Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Hamilton Centre. Serving Hamilton and Halton Region since 1908.

Tag: METUL

  • CANCELLED! 2026 Awards Dinner

    Jun 10 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EDT The Mandarin at The Centre on Barton 1223 Barton St E Hamilton ON L8H 2V4 Click For tickets Join us for the 2026 Awards Dinner 🌌, an evening to recognize the volunteers, observers, and educators who keep astronomy thriving at RASC Hamilton Centre. Your registration helps support…

  • William Findlay (1874–1953) – RASC Hamilton Centre President (1934–1935)

    Early Life and Education William Findlay was born in 1874 and grew up on a farm near Hamilton, Ontario, where his family had lived for at least three generations . After completing high school, he enrolled at McMaster University, earning both a B.A. and an M.A. in Mathematics . He then pursued graduate studies in the United…

  • Pioneer 10 – The First Visitor to the Outer Solar System

    Launch Date: March 3, 1972 🇺🇸 (NASA) The Bold Mission That Flew Where No Probe Had Gone Before Just twenty months after Mariner 7’s historic flyby of Mars, NASA launched Pioneer 10, the first spacecraft designed to explore the outer solar system. Blazing a trail into the unknown, Pioneer 10 became the first human-made object…

  • Edward Pickering – The Visionary Behind the Harvard College Observatory

    Edward Charles Pickering’s tenure as director of the Harvard College Observatory transformed astronomy, ushering in an era of systematic data collection, stellar classification, and collaboration. His innovative use of photographic technology and his commitment to inclusivity in science, particularly through employing women astronomers, laid the groundwork for groundbreaking discoveries that redefined our understanding of the…

  • Wilfred S. Mallory (Hamilton RASC President 1932–1933)

    Wilfred Snow Mallory (1893–1969) was a Canadian educator and avid amateur astronomer who played a significant role in the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) during the early 20th century. Born in Ontario (Yarmouth Centre, Elgin County) in 1892–1893, Mallory served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I . After the war, he pursued…

  • Mariner 9: The First Spacecraft to Orbit Another Planet

    When Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars on November 14, 1971, it made history as the first spacecraft ever to orbit another planet. This mission, conducted by NASA, transformed our understanding of Mars by delivering the first comprehensive, long-term observations of the Red Planet’s atmosphere and surface. Yet, this milestone came on the heels of…

  • Maria Mitchell – Pioneering Women’s Place in Astronomy

    Maria Mitchell was a trailblazing astronomer whose discoveries and advocacy for women’s education broke barriers in science during the 19th century. As the first American woman to discover a comet, Mitchell achieved international fame and became a symbol of intellectual achievement. Her efforts to promote the inclusion of women in astronomy and the sciences left…

  • William Bruce (Hamilton RASC President 1911–1915): A Historical Overview

    Early Life and Career William Bruce was born in 1833 in Scotland and immigrated as a young child to Hamilton, Ontario in 1837 . He developed a keen interest in astronomy during his school years in Hamilton – an enthusiasm that he maintained throughout his life . Bruce did not pursue astronomy professionally in his…

  • Mariner 7 – Finishing the First Detailed Portrait of Mars

    Barely a month after Mariner 6 departed, 27 March 1969 saw the launch of Mariner 7. Its Atlas‑Centaur booster thundered out of Cape Kennedy carrying an identical craft but a different mandate: aim south, sweep over the vast polar cap, and fill in gaps its twin couldn’t reach. A tense cruise In early July, ground stations lost voice contact—a…

  • Fred Hoyle – The Visionary of Stellar Nucleosynthesis

    Fred Hoyle was one of the most influential and controversial astronomers of the 20th century. His groundbreaking work on stellar nucleosynthesis provided the theoretical framework for understanding how elements are forged in stars, fundamentally transforming our understanding of the universe. Though his advocacy for the steady-state theory placed him at odds with the emerging Big…

  • Griffith Parry Jenkins: Founding President of Hamilton Centre (1909–1910)

    Griffith Parry Jenkins (1860–1940) was a Welsh-Canadian astronomer and community leader best remembered as the first President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Hamilton Centre. Serving from 1909 to 1910, Jenkins played a pivotal role in establishing the Hamilton Centre and nurturing early amateur astronomy in the city. This article chronicles his life—from his origins…