Astronomy Cafe – June 28, 2021

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Transcript video of the online meeting

  • Photos from Edmonton – Dave Robinson
    • Noctilucent Clouds – Alister Ling, Bruce McCurdy, Tom Owen’s daughter
    • Diffraction corona on setting Sun – Eric Klaszus
    • Bubble Nebula – Tom Owen
  • Impressions of the GA and AGM
    • Another virtual GA for next year – Chris Purse
    • Gather Town
      • a challenge to use by some attendees
      • tablet app was beta – difficult to use – Bill Weir
      • could easily locate or follow people
    • Tours on Monday were excellent
    • Presenters were very good – Reg Dunkley & David Lee
    • A generational transition is happening within RASC – Chris Gainor
      • nextGen committee
      • Invite Karun’s students and Vic High students to get involved in Victoria Centre
    • AGM – Chris Gainor
      • Robyn Foret and Chris Gainor will be retiring next year
      • 3 new board members: Betty Robinson, Malhar Kendurkar, Michael Watson (all 3 year terms)
      • Next GA in 2022 will be mainly virtual
      • 2023 should return to an in-person event
      • 2024 possibly with Astronomical League in Toronto
    • Andrew MacIntosh, a non-member from Victoria won an astrophotography award
  • Trouble with Hubble – Chris Gainor
    • Payload computer problems, but main computer is still alive
    • Goddard staff will very likely fix or workaround the current problem
    • Latest Hubble updates
  • Photos of the Saturn & Jupiter with the Full Moon – Randy Enkin
  • Hot Weather Ending – Reg Dunkley
    • Lee Trough is causing the circulation for the current hot weather in our area
    • Cloud currently offshore from Washington and Oregon will move north over Vancouver Island, which will shut down the hot outflow over us
    • Warm air dome will move eastward

President’s Message – June 2021

Posted by as President's Message

In praise of our Astro Cafe

Members attending Astronomy Cafe using Zoom

Every Monday evening at 19:30, the Victoria Centre runs the Astro Cafe on Zoom. I look forward to it every week! Much of our time as amateur astronomers is spent alone and I suspect that is considered a feature of this hobby by many. But we also like to share our accomplishments and problems. While we are isolated by the pandemic, Astro Cafe brings our community together.

I had been a regular contributor since I joined the Victoria Centre three years ago. Now that you have made me president, I feel that part of the job is to think of something to contribute each week. I try to riff off of some recent astronomical event, for example the summer solstice for our June 21 Astro Cafe. I am particularly excited about linking current astronomical work to the centuries and millennia of astronomers from the past, who figured out so much of how our universe works without the advantage of all the recent technologies and research.

The Astro Cafe also helps us advertise events and opportunities. It provides our members a forum to present their recent, or not so recent, work. I particularly enjoy the discussions, as we learn from each other. We have such a wide variety of specialties and levels of expertise to learn from. Our community is refreshingly supportive and non-judgemental. Everybody should consider making a presentation. If you read something that you found interesting, share it! If you feel proud of an observation, sketch, or photo, share it! If you have an astronomy question, ask it!

Special thanks go out to Chris Purse who masterfully organizes and leads the discussion each week, and to Joe Carr who curates the Astro Cafe videos onto Youtube.

Look Up,
Randy Enkin email

Astronomy Cafe – June 21, 2021

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Thierry Legault’s Astrophoto Guide
  • RASC GA and AGM – Registration site
  • Geocaching and Public Outreach for Astronomy – Malcolm Scrimger
  • Summer Solstice – Randy Enkin
    • The Solstice happens at different times 
      • Actual time depends on time zone person is in
      • Gregorian calendar causes timing anomalies (Leap Years)
      • Earth’s eccentric orbit, astrophysical and geophysical components affects seasonal timing too
      • Sun setting angles in the north – https://metcam.navcanada.ca
  • Astrophotography
    • Astrophotography SIG – John McDonald
      • This Thu 7:30PM
      • M101 Monthly Challenge
      • Beginners Introduction to planetary imaging and processing using PixInsight
    • Victoria Centre astrophoto – Brock Johnston
      • Ring Nebula M57 & galaxy (IC 1296) in the field using LRGB – Dave Payne
      • Ring Nebula M57 – more detail from narrowband Hydrogen (Ha), Oxygen, Sulphur wavelengths – Dave Payne
      • Visually observing the galaxy (IC 1296) – Dorothy Paul
      • Ring Nebula M57 – Brock Johnston
      • Eagle Nebula – narrowband using Hubble palette – Brock Johnston
      • Hercules Cluster M13 – Brock Johnston
      • Sunspot and granularity on Sun’s surface in Ha – John McDonald
      • Eagle Nebula M16 from Slooh Chile- Joe Carr
      • Recent astrophotos by Victoria Centre members
    • Edmonton Centre astrophotos – Dave Robinson
      • Dimming of Betelgeuse (ESO link) – Larry Wood 
      • Lightning storm June 15th – Stephen Olesen
  • FDAO Star Party this Saturday (youtube & zoom) – new IMT building at the DAO – Lauri Roche
  • Diane Bell’s astronomy equipment – Lauri Roche
  • Variable Star visual observing – David Lee

Astronomy Cafe – June 14, 2021

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Annular Eclipse – review of photos
    • Iqaluit photos by David Aglukark & Vinnie Karetak – presented by Chris Purse
    • Worldwide photo collection – presented by Randy Enkin
  • CRD Bike Trail Widening & Lighting – Dave Robinson
    • Dave has a meeting scheduled with the project team
  • Photos from Edmonton – Dave Robinson
    • Crescent Moon & Venus over the city – Alister Ling
    • Animation of Jupiter – Abdur Anwar
  • General Assembly & AGM – Chris Gainor
    • More info is posted online about the events
    • Register for GA and AGM separately. AGM is no cost.
    • Looking for Centres to host the next GAs – Bill Weir
    • Starts on June 25th – end of next week!
    • Registration site
  • Library photos – Alex Schmid
    • Historic slides and projector
    • Brass eyepieces
    • Stereo viewer
    • WW II astronomy books
    • Construction cranes on UVic building site
    • Email Alex if any member wants to borrow a book
  • SIGs – David Lee
    • Makers SIG – being held this Thursday online – contact David Lee or Jim Cliffe to join in
  • Juno mission update – Reg Dunkley
    • Spacecraft flew within 625 miles of Ganymede recently
    • Close encounter with Europa and Io planned
    • Imagery is freely available to amateurs
  • Observatory update – Cameron Burton
    • Replaced the winch and made new rollers for the shutter
    • Dome bearings to be rebuilt next year, in order to implement automation
    • Discussion within group
  • FDAO Star Party – Lauri Roche
    • Thanks to volunteers at last star party
    • June 26th – next star party
      • The DAO’s “Green Building” virtual tour by Jenny Attwood and Scott Roberts
  • RASC National website – Chris Purse
    • Centre membership is now available
    • Expanded merchandise is now being offered
  • RASC Service Award for Diane Bell’s family will now happen since the pandemic rules are relaxing. Perhaps a picnic later this summer?

Astronomy Cafe – June 7, 2021

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Chit chat
    • Planetary imaging discussion
    • Saanich News reporting Lucky Budd’s daytime shot of Jupiter
  • RASC GA & AGM – Chris Gainor
    • Last weekend in June 25-28
    • Good speakers on all four days
    • Sunday 3PM – AGM & election – no charge
    • Monday – Virtual tours of observatories
    • Mars panel discussion
    • Registration site
  • The Sun and Stars – Randy Enkin
    • Star Dances
      • Defocus stars to see their colours when photographing them
      • Jiggle camera setup to see deliberate star tracks
      • Staying at Magic Lake on Pender Island last week – looking south
      • Jiggle the tripod to see colours in the star tracks
  • CRD lighting of bicycle trails – Dave Robinson
    • Widening trails from 2-3 metres to 6.5-7 metres
    • Lighting the whole system of trails – 3 segments
    • Please respond to the  online survey by June 13th
    • LED lights, warm colour, down-facing, 4.5m poles
    • PBX Engineering – consulting engineers – Dave wants to talk with them
    • It appears traffic volumes will increase significantly and bicycle speeds are bound to increase with e-bikes
  • Edmonton Observatory – Dave Robinson
    • Roman Unyk installing the azimuth bearing in the mount for the 32″ telescope – a time lapse video and discussion.
    • Black Nugget Lake observatory, near Riley, Alberta.
  • FDAO events – Lauri Roche
    • Star Party – this Saturday, June 12th – Is Anybody Out There? Life outside the solar system – James Di Francesco
    • Summer Solstice celebrations – June 20th
    • Annular Eclipse photos
    • Ask An Astronomer – Scott along with the RASC EAA group (David Lee, Brock, Dave Payne)
    • More star parties – ever 2 weeks for awhile, then monthly
  • Buy & Sell – Reg Dunkley
    • Gord Bell (brother) is selling Diane Bell’s astronomy gear – binoculars, telescope, eyepieces
    • Nelson Walker is selling his Tele Vue 101 apo refractor, classic tripod, and eyepiece collection
    • Both listings will appear on our Buy & Sell page soon
  • Gianluca Massi – Virtual telescope from Rome – looking for contacts here in Canada who plan to take photos of the annular eclipse for his live broadcast on Thursday – contact Randy Enkin or Gianluca directly ASAP
  • Juno orbiting Jupiter – Reg Dunkley
    • Mission extended for several more years
    • Recent close encounter with Ganymede – 625 miles!
  • 2012 Transit of Venus review – Joe Carr