Intro; New Members; Summer Astro Events; UVic Meeting ; The Green Flash; Astrophotos; Astro Cafe; Skynews.
Astronomy Cafe – Sep 8, 2025
President’s Message – September 2025
Happy September RASC members, and welcome back from what I hope was a wonderful summer of clear skies and observing! While our individual pursuits may be important, many of the most important annual milestones for our society have taken place
Presentation: How Friction Creates a Galaxy’s Spirals – David Payne
Date/Time: Wednesday September 10, 2025 starting at 7:30PM Location: University of Victoria, Bob Wright Centre, Lecture Theatre A104. The recent discoveries by JWST et al regarding the early, quick formation of galaxies are leading scientists to question the status quo mechanisms of galaxy creation. In this talk, a scientist-from-another-mother brings a multidisciplinary approach to this question that incorporates dissipative (friction) forces, thermodynamics. free body mechanics, and even chemistry to the non-linear dynamics involved.
RASC Victoria at the 2025 Saanich Fair
A message from Lauri Roche to our volunteers. I am so grateful to all the volunteers who attended the Saanich Fair this year and helped out the RASC in our biggest outreach of the year for our Centre. Thanks go
September 2025 Astro-Events
A list of astronomical events both celestial and here on Earth for September 2025.
2025 Island Star Party
Friday, August 22, 2025 (starting at 2PM) to Sunday, August 24, 2025 (ending at Noon) Location: The public is invited to this year’s Island Star Party, which will take place under dark skies on the grounds of St. Stephen’s Anglican
Northern Star – Documentary
The history of astronomy in Canada and Victoria in particular is the subject of a documentary series that will appear on CHEK television on June 13 and 20, 2025.
The two-part documentary, Northern Star, tells the story of John S. Plaskett, the Ontario farm boy who grew up to become the founding father of astrophysics in Canada. Plaskett spearheaded the construction of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) just north of Victoria that is equipped with a giant telescope that was for a few months in 1918 the largest operating telescope on Earth.
Astronomy Cafe – May 26, 2025
Science Fair Poster: It IS Rocket Science – Linnaia Myhre; Northern Star – J.S. Plaskett – an upcoming documentary by Nick Versteeg; Astrophotographs – Dave Payne; Astronomy Events happening; 2-year anniversary of Supernova 2023ixf – Randy Enkin.
Presentation: Galaxy Clusters and Galaxy Formation in the Early Universe – Bryn Lonsbrough
Date/Time: Wednesday May 14, 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 The evolution of early universe galaxies is influenced by the environment they live in. The
Astronomy Cafe – May 12, 2025
Decommissioning GAIA – Randy Enkin; Hack: 1″ to 1.25″ Plumbing Adapter for eyepieces – Jim Cox; International Day of Light – May 16th – Natasha Van Bentum; Northern Star – J.S. Plaskett – upcoming documentary; Astronomical Compass Demonstration – CJ Sandoz; Time and Space musical performance – Jim Hesser; Astronomy Events – David Lee, Lauri Roche, Randy Enkin