Hamilton Amateur Astronomers: 1919-2019: A Century of Black Holes
HAA welcomes Brian McNamara as our guest speaker for the evening.
McNamara studies galaxies and clusters of galaxies. He is interested in how they form and evolve under the influence of powerful radio jets launched by supermassive black holes. His most recent work involves making measurements with the earth-orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory and the newly commissioned Atacama Large Millimeter Array, which is the most powerful telescope in existence. He is a former member of the Hitomi X-ray Observatory Science Team and is current team member of its successor, the XARM X-ray observatory, which is planned for launch from Japan in 2021. McNamara is best known for his studies of energetic feedback from massive black holes and how the energy released by accreting black holes shapes the universe around them.
Brian McNamara is Professor, Department Chair, and University Research Chair in Physics & Astronomy at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada. He is an Affiliate of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, former visiting member of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and former Director of the Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute. After receiving a PhD at the University of Virginia in 1991, McNamara took a postdoctoral fellowship at the Kapteyn Laboratory in Groningen, The Netherlands. From 1993 to 2000 he was a staff member at the Chandra X-ray Center and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. From 2000 to 2006, McNamara was a professor of Physics & Astronomy at Ohio University. Since 2006 he has taught physics and astronomy at at the University of Waterloo, where he remains today.
Non-members are welcome
Non-members are welcome to join us at our general meeting events to see what we’re all about. You’ll find a club full of enthusiastic amateur astronomers passionate about this fascinating science and hobby. We’re confident you’ll want to become a member of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers and join us in exploring this fascinating hobby.
Door Prizes
There will be a draw for door prizes at the meeting and a free door prize ticket to all who arrive before the 7:30 start time!
Food Share Donations
Donations of non-perishable food for the Hamilton Food Share program will be collected at this meeting. Please drop off any items at the drop-box located near the entrance of the auditorium. All donations gratefully accepted and thanks to your generosity we’ve collected thousands of pounds of food since we began. Let’s keep up the great work as the need continues.
Become a member
Becoming a member of the HAA opens up new opportunities to take your love of astronomy further! Members have access to our star nights at the Binbrook Conservation Area, our telescope loaner program, social events such as our Cosmology Discussion Group, and more!
Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: Hamilton Amateur Astronomers
Location: The Hamilton Spectator, 44 Frid Street, Hamilton, ON L8N 3G3 (near the junction of Highway 403 and Main St. West)