Being asked to step into the role of President for the RASC has put me into a reflective mood. Future versions of this column will likely feature ruminences on what the RASC means to new members, the incredible contributions the society has made to the community over the last 111 years, and the wonderful friendships we all benefit from being in a group of like-minded individuals.
Today, I’m going to focus on something unique to RASC Victoria, which is the opportunity to request a handful of nights on the 1.8 meter Plaskett telescope each year. These are of course graciously considered against other pressing scientific programs conducted at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO),
but are offered for two purposes: to recognize the contributions of RASC Victoria members to public outreach that takes place at the observatory, and to produce images that we can share during that public outreach and programming to capture the minds of a new generation of astronomers.
When I joined the RASC in my second year of university, with a head full of new questions from the latest astronomy course I was taking, I never imagined the result would be operating the historical telescope that seems to be visible from every north-looking angle in Victoria. Being able to share the wonder (and challenges) of that experience with RASC members and the public has been one of my deep joys of being a member of this group.
On a more fundamental level, the history of our centre and the history of the observatory are deeply intertwined. It’s difficult to separate the existence of the Victoria RASC from the creation of the DAO as an earlier attempt for a society initially failed, and was only sustained when a renewed effort coincided with the
announcement of the DAO. No other centre in Canada at the time was able to survive without the support of a local university. While Victoria College, a then affiliate of the University of British Columbia, would come along shortly, it was the presence of the DAO that allowed our centre to flourish. A century later and I strongly feel that is still the case, which makes the moments that we can share in using the telescope so meaningful.
We have opportunities this spring (next one March 29) to once again use the telescope to capture images and share them with the public. If it is clear, I hope RASC members will brew some coffee, pack a midnight snack, suffer some questionably comfortable chairs and be a part of this wonderful experience.