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Come and explore the wonders of the night sky with the newly formed Richmond Hill Naturalists Astronomy Group! We will inspire you to look up and savour the elegance of the universe around us. Monthly meetings will help you develop observing skills, learn how to effectively use binoculars and telescopes, star maps, the latest astronomy software and the basics of astrophotography. Speakers will share their knowledge and research in some of the many aspects of astronomy, such as binary and multiple star systems, planet searches, black holes, novas and supernovas.
Observing sessions will provide opportunities to look through telescopes at the moon, stars, galaxies, planets, comets and other celestial splendours. If you have that old telescope someone gave you a long time ago as a gift hidden away in your closet, bring it to one of our sessions to learn how to use it and enjoy looking at the night sky from your own backyard.
Observing sessions will be at the David Dunlap Observatory Park, 350 Sixteenth Avenue behind (north of) the Elvis Stojko Arena just up the stairs at the north end of the park.
Radio Astronomy:
With relatively inexpensive equipment, it is possible to enjoy an area of
astronomy quite different from optical observing – Radio Astronomy.
Just think, with some shortwave equipment and some easily built antenna systems,
probing earth produced atmospheric noise, due to solar flares, can be heard, as
well as listening to meteors that are passing into the atmosphere.
From here, there are emissions from Jupiter, pulsars, mapping the plane of the
Milky Way, and detection of the galactic arms of the Milky Way. All accessible
with amateur radio astronomy.
We will demonstrate radio detection of thermal radiation, which will provide information
on blackbody radiation of celestial objects;
Drift scans of point sources, which allow the observation of transit times of
remote celestial objects – those outside the solar system;
Solar Periodicity, for tracking solar activity levels for lengthy periods of
time. This method can be used in conjunction with optical viewing;
HEP’s are High Energy Pulses, which are thought to be gamma ray bursts
originating from the Milky Way center. This would make an excellent way to
participate in professional astronomy – current studies are underway.
Finally, at frequencies around 4GHz, participation in productive SETI (Search
for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) can be had.
To learn more, please fell free to contact: astronomy@rhnaturalists.ca
