Island Star Party 2023

Posted by as Events

August 11-13, 2023

Island Star Party 2023 poster

Location: Bright Angel Park at rural and dark Cowichan Station, in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on southern Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Gates will open at 2pm on Friday. Camp on the field, setup your telescope and bring binoculars to enjoy observing the night sky from a dark site.

Cost: Free of charge for drop-ins! Suggested donation of $20/Adult observers who camp overnight (cash only) – one night or two. Kids camp free.

Everyone who is present is entitled to tickets for door prizes, can attend planned activities and have access to the observing field. Prizes include a telescope!

Star Party Poster – please print it, stick it on your fridge and share with friends! PDFs: 8.5″x11″ & 11″x17″

2023 Island Star Party – Press ReleaseDownload

Don’t want to camp? No problem…it’s no more than a 20-minute drive from most areas of the Cowichan Valley, and only a 45-minute drive from Victoria. Live out of town? Stay in one of the many guest houses, hotels and motels in the Cowichan Valley, however reserve early, since accommodation fills up during the summer.

Staying after dark? Please bring a red light with you – do not use white lights, including cellphone flashes!

Come observe the stars and the Perseid meteor shower from this dark site in the Cowichan Valley. Lots of amateur astronomers will be there to talk about astronomy and to help you observe celestial objects after dark. Observe the Sun (safely) during the day, and hike the trails, swim, play, and enjoy this natural treasure of a regional park. Two days/nights on the weekend – Friday Aug 11th starting at 2PM, all day and evening on Saturday Aug 12th. Camp overnight (1 night or 2), or just drop in for an evening of fun and fascination. A free event, but campers will be asked for a donation if staying overnight.

Schedule of Events

Friday Aug 11th

  • 2:00 pm – Gates open
  • 7:30 pm – Telescope tour
  • 8:00 pm – Welcome and door prizes
  • 8:30 pm – Speaker – Seeing is believing: capturing images of nearby solar systems – William Thompson
  • 10:00 pm until dawn: observing! No white lights during this time, please

Seeing is believing: capturing images of nearby solar systems – William Thompson

Astronomers have now discovered over five thousand planets around other stars, ranging from scorching hot Jupiters, to puffy mini-Neptunes, and rocky worlds devoid of atmospheres. Now that we know planets are common, the next step is to learn more about them and compare them with our solar system.

HR8799 Planets & Orbin modelling of 51 Eridani b

In this talk, I will show how we can take pictures of nearby planets and present the latest developments in the quest to image planets just like our own.

William Thompson

William Thompson is an astronomy PhD candidate at the University of Victoria and an exoplanet hunter. He uses the techniques of direct imaging, radial velocity, and astrometric motion to find and photograph young giant planets, and to study their orbits. William will be joining the National Research Council this fall as a Herzberg Instrument Science Fellow, where he will continue to work on astronomical instrumentation and observational projects.

Saturday Aug 12th

  • Solar viewing – all day on the field
  • Nature Walk through the park trails – afternoon
  • 7:30 pm – Telescope tour
  • 8:00 pm – Door prizes
  • 8:30 pm – Speaker – Probing the Universe with Type Ia Supernovae: legacy and future – Melissa Amenouche
  • 9:30 pm – Public viewing of the night sky with telescopes on the field
  • 10:30 pm until dawn: observing! No white lights during this time, please
  • The Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its peak overnight!

Probing the Universe with Type Ia Supernovae: legacy and future – Melissa Amenouche

Type Ia Supernovae (SNeIa) are very luminous explosive events in the sky. They can be detected in very remote galaxies and are excellent distance indicators. In the late 90s, the accelerated expansion of the Universe was discovered using the measurements of SNeIa, revealing for the first time the existence of Dark Energy. Today, one of the main goals of modern cosmology is to understand its nature using SNeIa measurements combined with other cosmological probes.

Vera Rubin Observatory

In the past two decades,  the number of SNeIa has drastically increased along with our understanding of these objects and their ability to indicate distances. And this will continue with the current and new generation of surveys like the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and the Large Survey of Space and Time (LSST). I will review the ongoing efforts to unlock precise cosmological measurements with ZTF samples, many of which can be extended to LSST data, with a focus on key steps of the analysis. 

Melissa Amenouche

Melissa completed her PhD in December 2022 in France. She is currently a postdoc fellow at NRC-Herzburg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre involved in a new Canadian spatial telescope (CASTOR). She is also calibrating and simulating Type Ia Supernovae data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (a great telescope in California) to help answer key questions about our understanding of the Universe and its evolution.

Sunday Aug 13th

  • Cleanup – everyone please pitch-in & help
  • 12:00 pm – departures by Noon please!
The Island Star Party is hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Victoria Centre, with support from the Cowichan Valley Starfinders.

Directions to the star party

Head west off the Trans-Canada Highway on Koksilah Road and turn right onto Tigwell Road. The park is at the end of the road. If you are driving a big vehicle, we suggest you turn west off the Trans-Canada Highway at Allenby Road, then turn left onto Koksilah Road and left onto Tigwell Road. This slightly longer route will avoid a low-clearance rail bridge on the more direct route.

Bright Angel Park, 4528 Tigwell Rd, Cowichan Station, BC

Lat 48° 44.0246′ N, Long 123° 40.5144’W

What to expect

Dark sky and red lights on the observing field
Dark sky and red lights on the observing field

The night sky at this location is very dark, but there is a light dome to the north from the City of Duncan. Views in the other directions and overhead are excellent, and at this time of year Sagittarius is visible in the early part of the evening to the southwest.

There is limited camping on the observing field with your tent and car where telescopes and other astronomy gear can be set up. There is some power on the field for astronomy equipment and to charge small devices. Please do NOT park on the field with your vehicle if you plan to leave after dark! In this case, move your vehicle off the field after setting up, and park outside the gate on Tigwell Road with your headlights facing away from the field. The same parking request applies to visitors for the evening – park outside the gate and walk into the field.

  • Washrooms are a short walk from the observing field with sinks, toilets and urinals, but no showers. Red lights will mark the way at night along the forest trail.
  • Playground and workout gym on the observing field
  • Park gates are open from 7am – 9pm daily. Make sure your vehicle is outside the gates before 9PM if you plan to leave later on!
  • Explore the trails through the forest and along the Koksilah River – a nice way to spend the day. Good swimming too, although the river water is cold!
  • Pets are allowed in the park and at the star party, but must be under effective control of their owners at all times. If your dog knocks over an expensive telescope, you just bought it!
  • Drinking alcohol or smoking is not allowed in public areas of the park.
  • Trailers and motorhomes are not allowed in this regional park.
  • Dry summer conditions demand that no open flame be used. Please cook using a camp stove in the Picnic Shelter by the lower parking lot. No campfires or open flame please!
  • Although the observing field is flat, it is bumpy, so people with mobility issues may find some areas are not easy to navigate. The washrooms are accessible by using the trail through the forest and navigating a modest slope.

What’s nearby

  • Tim Horton’s fast food dine-in and drive-thru and a Co-op gas station and convenience store are both nearby at Bench Road and the Trans-Canada Highway.
  • Big box stores, grocery stores and malls are a short drive away in Duncan, Cobble Hill and Mill Bay.
  • Pizza and other fast food can be ordered from and/or picked up at numerous local establishments.
  • Espresso drinks and other fancy beverages are available in Duncan, Cowichan Bay, Cobble Hill and Mill Bay.
  • Nearby mall at the intersection of Cowichan Bay Rd & Trans-Canada Highway – Pizzeria Prima Strada, Drumroaster Coffee, Country Grocer, Dragon Yuen.
  • Whippletree Junction – a variety of eclectic stores that are worth a visit, located nearby on the highway.
  • The fascinating and historic Kinsol Trestle is a short drive from the park, where the Trans-Canada Trail crosses the Koksilah River. The trestle is an easy walk from the parking lot – level and accessible.
  • Wineries in the area are too numerous to mention individually! Look here: Wine Festival Specials
  • BC Forest Discovery Centre – steam trains, historic forestry equipment and local history – fun for all ages
  • Cowichan Bay village – fish boats, oceanfront restaurants and shops, whale watching, sea lions
Island Star Party 2023 t-shirt
2023 Island Star Party t-shirt

Island Star Party t-shirt

Fruit of the Loom quality cotton t-shirt, printed ink design. Men’s sizes in black: S, M, L, XL, 2XL. Sold out. A second order list is being taken, so contact Joe Carr – Email

Contact

  • Dave Payne – Email – mobile ‭+1 (403) 874-1980‬ – Event Lead

Photo galleries of local Star Parties

  • 2023 – Island Star Party
  • 2019 – Island Star Party
  • 2019 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2017 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2016 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2016 – Island Star Party
  • 2015 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2014 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2014 – Island Star Party
  • 2013 – Island Star Party – event & night sky
  • 2013 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2012 – Island Star Party – event & night sky
  • 2012 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2011 – Island Star Party – night sky
  • 2011 – RASCals Star Party
  • 2010 – Island Star Party – event & night sky
  • 2010 – RASCals Star Party

Press coverage

Awards to members for 2022

Posted by as Meetings

Over 40 members of RASC Victoria Centre enjoyed a social dinner and awards ceremony at the Moon Under Water Pub on March 27, 2023. Photo gallery

Newton Ball Award 2022 – Deborah Crawford

Randy Enkin awarding Deb Crawford
Randy Enkin awarding Deb Crawford

An active member of the Victoria Centre, Deborah Crawford served on Council as Secretary from December 2012 to November 2014, Second Vice President from December 2016 to November 2018 and then as Treasurer from December 2018 until the spring of 2023. She has a talent for turning events into joyous occasions. Deb organized several AGM banquets and two Star Party “StarBQ’s”. During the 2014 General Assembly Deb oversaw a large buffet at the Centre of the Universe complete with a cake replica of the DAO dome. It was the highlight of the GA.

Ernie Pfannenschmidt Award 2022 – Dave Payne

Randy Enkin awarding Dave Payne
Randy Enkin awarding Dave Payne

For the invention of the Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch (GHS) an innovative software tool that allows the controlled transformation of pixel intensity. It has been embedded in key astrophotography software packages such as Pixinsight. Astrophotographers around the globe have adopted this powerful tool.

Astrophotography Award 2022 – Dave Payne

Foxmascone Nebulae (NGC 2264) in SHO – The Foxfur and Cone Nebulae and Christmas Tree Cluster in SHO with RGB Stars (Monoceros) – October, 2022 A total of 17.5 Hours in Narrow Band H,S,O filters and 3.75 Hours in R, G, B Filters using a Planewave CDK12.5 Telescope and an- AIS6200MM Camera

Randy Enkin awarding David Lee
Randy Enkin awarding David Lee

Certificate of Appreciation in 2022 – David Lee

In addition to the leadership David displayed during International Astronomy Day, the Dark Sky Survey, and the formation of Special Interest Groups he amazed the Victoria Centre for the perseverance he demonstrated photographing a Lunar Eclipse while a snow storm kept more timid RASCals indoors.

Certificate Of Appreciation 2022 – Randy Enkin

In appreciation of his Organization, Leadership and Guidance so capably rendered as the Centre’s President for 2021 and 2022.

Reg Dunkley awarding Randy Enkin
Reg Dunkley awarding Randy Enkin

Astronomy Cafe – March 20, 2023

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of the meeting

  • Vernal Equinox Today – Jeff Pivnick
    • Caused by axial tilt of the Earth
    • Celestial Equator intersects with the Ecliptic
    • Babylonians picked 12 constellations 3,000 years ago, but Ptolemy named them later
    • Declination and Right Ascension coordinates are referenced to the equinox
  • Astronomy Day – Lauri Roche
    • Sunday, April 30th 11AM – 4PM at Bob Wright building lobby at UVic
    • Free parking on outside of the Ring Road in Lot 1
    • Setup is Saturday afternoon
    • Leads
      • UVic Site Manager – Sam Fielder
      • Technical Support – David Lee
      • Welcome Table – Marjie Welchframe
      • Telescope Show & Tell – Bill Weir
      • Children’s Astro Crafts – Rachel & Ryan Holmes
      • Astrophotography – Brock Johnston & Dan Posey
      • Responsible Lighting – Dave Robinson
      • Planetarium – need a lead to used Starry Night on TV
      • Solar Observing outside – Alex Schmid, Sid Sidhu
      • Ask An Astronomer –  need a lead and 3 or 4 astronomers (UVic students?)
      • Speakers – Lauri Roche
        • 3 speakers signed up, 3 to go
        • 20-minute talks
    • FDAO, NRC, Science Venture, Camosun College, Mt. Doug High, Vic High & Oak Bay High
    • Tour of the Bob Wright telescope
    • Need volunteers – 2-3 shifts is ideal – contact Lauri Roche roche.lauri@gmail.com
    • Saturday, April 29th 7-11PM Star Party on Observatory Hill
  • Open House – Centre of the Universe – March 25 – Lauri Roche
  • Victoria Centre Observatory – Randy Enkin
    • Will open to members once the road is open
  • Standing Where Ansel Adams Stood – Randy Enkin
    • Moon and Half Dome – Dec 28, 1960
    • When the Light, Shadow and Stars Aligned: Standing Where Ansel Adams Stood – Kim Beil, NY Times
    • Ansel Adams joined Sierra Club Outings
    • Kim Beil found the exact spot where Ansel Adams took his famous Moon and Half Dome photo, and determined four possible dates based on the star field and Moon
    • 6:47AM on Aug 6, 1936 – date/time of famous photo
  • Meetings
    • Social Dinner – March 27th – contact Randy to attend at Moon Under Water Pub on Bay St.
    • Council Meeting – March 28th – 7:30PM
      • Open to all members
      • Budget for coming year – we have funds to spend!
  • Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair – Dorothy Paul
    • April 16th
    • 100 projects, 150 students
    • Need some specialty judges from RASC – about 2 hours
  • Astrophotos from members
    • Moonrise from Clover Point – Randy Enkin
    • Jones-Emberson 1 Bubble planetary nebula – Brock Johnston
  • 2023 RASC General Assembly – May 5th – May 7th, 2023
    • No business meeting, just fun meeting and interacting with everyone – Bill Weir
    • Speakers list almost complete – Lauri Roche
    • $35 admission for members to participate for three days
  • Vic High Astronomy Deck – Clayton
    • Mitigate the light pollution at the site – discussion of strategy
    • New 12″ Skywatcher funded by a generous donation
    • City of Victoria will install shields on the streetlights

There will not be an Astro Café next week in order for the RASC Victoria Centre Social Dinner to take place. Please RSVP to Randy president@victoria.rasc.ca by March 19 if you would like to attend.

Next Astronomy Cafe in 2 weeks – April 3

Astronomy Cafe – March 6, 2023

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Randy Enkin (video recording)
    • Venus-Jupiter Conjunction
      • Some great photo taken of the conjunction both by members and others
      • Venus can be up to 47º away from the Sun
      • Venus-Jupiter Conjunctions 1990-2060
      • March 1st conjunction – Venus-Jupiter had 0.5º separation
    • Victoria Centre’s Annual General Meeting – March 13th (virtual)
      • Need 25 members for a quorum
      • Links to Zoom sent to members along with supporting documents
      • Social dinner at the Moon Under Water Pub to be held on March 27th
  • The Hunt for the Culprit  – Part 2 – Reg Dunkley
    • Jan 9th – Part 1 was presented
    • Iron 60 and Supernovae relationship
    • Are Supernovae responsible for climate change on Earth?
    • Star formation near the Sun is driven by expansion of the Local Bubble by Catherine Zucker, et. al. – Jan 2022
    • Caroline and William Herschel
    • GAIA – astronomical big science, inspired an astronomical gold rush
      • ESA video on GAIA
      • 3D map of the Milky Way
      • Photometric instrument
      • Measures: Brightness, positions, proper motions, radial velocities, spectra
      • 11 years of data, 150 complete surveys of the sky
      • How this data is being used – a review
    • Interstellar Extinction
    • H-R Diagram: Colour Index vs Magnitude
    • 3D Mapping of Interstellar Dust
    • The Local Bubble – dust map
    • Traceback of Star Cluster
    • Idealized Model for Local Bubble Evolution – Stellar and Solar Orbits animation
    • Location of the Culprit
    • Summary of Zucker et al findings
    • A Golden Opportunity!
      • Data freely available along with analysis routines
      • Do some citizen science?
    • Radcliffe Wave by Brian Ventrudo
  • Special Interest Groups – David Lee
    • Beginners SIG – tomorrow evening
    • Citizen Science SIG – Thursday evening – sign up with David Lee
  • Photos & Observations by members
    • Venus-Jupiter conjunction from Hawai’i – photo of closest approach (0.5º) by Dave Payne
    • Jones-Eberson Bubble planetary nebula – photo by Brock Johnston
      • Jones 1 in Pegasus – next object to try for – Bill Weir
    • Explore the Universe observing program – Marjie Welchframe
    • Moon-Jupiter-Venus conjunction on Feb 23 – iPhone photo taken from the city by Doug Hardy
    • Photos – Ken McGill
    • Moon-Jupiter-Venus conjunction on Feb 23 – Marjie Welchframe
  • Reports – Lauri Roche
    • Centre of the Universe Open House on March 25-26
    • RASC Online General Assembly (no AGM)
      • Virtual tours of DDO and DAO (7-8pm on Fri)
      • Poster sessions – April 1st call for papers
    • RASC National AGM – June 25th (virtual)

Astronomy Cafe – Feb 27, 2023

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of the meeting

  • The Birds, Pacific Victoria Opera – Randy Enkin
    • Featured the Moon
    • Land of the Birds
    • Funny and serious story
  • Zodiacal Light – Randy Enkin
    • APOD photo showing both Venus and Jupiter in the middle of the light spire
    • Brian May showed the Doppler Shift in the Zodiacal Light, finished his thesis 30 years after starting the research before his music career with Queen
    • Photos of the Zodiacal Light by Victoria Centre members John McDonald and Joe Carr
  • Citizen Science – David Lee
    • Definitions – Sky & Telescope, NASA, SpaceHack
    • Concise instructions given to participants/contributors
    • Data archive used to share observations
    • Community shares their skill sets in the interest of collaboration
    • Light Pollution – Globe At Night
      • 6 easy steps
      • February & March campaigns
      • New constellations to observe each month
    • Variable star observations – AAVSO
      • Beginners SIG observed Algol last summer
      • 54 million variable star observations
    • Astronomy-focused citizen science projects – S&T>Get Involved>citizen-science-collaboration
    • Citizen Science – new SIG
      • Thu, March 9th 7:30pm
      • Contact David Lee to participate – email
    • Galaxy Cruise – Japan
      • Images from Subaru telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawai’i
      • Introductory demonstrations
      • Radio observations during solar eclipses
  • Big Changes at RASC National – Bill Weir & Chris Gainor
    • Skynews magazine ceasing operation
    • Robotic Telescope – project terminated
    • Staff departures at the national office, including Phil Groff, Executive Director
    • Charles Ennis, RASC President – sent out a note to the national RASC email list
    • History and perspective on RASC financial woes – Chris Gainor
  • Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF photos & sketches – Brock Johnston
    • Jan 19th – earliest taken by David Lee
    • Collection of comet photos taken by Victoria Centre members 
    • Photographers & sketchers: Lucky Budd, Bill Weir, Dave Payne, David Lee, Dan Posey, Alec Lee, Brock Johnston, Ron Fisher
    • Feb 23rd – last image taken
  • Underground Railway & Night Sky by Amy Archer – Lauri Roche
    • Suggest Amy to be a speaker to RASC Victoria Centre
  • Odd-looking crater feature observed – Bill Weir
    • South of Short crater
    • Appeared as 4 white dots visually
  • Astronomy Day – Randy Enkin & others
    • FDAO holding Astronomy Day on Observatory Hill – April 29th
    • RASC will hold Astronomy Day on April 30th – Bob Wright building at UVic – need a coordinator
  • Victoria Centre Annual Events – Randy Enkin
    • AGM – March 13th online (members only)
    • Dinner, celebration and social event – March 27th in-person (members & guests)

Big changes at RASC National

Posted by as News

Charles Ennis, President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has posted this message to the national RASC email list. The complete message is reposted here in the interest of communicating with those Victoria Centre members who may not subscribe to that email list.

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada seal and logo

February 26, 2023

Good day to everyone. The Board of Directors of the Society is providing this update to the membership concerning decisions that have been made after consultation with the National Council and with the Centres through a poll that was conducted in the last two weeks, as well as changes to head office staff.

First, SkyNews: As the membership knows, for many years SkyNews magazine has published by SkyNews Inc., which is an Ontario business corporation. Nine years ago the RASC acquired SkyNews Inc. from its previous owners, and SkyNews Inc. thereupon became a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of the RASC. SkyNews Inc. has its own board of directors, who are appointed by the RASC through the Society’s Board of Directors. The SkyNews board makes all decisions concerning the business and affairs of SkyNews Inc.

SkyNews astronomy magazine
SkyNews astronomy magazine

SkyNews has lost money in four of the nine years of the Society’s ownership. Disregarding the one-time $60,000 COVID relief grant that SkyNews received in the 202-21 financial year (two-thirds of which has to be repaid this year), on average SkyNews has lost more than $10,000 per year during this nine-year period. The losses are increasing. The average loss in the last five years has been more than $25,000, and the loss for the current financial year, which ends on March 31, will be on the order of $50,000. These losses have to be financed by the shareholder, the RASC, which therefore effectively costs each member more than $10, and also endangers the RASC’s charitable status. As is the case with so many periodicals in North America, the SkyNews subscriber base has diminished sharply, from about 20,000 nine years ago, to 6-7,000 today. Advertising revenue has also declined dramatically, to less than one-third of the level when the Society acquired SkyNews.

As a result, SkyNews is no longer sustainable. After numerous meetings and discussions over the last few weeks, and consideration whether SkyNews could be saved in any form (including digital only), the Society’s Finance Committee and Board of Directors therefore concluded that SkyNews Inc. should cease all operations, including publication of the magazine. A majority of the Centres who responded to the poll agreed. Last week, therefore, the board of directors of SkyNews Inc. passed a resolution implementing the RASC Board’s recommendation, with the result that SkyNews will be shutting down. The SkyNews Inc. board will be meeting this coming week with legal counsel to start the shutdown process. The Editorial Board of the Society will be considering whether in future some of the content that has previously appeared in the SkyNews magazine can be incorporated into the RASC’s other publications, such as the Journal.

Second, the robotic telescope: The RASC board has also decided, again after consultation with the National Council and the Centres, to divest the Society of the robotic telescope, which is also a money-losing operations.

Third, head office: One of the important areas in which the Society can reduce expenses is with the number of head office staff. Some staff have been let go, and two others have resigned. This included Executive Director Phil Groff, who has been with the RASC since the fall of 2019 and has now found a position that is more in line with his previous training and experience. We wish Phil all the best with his future endeavours. While the Board conducts a search for a new Executive directors in the coming period, we are fortunate that former Executive Director Randy Atwood has agreed to step in as acting E.D. for the next few months. Randy has been a member of the Society since the 1970s, is a former President of the Society and an RASC Fellow, and has detailed knowledge of the operations of both head office and the Society as a whole.

The Board intends to communicate regularly with the membership about additional decisions that will be taken to place the Society on a more stable financial and operational footing.

Clear Skies, Charles Ennis, President

Skynews is closing

Posted by as News

Vintage editions of Skynews

After nearly three decades, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has announced that SkyNews will be shutting down at the end of February 2023. While it is sad to say goodbye, we are proud of the work that has been published and of the community that supported the magazine for so many years.

Skynews magazine

Update: The article I quoted above no longer appears on the national Skynews website. It appears the national RASC Board is still considering options about Skynews magazine.

As a life member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), I’m sad to see Skynews end. That said, I can reassure my fellow RASC Victoria Centre members that our local Skynews newsletter will continue to be published. It is the RASC National Skynews magazine (using the same name) which will no longer be published due to what appears to be a continuing poor market for speciality glossy publications. RASC tried to keep Skynews afloat and relevant after it was purchased from the previous publisher Terry Dickinson, but in recent years the magazine proved to be too much of a drain on the finances at the national level. The RASC National Board consulted with RASC Centre executive over the last few weeks, but in the end, this difficult decision had to be made.

Skynews provided a good balance of interesting articles, observing hints and tips, some cosmology, astronomy and space news, and a forum for night sky photography and gear reviews. Skynews was a less-intimidating entry point to astronomical subjects for beginning enthusiasts, and being focused on Canadian astronomy, it highlighted how to pursue our hobby from northern latitudes.

Skynews on Youtube
Skynews on Youtube

Skynews also provided an opportunity for RASC to reach out to people interested in astronomy who were not members. RASC Victoria Centre used the magazine at public events such as Astronomy Day to promote interest in astronomy to the wider community.

I hope some of the contributors to Skynews will find opportunities to continue to write about Canadian amateur astronomy, observing the night sky, and issues that affect us as astronomers. It would be great to see the skynews.ca Domain name be retained by RASC for the promotion of amateur astronomy in Canada. Perhaps the website could be used to encourage up-and-coming Canadian journalists who have an interest in astronomy and space. The Skynews Youtube channel is also a valuable asset worth nurturing and keeping up-to-date, but some resources from RASC will obviously be needed.

Joe Carr, Webmaster

SkyNews - March/April 2023
SkyNews – March/April 2023

March 2, 2023 – I received my last issue of SkyNews magazine today, a week after posting my thoughts (above) about the loss and the possibilities going forward. It’s sad to read about Carina’s new column planned for astrophotographers, Phil Groff’s wish to finally be free of the pandemic restrictions to fulfill his plan to visit RASC members across the country, Nathan’s 2023 Galactic Travel Guide, and other articles giving observing hints and targets for the coming months under Spring skies. So much optimism that now goes up in smoke since SkyNews will no longer be there to help those of us who are amateur astronomers in Canada to pursue our passion.

Thanks go to all the current and past contributors to SkyNews, who made this publication come alive, and also thanks to the advertisers who supported the magazine. Finally, thanks to RASC National for owning and operating the magazine over the last few years.

Astronomy Cafe – Feb 13, 2023

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

A Special General Meeting (SGM) was held before Astronomy Cafe commenced. After the SGM concluded, members heard a guest speaker and reports.

A Brief History of Galaxies: from the discovery of island universes to a clash of the Titans – Dr. Sara Ellison, UVic Astronomy professor

  • Our own Milky Way and other galaxies showing light and dust features
  • Deep field taken by JWST
    • FOV: a grain of sand held at arm’s length
    • thousands of galaxies in the image
  • History
    • Charles Messier – a 17th century comet hunter who listed 110 objects that are notcomets
    • Lord Ross used the 1.8m Leviathan telescope to sketch spiral galaxies
    • Shapely-Curtis debate in 1920 about the nature of nebulae
    • The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars: Sobel, Dava: 9780143111344: Books – Amazon.ca
    • Henrietta Leavitt discovered the Type 1 Cepheid Variables, correlation between the brightness and variations in the luminosity
    • Leavitt’s discovery used by Edwin Hubble, who in 1923 settled the Shapely-Curtis debate. The Hubble Law related distance to velocity (red shift), the start of cosmology as we now know it.
    • Hubble Tuning Fork classifications of galaxies
    • Halton Arp studied Peculiar Galaxies – guide: arpgalaxy.com
  • Early modelling of interacting galaxies
  • Video – current modelling of interacting galaxies
  • Toomre Sequence – showing different morphologies
  • Galaxies cluster in groups, which is how they grow mass
  • Stellar streams in the Triangulum Galaxy – research at Herzberg
  • Tidal streams in the Milky Way are remnants of small galaxies that have interacted in the past
  • How a galaxy merger transforms it – simulations predict:
    • Isolated disk
    • Small group
    • Gas funnels to the galaxy centre
    • Black hole accretion
    • Decay
    • Dead Elliptical
  • Sara’s research – Sara Ellison – University of Victoria
  • Q&A

Announcements

  • Council meeting coming up – Tue 28th – AGM planning
  • Awards Nominations and nominees for Council – contact Reg Dunkley pastpres@victoria.rasc.ca
  • AGM will be held online, tentatively on March 13th
  • Social dinner will also be held later – awards
  • SIGs

No Astro Cafe next week. Next Astro Cafe will be held on Feb 27th

Astronomy Cafe – Feb 6, 2023

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Silent Sky at Langham Court Theatre – performances Jan 25 to Feb 11
    • Positive comments from RASC members who attended performances, especially Sara Ellison’s presentation at the end of the Sunday afternoon performance.
    • Full bus from Berwick House attended the Sunday afternoon performance
    • Lots of seats are available for Wed, Thu & Fri upcoming performances
    • History of the production by Jim Hesser
  • Welcome from Jeff Pivnick
  • Beginners’ SIG – tomorrow evening – David Lee
  • Special General Meeting – Feb 13, 2023 – Randy Enkin
    • Need to adopt new bylaws for Victoria Centre
    • Presentation: A Brief History of Galaxies… – Sara Ellison
  • Black Holes
    • How can a black hole conserve angular momentum? – Randy Enkin
      • Conservation of angular momentum examples
        • Solar system
        • Earth-Moon system
      • Black Holes – 1915 Albert Einstein, 1916 Karl Schwarzchild (point singularity), 1963 Roy Kerr (ringularity)
    • What really happens at the black hole singularity? – John McDonald
      • Black Holes can be explained somewhat by Gravity (very large things) and Quantum Theory (very small things)
      • What happens to information that falls into a Black hole? We don’t know.
      • Black Holes are not likely a singularity, so it’s unknown what form they actually take
      • Entropy – measure of the disorder of things
  • Uranus – Jeff Pivnick
    • Relative distances of planets in solar system
    • Distance from the Sun to Saturn is about the same as the distance from Saturn to Uranus
    • Photos of Uranus taken by John McDonald and Lucky Budd – Zenfolio | RASC Victoria Centre | Search
    • William Herschel, an astronomer, reflecting telescope maker, musician and composer
      • Discovered Uranus on March 13, 1781
      • Discovered infrared light
      • Caroline Herschel – first professional astronomer (paid by the king)
      • NGC list was first compiled by the Herschels
  • Horizons – Dorothy Paul
    • Observed from the White Mountains of California in October 2022
    • Camped for 10 days with 7 days of good observing skies
    • SQM at least 21.8, with good transparency and stability
    • Dorothy and Miles observed the southern sky from 38.5º north, observing the Grus constellation at -50º altitude!
    • Observed stars right down to the True Horizon at -51.5º
    • Discussion of the term Astronomical Horizon
  • Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) photos – Dave Payne
    • Globular Cluster discovered by Caroline Herschel
    • Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on Jan 28th
    • Diatomic carbon causes the green colour in many comets, including this one
  • RASC Victoria AGM tentatively to be held on March 13, predicated on the new bylaws being passed.

Astronomy Cafe – Jan 30, 2023

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of the meeting

  • Special General Meeting – Feb 13, 2023
    • Adopting amendments to the Centre’s Purposes (under our Constitution) and Bylaws for RASC Victoria Centre – requires a 2/3 vote by members
    • This meeting will be held at the start of Astro Cafe that evening
    • Quorum is 25 members
    • Proxies to exercise your vote can be given to another RASC Victoria member who will be attending
    • After the business meeting: Sara Ellison, Astronomy Professor at the University of Victoria, will present A brief history of galaxies: from the discovery of island universes to clash of the titans.
  • Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF – Dave Payne
    • Reviewed data acquisition and processing methodology
    • 8 second and 2 minute exposures over two nights used
    • Preliminary results, including video showing the comet’s motion through the sky
    • Members’ comet observing stories
  • Angular Momentum – Marie Welchframe
    • APOD image from a couple of days ago used the term “angular momentum”, so Marjie looked it up
    • Video explaining angular momentum for kids – law of physics
    • Group discussion: what happens to angular momentum when….
  • FDAO Astro Jeopardy – Lauri Roche
    • James, Ben & Dan were the contestants last Saturday evening
    • One unanswered question: /Which planet has the most moons?/ Unanswered so far. Saturn (83) or Jupiter (80) according to NASA.
  • Astronomy in Victoria – John McDonald
    • A presentation to Berwick House residents
    • Reviewed Plaskett’s work, DAO imaging exoplanets, forming stars
    • RASC out reach and in reach
    • Silent Sky at Langham Court Theatre – Play at Langham Court about Henrietta Leavitt
    • Laurie and Calvin presented four times in the past at Berwick a few years ago
    • Discussion of Christian Marois’ discovery of the first imaged exoplanet
  • Virtual presentations from RASC National – Lauri Roche
  • RASC Victoria Centre Picnic at Pearson College – Bill Weir
    • Late August would be best
  • AAS conference in Seattle – Chris Gainor
  • RASC Victoria AGM tentatively to be held on March 13