Astronomy Cafe – Dec 19, 2022

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Artemisthe film – Nathan Hellner-Mestelman
  • RASC Robotic Telescope – David Lee
    • Science Team will be observing variable stars
    • Education – classroom outreach
    • Buying time on the scope or the datasets is available for members
  • Mars – Brock Johnston, Bill Weir & David Lee
    • Dec 15th – Brock’s photo and Bill’s sketch
    • Occultation of Mars by the Moon
    • Bill is observing Mars monthly
  • Rimouski observing conditions – Michel Michaud
    • Observatory equipment is working well
    • Waiting for better conditions when colder weather arrives
  • Buy & Sell review – items for sale on Victoria Centre’s website – Joe Carr
  • Astrophotography SIG – Dec 28th – Dave Payne
  • Discussion
    • A deep field taken by James Webb Space Telescope – 9 days, 100,000 galaxies
    • GAIA dataset
    • Speakers for next year?
  • The Human Cosmos, Civilization and the Stars by Jo Marchant – at Munro’s Books for $10 – Mary Anne Gervais loves this book – Author’s website
  • Apodizing Mask – used to observe the bright planets – Bill Weir
    • Boosting Performance by Apodization by Ernest Pfannenschmidt (April 2003 JRASC)
    • Old Dec 2003 issue of our SkyNews has Ernie’s obit in it with an image of the refractor. Also there’s an image of a Mars map that he did. It inspired me to do the same in 2005 because in my arrogance I thought, Pfffftt, how difficult could that be? Turned out it was. Takes a lot of luck too to get all of the phases.
  • Next meeting – Jan 9, 2022 starting at 7:00PM

Astronomy Cafe – Dec 12, 2022

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Astronomical Society of the Pacific – David Lee’s report from a virtual conference
    • Diversity and citizen science
    • Upcoming solar eclipses
    • OpenStax Astronomy – topics for beginners
    • Mentorship of students, STEM
    • Active Learning
    • NASA Citizen Science
    • Vera Rubin Observatory – public portals to data
    • World Asterisms – RASC Charles Ennis
    • Accessible astronomy for blind people and others
  • Citizen Science SIG/group – contact David Lee
  • “Silent Sky” – a play about Henrietta Leavitt- Langham Court Theatre – Jeff Pivnick
    • Playing Jan 25-Feb 11th, 2023
    • RASC should have telescopes outside – Marjie & Reg
  • Astronomical Images – Real or fiction? – Joe Carr
    • Faked ring detail on Saturn image posted by Jason Guenzel and critical reaction from many on social media
    • Io in True Color from Galileo mission, and a monochrome LORRI image from the New Horizons mission
    • Joe’s 2016 Total Solar Eclipse false colour image processed using HDR, split toning and tone curves
    • Joe’s Prominences on the Sun in Ha using Sobel edge detection filter
    • Dave Payne’s Tadpoles Nebula images in RGB versus a Hubble-like palette using narrowband hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur
    • Ken McGill’s Eastern Veil Nebula images with and without stars
    • John McDonald’s various processing techniques of the Cave Nebula using Dave Payne’s RGBL & Ha, OIII & SI narrowband source image data
    • Lava Flows North on Mauna Loa – Landsat infrared data overlaid on natural colour
    • Landsat NIR, IR and green wavelengths used to depict fine detail in the Columbia Glacier – Prince William Sound, Alaska
    • High Dynamic Range source data and resultant image illustration of process
    • Question to the group: Which astrophotos do you consider fake?
      • Dennis Crabtree’s posts of AI-generated images on Facebook
    • Extra: APOD: An Artful Sky over Lofoten Islands (2022 Dec 13) – Giulio Cobianchi
  • Tributes to Dave Bennett – Randy Enkin
    • Guy Nason was his observing partner
    • Randy visited with Sue and took away Dave’s astronomy gear. Bruce Lane will appraise it.
    • Varsavia occultation – David Lee
    • Dave Bennett Memorial
  • Constitution and Bylaws – Randy Enkin
    • Please read the bylaws as sent out to all members
    • Send any comments to the President and Secretary
    • We will adopt the new bylaws at the Special General Meeting by 2/3 majority
    • Then we will hold our AGM based on the new bylaws (hopefully)
  • Makers’ SIG – happening this week on Thursday – contact David Lee
  • Lunar Occultation of Mars – Brian Barber & David Lee
    • Very tough to photograph from Victoria, and the visual views were spotty
    • Enkin’s Daily Moon is profiling photos of the occultation from around the world on Facebook
  • Artemis I Return – Chris Gainor
    • Splashed down after 26 days in space
    • Entry used a different approach path over the South Pole, landing just offshore from San Diego
    • Announcement of the crew for the next mission is next, including a Canadian astronaut
    • Shorty crater and orange soil in 1972 broadcast from the Moon on Apollo Realtime Playback
    • Bob McDonald’s Frankenstein Rocket presentation

Astronomy Cafe – Dec 5, 2022

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Beginning in Astrophotography – Ron Fisher
    • 2018 Dobsonian telescope for Christmas
    • Joined the Astrophotography SIG when it started up during the pandemic
    • Climbed the “learning curve”
    • Acquired an EQ6 mount, mounted 300mm telephoto lens and a dSLR
    • Learned PixInsight
    • Andromeda (1st photo), Orion Nebula (2nd photo)
    • New gear acquired in April 2022
      • Askar 500mm 90mm apo refractor
      • 50mm Guidemaster scope & guide camer
      • ASI Air Pro powers and controls all the gear
    • M81, M82
    • Pelican Nebula
    • PixInsight used for processing
    • With a focal reducer
      • North American Nebula
      • Elephant Trunk Nebula
      • Soul Nebula
    • Heart and Soul Nebula
    • Ron’s astrophoto gallery
  • Astronomical Holiday Gifts – Randy Enkin
    • Starting in astronomy – David Lee
      • Stars and Planets – Smithsonian handbook
      • RASC Almanac
      • Deep Sky Wonders – Sue French – good for beginners with small scopes or binoculars
      • Binocular Highlights – Garry Seronik
    • History of Hubble – Chris Gainor has a few copies at his house ($25)
    • For sale – used from Randy Enkin’s bookshelf
      • Apollo Murders – Chris Hadfield
      • Silent Spring – Rachael Carson
      • Planets – Dava Sobel
      • The Day the World Discovered the Sun – transects of Venus in the 18th century
  • Edmonton Centre– Alistair Ling
    • Finally staging hybrid meetings – Planetarium at Telus World
    • What’s up in the sky – based on Edmonton’s sky
    • The hybrid meetings have only attracted limited members to attend in-person
    • Observatory at Black Nugget Lake – installing a 32″ telescope – unofficial first light by this summer
      • Visual telescope – looking forward to observing the celestial splendors
      • Designed to be an imaging scope, if needed in future
      • Public access is planned
    • Weekly public outreach at The Science Centre
    • Helping people use their telescopes – by Alistair
    • Have a full slate of officers
  • Occultation of Mars – Randy Enkin
  • Mars photo from yesterday evening – Brock Johnston
  • Observing techniques – discussion
  • SIGs – David Lee email
    • Beginners tomorrow night – magnitude basics
    • Electronically-assisted Astronomy on Thursday, then on request only
    • Citizen Science SIG – coming up in January
    • Aaron Bannister request: astrophotography for school kids
      • Capture brighter objects when weather permits
      • Processing data sets
      • Astrophotographers?
  • Last Astro Cafes for 2022 – Dec 12th, 19th
  • First Astro Cafe of the New Year – Jan 9, 2023 starting at 7:00PM instead of 7:30PM
  • Sunshine Coast Centre – Peter Broughton presentation on J.S. Plaskett – Dec 9 Friday 7PM – Victoria Centre members welcome
  • Winter Solstice Star Party – Dec 17th – Nathan is presenting
  • Status of national Observers Calendars – haven’t arrived yet
  • Artemis I update – Chris Gainor
    • Close pass to the Moon this morning
    • On its way home – Dec 11th arrival
    • Crescent Earthrise photo
  • Watching the final Apollo launch to the Moon – flashback tomorrow night – Chris Gainor
  • David Bennett memories from members – next week