Alex Schmid and Joe Carr honoured

Alex Schmid and Joe Carr honoured

Two RASC Victoria Centre members who have long served both our membership and the public to promote astronomy and science have been honoured by NRC astronomer Dave Balam, discoverer of many Minor Planets found within our solar system.

Published today on behalf of the International Astronomical Union by the WG Small Bodies Nomenclature in their Bulletin Vol 5, #25 for 2025 Nov 3: (568092) Alexschmid = 2003 QF117 and (578249) Josephcarr = 2013 YY81.

Astronomy Cafe – Oct 27, 2025

Astronomy Cafe – Oct 27, 2025

Intro & New Members – Reg Dunkley; Memories of Sid Sidhu – Reg Dunkley, Marji Welchframe, David Lee, Garry Sedun, Chris Gainor, Susan Grady, Lauri Roche, Dave Robinson; 3I/ATLAS Interstellar Comet from Mars – Phil Stooke; Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon – Reg Dunkley, Randy Enkin, Bill Weir ; WR134 Astrophotograph – Dave Payne; Astrophotos from Vince Geisler; Aldebaran – Randy Enkin

Sid Sidhu – 1938-2025 – In Memorium

Sid Sidhu – 1938-2025 – In Memorium

It is with deep sadness that I share the news that our dear friend and longtime member, Sid Sidhu, passed away this weekend.

Sid was a stalwart of everything good about the RASC. He was an unwavering champion of our school program, a tireless supporter of public outreach, and a cherished friend to so many of us. His contributions to our Centre and to astronomy education in our community are immeasurable, and his absence will be profoundly felt.

Dan Posey, President, RASC Victoria Centre

Nov 12th Presentation: Maximizing image resolution for ground-based telescopes using Adaptive Optics – Dr. Maaike van Kooten, NRC

Nov 12th Presentation: Maximizing image resolution for ground-based telescopes using Adaptive Optics – Dr. Maaike van Kooten, NRC

Presentation at University of Victoria on November 12, 2025 starting at 7:30PM. “Maximizing image resolution for ground-based telescopes using Adaptive Optics: it is all in the details” – Dr. Maaike van Kooten, AO developer, Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics, National Research Council Canada.

In this talk, I will focus on the latest AO R&D happening in Victoria on our local telescopes and put it into context of the wider global AO community. I will also highlight the work being done at large facilities in Hawaii to further push the limits of our AO systems.

Astronomy Cafe – Oct 20, 2025

Astronomy Cafe – Oct 20, 2025

Intro – Chris Purse; New maps of the Apollo 17 LRV traverses (of the Moon) – Phil Stooke; M42 Orion Nebula – Dave Payne; The friendly skies – Saskatchewan Star Party ; Comet I3/Atlas – Randy Enkin; Dark Sky Reserve – Hanle, Ldakh, India – Natasha van Bentum; Space Mission News – Chris Gainor; Events – Lauri Roche, Dave Payne; Comets: C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 F2 SWAN – Randy Enkin & David Lee

President’s Message – October 2025

President’s Message – October 2025

As fall settles over Victoria and we are faced with what may be the last stretches of clear evening skies (for a time at least), I hope everyone has a chance to wind up any lingering observing projects.

Looking back at the summer there was so much activity from our society that I failed to share a summer highlight of my own: a visit to the David Dunlap Observatory in July.

For those who haven’t had a chance to work with one of these large telescopes up close, I’m pleased to announce our next Plaskett Night, scheduled for October 25. As always, it’s a special opportunity to use the 1.8m telescope and chase down some faint targets.