Introduction to the Night Sky – All Day Course

Come learn about the wonders of the night sky! This course will cover the basics of observing the night sky including:

• Basic geometry, the sky as viewed from Earth
• Optical viewing, brightnesses of objects.
• Constellations: the signposts of the sky.
• Cycles in the Sky: different stars for different season, planets, Moon phases, eclipses.
• Charts and finding objects of interest
• Binoculars are your best first telescope
• Light pollution

The course will also cover some of the history of astronomy and how we learned our place in the universe. There will be an observing session in the evening (weather permitting) to view the Moon, the Andromeda galaxy, and Saturn. A highly recommended book is Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey; while it is aimed at children, it is still one of the best books for learning the constellations, as he connects the stars so that the constellation really looks like its namesake!

Date: Sunday, November 23rd

Time: 1 pm to 8 pm (with a break in the afternoon as well as a dinner break)

Location: K.C. Irving Centre (classroom) and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens (for the night viewing). We will have a campfire but dress for the weather!

Course fee is $60.00 and is due Sunday, November 16. To complete your registration and proceed to payment, click here. (Note that Zeffy will request a donation, but you can alter the amount or skip this step altogether).