Our monthly luncheon, meeting and bingo well be held on Thursday May 1st, starting at noon.

The North Bay Choral Society presents our annual spring concert "Be Our Guest!" on Saturday, May 3rd and Sunday May 4th at 2:00 pm at the Elks Lodge on Trout Lake Road.  This concert consists of selections from your favourite animated movies.  The children from Woodland School Choir will be joining us this year. Tickets are $20.00 and are available at The Farm North Bay or emailnorthbaychoralsociety@hotmail.com.  Tickets at the door are subject to availability.  Children under 12 are free.

The Monthly Meeting of the Peterborough Astronomical Association's (PAA) will take place May 2nd  as a “Hybrid Meeting”, both online and in-person at our traditional physical location of the Rotary Education Centre/Guest Services Building, Riverview Park Zoo. Nothing can stop the spread of information and knowledge by the members of the PAA, including our ability to accommodate those that can’t physically be at the meeting. Our work around involves using a Zoom platform. To participate via Zoom, just make sure that in advance, you opened a (free) Zoom account on whatever iphone or tablet or device you wish to participate with and then contact  https://www.peterboroughastronomy.com/zoom_register.phpfor the password and link to our evenings classes and presentations.  If you wish to participate in person you are more than welcome to do so at the Zoo. 

Our “Novice Astronomy Classes” are focused on the practical aspects of learning about astronomy. You will be introduced to astronomy related subjects at a very basic level, but in a logical sequence.  In this month’s Novice Astronomy Class we continue our Solar System Series, next with a look at the nearest planet to the Sun, Mercury. We will take a look at the planet by the numbers and its physical characteristics, including its orbit, size, location and composition.  It is surprisingly difficult to investigate Mercury up close. However, thanks to some probes we have detailed images of its surface features, mineralogy and atmospheric composition.  Finally, we will discuss observing opportunities and strategies for the upcoming year.  Mercury has an interesting tale to tell.  Our hands-on segment will focus on the distance scale of the inner terrestrial planets.  You are invited to join us May 2nd to gain a better understanding of our solar system’s smallest planet.  Tune in to be enlightened!

If you are even remotely interested, be on-line by 6:00 p.m. to see what you can learn about the Universe around you. The classes will run about 45 minutes each session, before our regular meeting resumes. There’s no obligation to stay for the meeting that follows, but you are more than welcome to if you wish.

Shortly after 7:00 p.m. we will have a Zoom presentation by Bryan Deloader, of TenTelscopes.Com, will present a talk entitled “The Accidental Telescope Factory”, about his personal journey of discovery and design of an inexpensive 3D printed telescope design called the Skyward 150. Last year he founded the Ten Telescopes website and the Blue Door Astronomy Library in Guelph, a place where volunteers build his telescope designs and train amateur astronomers who are borrowing them. Bryan also makes his designs available online for free download at www.tentelescopes.com so that users as far away as South Africa and Australia are able to print and use them. Bryan has prepared a presentation about his unexpected journey into telescope making and how you can borrow or build one of his instruments yourself.

Whether joining us on-line or in-person you will not be disappointed and you will learn a lot! Why not check this out? You don’t need to be a member to see this presentation or anything else listed. The price is right…it costs you nothing but your time.  

The Sky This Month will be posted on our club website for all to access. 

There will also be the usual opportunities to have your questions answered, at no charge. All we ask is that you either come and see us in person at the Zoo or register in advance at https://www.peterboroughastronomy.com/zoom_register.php. This is an all ages meeting and  the venue is totally barrier free at the Zoo or just relax at home and “live and learn” as they say. Also, you don’t need a telescope to participate, but a curious mind helps.