly called the Buck Moon\, Thunder Moon\, or Hay Moon\, always shines in or near the stars of Sagittarius or Capricornus. The indigenous Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region call this moon Abitaa-niibini Giizis\, the Halfway Summer Moon\, or Mskomini Giizis\, the Raspberry Moon. The Cherokees call it Guyegwoni\, the Corn in Tassel Moon. The Cree Nation of central Canada calls the July full moon Opaskowipisim\, the Feather Moulting Moon (referring to wild water-fowl habits)\, and the Mohawks call it Ohiarihkó:wa\, the Fruits are Ripened Moon. The moon only appears full when it is opposite the sun in the sky\, so full moons always rise in the east as the sun is setting\, and set in the west at sunrise. Since sunlight is hitting the moon face-on at that time\, no shadows are cast. All the variations in brightness you see arise from differences in the reflectivity\, or albedo\, of the lunar surface rocks. Summertime full moons are as low in the sky as the winter noonday sun.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/full-thunder-moon-at-2037-gmt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250712T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250713T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185314Z
UID:19982-1752350400-1752382800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Summer Triangle (all night)
DESCRIPTION:After dusk in mid-July\, the first stars to appear in the darkening eastern sky are Vega\, Deneb\, and Altair. Those three bright\, white stars form the Summer Triangle asterism – an annual feature of the summer sky that remains visible until the end of December! The highest and most easterly of the trio is Vega\, in Lyra. At magnitude 0.03\, Vega is the brightest star in the summer sky\, mainly due to its relative proximity. It’s only 25 light-years away from the sun. Magnitude 0.75 Altair\, in Aquila\, occupies the lower right (southern) corner of the triangle. Altair is 17 light-years from the sun. By contrast\, Deneb\, which shines somewhat less brightly at magnitude 1.25\, is a staggering 2\,600 light-years away from us; but it shines so brightly because of its greater intrinsic luminosity. Once the bright moon departs next week\, watch for the Milky Way passing between Vega and Altair and through Deneb.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-summer-triangle-all-night/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250714T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250714T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185314Z
UID:19983-1752451200-1752451200@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Saturn Stands Still (wee hours)
DESCRIPTION:On Monday morning\, July 14\, the regular eastward motion of Saturn through the background stars of western Pisces will slow to a stop as it prepares to execute a westerly retrograde loop (red curve) that will last until the end of November. The apparent reversal in Saturn’s motion is an effect of parallax produced when Earth\, on a faster orbit closer to the sun\, passes the Ringed Planet on the “inside track”. Saturn’s retrograde loop will altogether cover about a palm’s width (or 7 degrees) of the celestial sphere\, though there aren’t any bright stars near Saturn to make that motion obvious.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/saturn-stands-still-wee-hours/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250715T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250716T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185314Z
UID:19984-1752609600-1752642000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Bright Moon Shines above Saturn and Neptune (overnight)
DESCRIPTION:A short time after the bright\, waning gibbous moon clears the treetops in the east around midnight on Tuesday evening\, July 15\, the prominent\, yellowish dot of Saturn will climb to join it – close enough to the moon for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The very faint blue planet Neptune will be positioned just a finger’s width above Saturn\, but a telescope will be required to see it well. The trio will cross the sky together and shine about halfway up the southern sky as dawn breaks on Wednesday morning.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/bright-moon-shines-above-saturn-and-neptune-overnight/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250717T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250717T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185314Z
UID:19985-1752778800-1752789600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Third Quarter Moon (at 00:38 GMT on Friday)
DESCRIPTION:The moon will complete three quarters of its orbit around Earth\, measured from the previous new moon\, on Thursday\, July 17 at 8:38 p.m. EDT or 5:38 p.m. PDT\, which converts to Friday at 02:52 GMT. At the third (or last) quarter phase the moon appears 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 in 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 evening skies that follow this phase are the best ones for observing deep sky targets.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/third-quarter-moon-at-0038-gmt-on-friday/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250718T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250718T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185315Z
UID:19986-1752865200-1752876000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:The Stinging Scorpion (evening)
DESCRIPTION:After dusk in mid-July\, the distinctive constellation of Scorpius\, the Scorpion reaches its peak elevation over the southern horizon. The constellation’s brightest star is orange-tinted Antares\, the “Rival of Mars”. Several medium-bright\, white stars arranged in a roughly vertical line to the west of Antares mark the creature’s claws on modern sky charts; however\, the major stars of neighboring Libra used to perform that role. The rest of the scorpion extends to the south and curls to the left (celestial eastward) into the Milky Way\, terminating with the bright double star Shaula\, which marks its poisonous stinger. Observers at high mid-northern latitudes might not be able to see the southernmost stars of the constellation.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/the-stinging-scorpion-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250720T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250720T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185325Z
UID:19987-1752969600-1752969600@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Crescent Moon Crosses the Pleiades (pre-dawn)
DESCRIPTION:In the eastern sky before dawn on Sunday morning\, July 20\, the pretty\, waning crescent moon will shine very close to the bright little Pleiades Star Cluster (aka The Seven Sisters\, Subaru\, and Messier 45) in Taurus. The pairing will show nicely in binoculars (orange circle). For skywatchers in the Americas\, the moon will pass directly through the cluster’s stars starting at about 4:25 a.m. EDT or 08:25 GMT. By the time that the moon completes its passage around two hours later\, the sky will be brightening in the Eastern and Central time zones\, but it will still be dark in the Pacific Time zone. Keep an eye out for the blue-green speck of Uranus to the lower right of the Pleiades all year.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/crescent-moon-crosses-the-pleiades-pre-dawn/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250721T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250721T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185325Z
UID:19988-1753056000-1753056000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Pretty Moon Poses with Venus and Jupiter (before sunrise)
DESCRIPTION:After 24 hours of additional eastward motion\, the more slender crescent of the waning moon will make a lovely sight while it shines above the brilliant planet Venus in the east before sunrise on Monday\, July 21. The pair can be enjoyed\, and photographed\, between the time that Venus rises at about 3 a.m. local time and sunrise. The very bright planet Jupiter will gleam to their lower left once it rises at around 4 a.m. local time. On Tuesday morning\, the moon will shift to a position between Jupiter and Venus.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/pretty-moon-poses-with-venus-and-jupiter-before-sunrise/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250723T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250723T000000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185325Z
UID:19989-1753228800-1753228800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Sliver of Moon Meets Jupiter (before sunrise)
DESCRIPTION:The old crescent moon will complete its visit with the bright morning planets on Wednesday\, July 22\, when its slim\, 2.5%-illuminated sliver will shine less than a palm’s width to the left (or 5 degrees to the celestial northeast) of brilliant Jupiter. Before the sun begins to rise\, you can place Jupiter on the right edge of your binoculars’ field of view (orange circle) and find to the moon on the left.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/sliver-of-moon-meets-jupiter-before-sunrise/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250724T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250724T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185325Z
UID:19990-1753383600-1753394400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:New Moon (at 19:11 GMT)
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, July 24 at 3:11 p.m. EDT or 12:11 p.m. PDT\, or 19:11 GMT\, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. At that time our natural satellite will be located in Cancer\, 3.4 degrees north of the sun. While new\, the moon is travelling in space between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only illuminate the far side of the moon\, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun\, it becomes completely hidden from view from anywhere on Earth for about a day (unless there’s a solar eclipse). After the new moon phase\, Earth’s celestial night-light will return to shine as a crescent in the western evening sky.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/new-moon-at-1911-gmt/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250725T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250726T050000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185325Z
UID:19991-1753473600-1753506000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Pluto at Opposition (all night)
DESCRIPTION:On the nights surrounding Friday morning\, July 25\, the dim and distant dwarf planet designated (134340) Pluto will reach opposition for 2025. On that date\, the Earth will be positioned between Pluto and the sun\, minimizing our distance from that outer world and maximizing Pluto’s visibility. While at opposition\, Pluto will be located 3.28 billion miles\, 5.28 billion km\, or 285 light-minutes from Earth. Unfortunately\, it will shine with an extremely faint visual magnitude of +14.4 that is far too dim for visual observing through a small backyard telescope. Pluto will be located in southwestern Capricornus\, about a palm’s width to the upper right (or 5.9 degrees to the celestial WNW) of the medium-bright star Psi Capricorni and to the lower left of the globular star cluster Messier 75. Even if you can’t see Pluto directly\, you will know that it is there.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/pluto-at-opposition-all-night/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250726T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250726T193000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185326Z
UID:19992-1753551000-1753558200@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Slim Crescent Moon near Regulus (after sunset)
DESCRIPTION:For a short time after sunset on Saturday\, July 26\, the extremely slender crescent of the young moon will shine above the western horizon. As the sky darkens\, Leo’s brightest star Regulus will appear just to the lower right (or celestial west) of the moon – close enough for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Observers closer to the tropics\, where the ecliptic will be more vertical\, will see their conjunction more easily.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/slim-crescent-moon-near-regulus-after-sunset/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250728T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250728T193000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185326Z
UID:19993-1753723800-1753731000@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Crescent Moon Flees Mars (after sunset)
DESCRIPTION:As the sky begins to darken after dusk on Monday\, July 28\, look low in the western sky for reddish Mars shining several finger widths to the upper right (or 3 degrees to the celestial north) of the waxing moon’s slender crescent – close enough for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Since the moon continuously slides east by its own diameter every hour\, observers in Europe and Africa will see the moon close below Mars\, while those in the western Americas and the Pacific Ocean region will see the moon farther to the left of Mars.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/crescent-moon-flees-mars-after-sunset/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250729T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250729T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185514Z
UID:19994-1753815600-1753826400@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Southern Delta-Aquariids Meteors Peak (wee hours)
DESCRIPTION:The annual Southern Delta-Aquariids meteor shower lasts from July 18 to August 21. In 2025 it will peak during the wee hours of Tuesday morning\, July 29 in the Americas\, but it is quite active for a week surrounding the peak night. The best viewing time will run from late Monday evening until the sky starts to brighten on Tuesday morning. The waxing crescent moon will not affect the shower this year. The Southern Delta-Aquariids shower\, produced by debris dropped from the periodic Comet 96P/Machholz\, commonly generates 15-20 meteors per hour at the peak. It is best enjoyed from the southern tropics\, where the shower’s radiant\, in southern Aquarius\, climbs higher in the sky. (Image – Jul29-2025 at 1 am – Southern Delta-Aquariids Meteor Shower Peaks.jpg)
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/southern-delta-aquariids-meteors-peak-wee-hours/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jul29-2025-at-1-am-Southern-Delta-Aquariids-Meteor-Shower-Peaks.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250730T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250730T220000
DTSTAMP:20260417T154825
CREATED:20250626T184139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T185430Z
UID:19995-1753902000-1753912800@www.hamiltonrasc.ca
SUMMARY:Crescent Moon near Spica Again (evening)
DESCRIPTION:After a previous visit on July 3\, the moon’s trip around Earth will bring it back to shine near Virgo’s brightest star Spica again on Wednesday evening\, July 30. As darkness falls\, look low in the western sky for bright\, white Spica twinkling several finger widths to the upper left (or celestial east) of the pretty crescent moon. Skywatchers located in more westerly time zones will see the moon closer to the star – clear evidence of our natural satellite’s orbital motion. (Image – Jul30-2025 at 930 pm – Crescent Moon near Spica Again.jpg)Planets\nSkywatching Terms\nGibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.\nAsterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.\nDegrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around\, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It’s easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky\, while a finger covers about one degree.\nVisual Magnitude: This is the astronomer’s scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.\nTerminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.\nZenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.\nNight Sky Observing Tips\nAdjust to the dark: If you wish to observe fainter objects\, such as meteors\, dim stars\, nebulas\, and galaxies\, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Avoid looking at your phone’s bright screen by keeping it tucked away. If you must use it\, set the brightness to minimum – or cover it with clingy red film.\nLight Pollution: Even from a big city\, one can see the moon\, a handful of bright stars\, and the brightest planets – if they are above the horizon. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower\, the fainter constellations\, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that is the disk of our home galaxy\, the Milky Way — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you’re stuck in a city or suburban area\, use a tree or dark building to block ambient light (or moonlight) and help reveal fainter sky objects. If you’re in the suburbs\, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.\nPrepare for skywatching: If you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes\, and it’s not a warm summer evening\, dress more warmly than you think is necessary. An hour of winter observing can chill you to the bone. For meteor showers\, a blanket or lounge chair will prove to be much more comfortable than standing\, or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.\nDaytime skywatching: On the days surrounding first quarter\, the moon is visible in the afternoon daytime sky. At last quarter\, the moon rises before sunrise and lingers into the morning daytime sky. When Venus is at a significant angle away from the sun it can often be spotted during the day as a brilliant point of light – but you’ll need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. When large sunspots develop on the sun\, they can be seen without a telescope – as long as you use proper solar filters\, such as eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can occur if you look at the sun for any length of time without protective eyewear.
URL:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/event/crescent-moon-near-spica-again-evening/
CATEGORIES:Astronomical Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.hamiltonrasc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jul30-2025-at-930-pm-Crescent-Moon-near-Spica-Again.jpg
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