Island Star Party – last weekend in August at Bright Angel Park in southern Cowichan Valley – will be co-sponsored by Cowichan Valley Starfinders, RASC Victoria
Saanich Fair astronomy outreach – need volunteers
Meteor Storm Tonight – May 30, 2022 – Randy Enkin
Debris from Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3, a Jupiter family comet
No observations after 1930, until 1979 again
Period: 6.5 years
In 1995 brightened 400x – Hubble Space Telescope imaged the pieces of the comet
In 2006 Spitzer Space Telescope imaged
2022 apparition could be spectacular
How about observing this apparition? Cloud cover may be a factor.
Star Parties at the DAO/CU – Lauri Roche
June 4 – next star party
Need some volunteers with telescopes
Speaker: White Dwarfs – Simon Blouin
Last Star Party – thanks to Dave Payne and David Lee for working on the Celestrons, Sherry Buttnor operated the 16″, solar telescopes were operating early in the evening.
Centre of the Universe displays – many are disabled due to old age. Needs a refresh, but requires funding. Skilled volunteers would be very welcome.
After visiting our Astronomy Day in Victoria event, please let us know what you thought – survey – thanks!
We host public events with measures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. Please do not come if you are sick or have been recently exposed to someone with COVID-19. We strongly recommend wearing masks while inside buildings with crowds. Wearing masks in public indoor settings is not required by BC public health. Wearing a mask is a personal choice.
Asteroid Hunters – IMAX Theatre (admission applies)
Narrated by Daisy Ridley (Star Wars), Asteroid Hunters ventures into deep space for a fascinating look at asteroids, their cosmic origins and the potential threat they pose to our world.
Written and produced by Phil Groves, produced by Jini Durr and directed by W.D. Hogan, Asteroid Hunters introduces asteroid scientists – the best line of defense between Earth and an asteroid’s destructive path – and reveals the cutting-edge tools and techniques they use to detect and track asteroids, and the technology that may one day protect our planet. The effects of an asteroid impact could be catastrophic and while the current probability of an event in our lifetime is low, the potential consequences make the study of asteroids an incredibly important area of scientific research. Witness the latest in planetary defense and how science, ingenuity and determination combine to explore the world’s most preventable natural disaster.
The party begins at 4 pm PDT on Zoom with a pre-recorded talk and a live Q&A with Canadian Astronaut David Saint-Jacques from the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal! Following the Q&A, at 5 pm PDT, we will start our National Livestream on both Zoom and Youtube, featuring live views of the Moon from across Canada (including Victoria), RASC Member’s moon content, and more! Register here
Reserve Your Tickets (free) – only ticket holders will be admitted to this evening event. (Daytime events at the Museum do not require tickets!)
Plaskett telescope tours
Observing through telescopes
Presentation – 8:30PM & 9:30PM – The Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope – Dr. Chris Gainor
Summary: The stories of the two largest space telescopes: The Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990 and is still operating after 32 years, and the James Webb Space Telescope, which is about to begin operations in space after its launch last December 25.
Biography: Christopher Gainor is a historian of technology specializing in space exploration and aeronautics. He has written four books on the history of space exploration and two on Cold War history. His most recent book is a history of Hubble Space Telescope operations published by NASA. Gainor is editor of Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly. From 2018 to 2020, he was President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and he is a fellow of the British Interplanetary Society. Gainor holds a Ph.D. in the history of technology from the University of Alberta, and has worked as a history instructor at the University of Victoria and the Royal Military College of Canada.
Deborah Lokhost presented to us about the Dragonfly Telephoto Array. She is an Instrument Science Research Associate at the NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre in Victoria, BC. During her PhD in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, she worked with the Dragonfly Telephoto Array to observe and study galaxies. She designed an upgrade to Dragonfly and built a pathfinder telescope based on this design which she then used to study gas in the surroundings of galaxies. She is currently leading the construction of a full-scale upgrade to the telescope which has the ultimate goal of imaging gas in the “cosmic web” of dark matter.
A printed copy of the Hubble history book “Not Yet Imagined: A Study of Hubble Space Telescope Operations” written by Chris Gainor can be requested from NASA by email for no cost. Kindle, ePub and PDF electronic versions are also available for free download.
Locating Endurance– Randy Enkin
Shackleton’s exploration ship Endurance in Antarctica has been located on March 5, 2022
Crew manned a lifeboat from Elephant Island to South Georgia and all crew were eventually rescued
Review of navigation in that era
Refer to: On the Location of Shackleton’s Vessel Endurance by Lars Bergman and Robin G. Stuart, published in the Journal of Navigation: 29 July 2021
Endurance had 24 chronometers!
Chronometers were referenced to occultations that happened along the route at the time
Ship was found 6.4 km south of the original reported position of the sinking
The just-completed National Geographic mission was privately funded – about $20 million
The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester – describes Harrison’s chronometers – Martin Gisborne
Report on construction of new 32″ telescope for Edmonton Centre by Roman – Dave Robinson
Astrophoto of NGC 2264 Cone Nebula in RGB – Brock Johnston
May use narrowband next time to tease out more detail
Hickson 44 group of galaxies – an exceedingly deep field image, but missing NGC 3185
Painting of a tiny Arctic plant by Marjie Welchframe
Fr. Lucien Kemble – Roman Catholic Franciscan priest well-known as a visual observer from Alberta and Saskatchewan. Kemble’s Cascade, chain of stars in the northern sky. Photo by Charles Banville – Bill Weir
Speaker for Mar 21 Astro Cafe: Deborah Lokhorst will be speaking about the Dragonfly Telephoto Array
Comet 19/P Borrelly is passing by the California Nebula (chart) – March 23-27 – Bill Weir
Recent Astrophotos – Dan Posey
From recent Plaskett Photography 12-hour session for RASC Victoria Centre members – Horsehead Nebula, more later (data available from Dan through Astrophotography SIG)
Artemis Mission Launch coming up – Canadian Space Agency is looking for promotion to the public by RASC. April 16th FDAO event is proposed with a speaker from CSA.
GA is online again this year – June 24-27
Virtual observing across the country on two evenings – solar observing from Victoria?
Edmonton Astrophotos – Dave Robinson
Bi-marathons – Messier & running marathon in the same night
Andromeda Galaxy & Ha regions & Cepheid Variable VI – Abdur Anwar
Artemis 2 mission will take humans around the Moon
The Ukraine war will probably affect space launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia. Other space exploration may be affected. Discussion about International Space Station.
Bill Weir
Equatorial Poncet platform for the 20″ Truss Dobsonian built by Guy Walton is now working again
Will be used at the Centre of the Universe for public viewing when restrictions permit events
