Astronomy Cafe – Sep 23, 2024

• Intro by Jeff Pivnick
• Astronomy in South America – Peru – Incas – Jeff Pivnick
  • Inca civilization only lasted about 120 years (1430s to 1550s)
  • Their astronomy was defined by the geography
  • The Sun governed their agriculture
  • Larco Museum in Lima – displays of gold and pottery
  • Cusco and the Sacred Valley was the centre of the Inca civilization
  • 1572 Pizzaro colonized the area for Spain
  • Machu Picchu was virtually untouched until Hiram Bingham (Yale) discovered the ancient city
  • Astronomy tied to Aztec religion and agriculture
  • Temple of the Sun – predict solar positions- solstices and equinoxes
  • Temple of Three Windows
  • Intihuatana – sighting stone – time clock, sundial, aligned with Sirius? John McDonald checking the alignment in a 2011 visit
  • Convento de Santo Domingo museum in Cusco – good for Incan astronomy
  • Milky Way was looked on as the celestial river
• Once in a Blue Moon – Randy Enkin
  • Common idiom in our culture
  • Smurf comics feature the Blue Moon
  • Maine Farmers’ Almanac 1937 – original definition of Blue Moon – extra Full Moon in a season – 13 Full Moons in a year
  • Calendar math – average calendar month and lunar month are different!
  • Hebrew Calendar – lunar month added 7 times every 19 years
  • Calculating Easter – Mar 22 to April 25
  • Sky & Telescope – 5 articles about the Blue Moon, including incorrect definition – second Full Moon in a month
  • “Blue Moon” song
• International Year of Quantum Science 2025 – Natasha van Bentum
  • Education and Public Outreach during 2025
  • Upcoming UNESCO celebration
  • The quantum future of telescopes | Physics & Astronomy – University of Sheffield
  • What is IAU doing?
  • Is there interest in staging local events?
• Three Stars Dark Sky Festival – Kirsten Pedersen & Bill Weir
  • Intense 2 days in Bamfield with the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and staff
  • 25-30 invitees for this pilot project, including government, media, tourism, astronomy representatives
  • Kirsten and Bill assisted with astronomical observing, but weather was terrible
  • Bill presented a telescope to the Huu-ay-aht First Nation first nation on behalf of RASC Victoria and DAO
  • Prototype events were staged
  • Dark sky preservation in future plans
  • This festival will be patterned after the existing Jasper Dark Sky Festival
  • Night Lighting – light pollution cards can be downloaded
• Centre of the Universe – Lauri Roche
  • Canada In Space – last Saturday
    • Bob MacDonald and Chris Gainor presented
    • Thanks to FDAO and RASC volunteers
  • Sep 26th – Bending Light – FDAO members only
• Beginners SIG – Oct 8th – David Lee will send a notice out
• Dark Sky sites in New Zealand being sought by Susan
  • No car so can’t get to the places that came up when I was looking (online)
  • Several suggestions given by members – Dark skies in New Zealand
• Saturn occultation by the Moon from Cattle Point – Randy Enkin
  • Clouds were a factor. but everyone enjoyed what they could see
• International Geodiversity Day – Oct 5th at Royal BC Museum
  • Geoscience – cavers, paleontologists, geological survey, earthquake prediction
  • Bring a rock and stump the expert!

Video transcript of meeting

No Astronomy Cafe next Monday