Astronomy Cafe – April 17, 2023

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Video transcript of meeting

  • Regional Science Fair – report by Randy Enkin
    • 3 prizes awarded
    • Measured the period of the pendulum
    • Supernovae red shift analysis – Nathan Mestleman-Keller
    • Double Di-pole Radio Telescope – Io/Jupiter generates – Evan Warburton, Oak Bay High School, Grade 12
    • Distinguished Service Award to Randy
  • Astronomy by Night – new astronomy website hosted by Carina Ockedahl (former editor of Skynews), Chris Vaughn, Charles Ennis, and more contributors
  • JUICE – Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer launch – Randy Enkin
    • ESA launched this mission to Jupiter on Friday
    • Lunar-Earth flyby a year from now
    • Venus and Earth flyby
    • Arrives at Jupiter – July 3031
    • Multiple flybys of Jupiter’s icy moons
    • Orbit Ganymede for 3 years
    • 10 instruments onboard
  • SIGs – David Lee
    • Makers SIG
    • Astrophotography SIG
  • International Astronomy Day – Lauri Roche & David Lee
  • Neutron Stars – The Quest to Understand the Zombies – a book by Katia Moskvitch – review by Ron Fisher
    • Latest research and very interesting story
    • Research in Italy
    • NGC 4993- emitted radio waves and captured visual light from neutron star collision
    • CHIME – fast radio bursts
  • Astrophotos and Sketches
    • Double Transit – John McDonald
      • Planets and shadows visible
      • Moon Shadows on Jupiter – video
    • SkAc1 faint Planetary Nebula – Dave Payne
      • Challenge by Bill Weir
    • Double Transit sketch – Bill Weir
    • Orbital Motion of Venus – Marjie Welchframe
    • Bode & Cigar Galaxies, Horsehead & Flame Nebulae – Ken McGill

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 & TelescopeNASASpaceHack
    • 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)

Astronomy Cafe – June 28, 2021

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Transcript video of the online meeting

  • Photos from Edmonton – Dave Robinson
    • Noctilucent Clouds – Alister Ling, Bruce McCurdy, Tom Owen’s daughter
    • Diffraction corona on setting Sun – Eric Klaszus
    • Bubble Nebula – Tom Owen
  • Impressions of the GA and AGM
    • Another virtual GA for next year – Chris Purse
    • Gather Town
      • a challenge to use by some attendees
      • tablet app was beta – difficult to use – Bill Weir
      • could easily locate or follow people
    • Tours on Monday were excellent
    • Presenters were very good – Reg Dunkley & David Lee
    • A generational transition is happening within RASC – Chris Gainor
      • nextGen committee
      • Invite Karun’s students and Vic High students to get involved in Victoria Centre
    • AGM – Chris Gainor
      • Robyn Foret and Chris Gainor will be retiring next year
      • 3 new board members: Betty Robinson, Malhar Kendurkar, Michael Watson (all 3 year terms)
      • Next GA in 2022 will be mainly virtual
      • 2023 should return to an in-person event
      • 2024 possibly with Astronomical League in Toronto
    • Andrew MacIntosh, a non-member from Victoria won an astrophotography award
  • Trouble with Hubble – Chris Gainor
    • Payload computer problems, but main computer is still alive
    • Goddard staff will very likely fix or workaround the current problem
    • Latest Hubble updates
  • Photos of the Saturn & Jupiter with the Full Moon – Randy Enkin
  • Hot Weather Ending – Reg Dunkley
    • Lee Trough is causing the circulation for the current hot weather in our area
    • Cloud currently offshore from Washington and Oregon will move north over Vancouver Island, which will shut down the hot outflow over us
    • Warm air dome will move eastward