Tag: Tom Vassos
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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…
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Jan Oort – Mapping the Milky Way and the Edge of the Solar System
Jan Oort was a Dutch astronomer whose groundbreaking work on the structure of the Milky Way and the dynamics of the solar system redefined our understanding of the universe. Known for his contributions to galactic astronomy and his hypothesis of the Oort Cloud, Oort played a key role in advancing radio astronomy and unraveling the…
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If the JWT Discovers Technogases: Imagining the Beings of HD 20794 d
Picture a world that exists under a gravity far greater than our own—a place where every step feels like lifting twice your weight, where the very pull of the planet shapes all life. Now imagine the James Webb Telescope (JWT), with its unparalleled sensitivity, detecting traces of unusual technogases in that world’s atmosphere. These gases—compounds…
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Submit Your Best Astrophotography for the Hamilton RASC 2026 Calendar!
Calling all Hamilton RASC astrophotographers! We’re putting together our 2026 Hamilton RASC Calendar, and we want your stunning images of the night sky. Whether you’ve captured breathtaking nebulae, star clusters, planets, or deep-sky wonders, this is your chance to showcase your work and inspire others with the beauty of the cosmos. How to Submit Your…
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Ancient Astronomy: North America’s Contributions to the Cosmic Legacy
Astronomy, one of humanity’s oldest sciences, has roots that reach far beyond the boundaries of ancient Mesopotamia and Greece. Before 1000 AD, cultures across North America gazed at the stars, charting the heavens, and seeking meaning in the cosmos. Indigenous peoples developed sophisticated astronomical practices that continue to influence modern astronomy. This article, part of…
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Come See the Sun at Westfield Heritage Village in March!
Join our RASC Hamilton members at Westfield Heritage Village, throughout the month of March, where we’ll be showcasing historic telescopes belonging to one of the founding members of the RASC Hamilton Centre, Rev. Daniel Brand Marsh. Since this event will be during the daytime, there will be an opportunity to safely view our nearest star,…
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Celebrating Women in Astronomy: Pioneers Who Reached for the Stars
On International Women’s Day, we honor the achievements of women across all fields, but today, let’s cast our gaze to the heavens and celebrate the incredible contributions of women in astronomy. Despite facing systemic barriers for much of history, women have made groundbreaking discoveries, reshaped our understanding of the universe, and inspired countless generations to…
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Quipu: The Largest Cosmic Structure Ever Discovered
A Cosmic Giant Hidden in the Stars Imagine a structure so vast that it spans 1.3 billion light-years across. That’s Quipu, the newest and one of the most mysterious discoveries in modern astronomy. Named after the ancient Incan system of knotted cords used for record-keeping, Quipu appears to be a massive network of galaxy clusters woven together by…
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Ancient Astronomy in the British Isles: A Journey Through the Skies
The night sky has long been a source of wonder, guiding early civilizations in their understanding of the universe and their place within it. In this installment of our continuing series on ancient astronomy, we delve into the fascinating history of astronomical practices in the British Isles before the year 1000 AD. This era saw…
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Two Eclipses in March 2025: What You Need to Know
March 2025 is bringing two exciting eclipses—one lunar and one solar—but if you want to see both, you’ll need to do some traveling! How Do Eclipses Work? Eclipses happen when the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up in just the right way. Eclipses don’t happen every month because the Moon’s orbit is slightly tilted, so…
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History’s Astronomers: Gerard Kuiper – Exploring the Outer Solar System
Gerard Kuiper, often regarded as the father of modern planetary science, made pioneering contributions to our understanding of the solar system. From discovering moons to hypothesizing the existence of the Kuiper Belt, his work transformed planetary astronomy and laid the groundwork for modern exploration of the outer solar system. Kuiper’s legacy extends beyond his discoveries,…