Alex Schmid and Joe Carr honoured with minor planet naming; Introductions from new attendees; Newcombe Singers Concert: Sunrise Mass – Kathryn Whitney, Music Director; Events – David Lee, Randy Enkin, Kevin Bertles; Travels In Australia – Chris Gainor; Events – Jeff Pivnick, Randy Enkin, David Lee; Supernovae and stellar nurseries – Dave Payne; A Victory Story from Vince Geisler
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.
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
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.
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
Intro & New Members – Jeff Pivnick; New comets this month – Jeff Pivnick; The Sun – Jeff Pivnick; Titan Shadow Transit of Saturn – David Lee & Alex Schmid; The Moon – Randy Enkin; RASC Victoria Memorabilia – Randy Enkin; Events – Lauri Roche, David Lee, Reg Dunkley
Pre-order RASC Publications for 2026 – Lauri Roche; Space Exhibits In Missouri, Ottawa and Sidney – Summer Travels 2025 – Brian Barber; Astrophoto – Dave Payne; Hosting Astronomy Cafe next week – Jeff Pivnick; “20 Feet From Stardom” – Astronomers Forgotten in the Shadows – Reg Dunkley; 61 Cygni – Randy Enkin
Date/Time: Wednesday October 8, 2025 starting at 7:30PM Location: University of Victoria, Bob Wright Centre, Lecture Theatre A104. Park in Lot 1 (pay parking) and cross Ring Road “Northern Star – The life of Canadian astronomer J.S. Plaskett and the Canadian Space engineers
Intro – Lauri Roche;Space News – Chris Gainor; Observing Highlights and astrophotos – David Lee, Brock Johnston; Events – Lauri Roche; Astrophoto – Dave Payne; Human eyes perception of stellar objects – Bill Weir; Problem observing M74 – Brian Barber
Intro – Marjie Welchframe; Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory – Wyman Lee; Announcements – Randy Enkin and David Lee; Polaris- Randy Enkin; Space News – Chris Gainor; Artemis mission and Rainbows – Natasha van Bentum; Spaceweather, CHIME, Island Star Party – Reg Dunkley; NOVA and citizen science – David Lee