Greg McMillan, President of the North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers in Norfolk County, considers himself to be an astronomy enthusiast.
By Chris Abbott
Astronomy enthusiasts are invited to share their experiences ‘exploring the night sky’ in Norfolk County.
Whether you are new to astronomy, or an experienced observer, you are invited to join the North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers (www.nseaa.ca), which formed in 1997. Club meetings are held the first Friday of the month at the NACL building, 644 Ireland Road, Simcoe, starting at 7 p.m. Annual membership is $30. Meetings are not held in June, July, August or December, which is highlighted by a club dinner. For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page or the new website, which launched in September.
“Our website’s aim is to provide a careful selection of information about amateur astronomy, so that people that want to learn something can get into it. And we have a very active Facebook page,” said Waterford’s Greg McMillan, President of the North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers and ‘enthusiast.’ McMillan is also a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and affiliate member of the American Astronomical Society. “There is so much stuff out there.”
It includes star tools, information and resources.
“You can get into amateur astronomy in a whole bunch of different ways. Some people are just interested in observing the night sky, keeping track of the moon, and just knowing the constellations and some stars. Basically ‘naked eye’ observers. It’s a great hobby to get into.”
Special events include observing northern lights and ‘naked eye’ comets, and meteor showers – dozens of streaks in the sky – and, of course, the moon as it goes through its phases.
“The northern lights have been awesome. Up north, I’ve seen some (pictures) posted with everything from greens to blues to reds… real curtains of colour.”
Binoculars open up the sky more than the naked eye, and McMillan said that’s one of the easiest ways people can get into astronomy.
“I’ve been into amateur astronomy since I was a teenager, and I still have the (German-made) pair of binoculars that my parents bought me when I was in high school - and they still work.
“Today, the optics for binoculars are a lot better,” he said, noting his wife’s waterproof birding binoculars with 10x magnification. “These are only about $125 and the optics on them are really superb.”
Bigger binoculars are harder to hold steady, he noted, and need tripods.
“When I talk to people who want to get into astronomy, I say ‘don’t run out and buy a big, expensive telescope,’ because if you don’t know what you’re looking at in the night sky, you’re going to have an expensive piece of equipment that you’re going to be disappointed with. That’s what usually happens.”
It’s also important to give your eyes 20-30 minutes to adapt to the darkness, he said, allowing your eyes to see fainter objects.
“That’s a very important thing. Stay away from bright lights, and a half hour later your eyes switch over and they see a lot more.”
McMillan advises people to start small, observe, get some charts, and join a club.
“There you can learn from people who have gone down that road, and they can give you some really good advice. You can also look through their telescopes and get an idea of the kind of telescopes that are available (refracting and reflecting).”
The challenge for astronomy clubs, said McMillan, has been adding new members. North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers currently has about 12-13 core members, and they would love to add more.
“I find the people at our club are always happy to help people get into the hobby.”
Joining a club is a great way to socialize with other enthusiasts, some who are interested in observing the night sky, or just space and astronomy in general. People are often interested in that, he said, recalling the April total solar eclipse in Norfolk County.
“In March, we worked with the Norfolk Public Library system, and we put on presentations at every one of their libraries. We probably spoke to more than 150 people… and they were able to give out some 6,000 solar glasses…
“We were really fortunate that skies were clear that day (April 8). I had about 30 people on my driveway here – we were set up with three telescopes and people were amazed. Think of all the people who went to Niagara Falls… and it got cloudy.
“I think the next one in Canada is about 2044, but you have to be up in northern Alberta to see it. And it’s not a particularly long one.”
Over the last 50-60 years, astronomy has become more challenging in Southern Ontario due to ‘light pollution’ in the night sky.
“They say, 80-90% of the people that live in urban areas have never seen the Milky Way. Even here, we can see ‘light domes’ from urban centres like Brantford or Hamilton. That ‘sky glow’ is big issue for anybody trying to observe the night sky.
“Out here, in Norfolk County, we’ve got some reasonably good dark skies.”
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