Astronomy Cafe – Mar 18, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Edmonton RASC’s BNLO Black Nugget Lake Observatory Unyk-Drew 32″ Telescope – Alister Ling
    • 32″ 0.8m folded f/4 128″ focal length Newtonian Alt/Az
    • Donation from Bob Drew, built by Roman Unyk, and funds from Alberta gamblers
    • East of Edmonton, fairly dark site, about 1-hour drive from the city
    • County land and camping, surrounded by farm land
    • Visual use only for public and member events
    • 3 observers at a time inside the dome
    • Observations
      • Crescent Nebula NGC 6888 – sketch by Berta Beltran
      • Einstein’s Cross – 17th Magnitude, gravitationally lensed quasar
      • Veil Nebula – amazing detail
      • M36 Pleiades cluster – FOV is too narrow to appreciate star clusters
      • Pease 1 planetary nebula in M15 globular cluster – star hopping required
      • NGC 40 – planetary nebulae are ideal for this telescope – colour apparent
      • M76 Little Dumbbell – lots of detail
      • M1 Crab Nebula – OIII filter reveals detail
      • Planets – not great targets for this telescope, but moons of Uranus: Umbriel, Titania & Ariel can be detected
      • NGC 891 – edge-on galaxy – irregular dark lane is obvious
      • Stephan’s Quintet – not an exciting object, so perhaps airglow and/or aurora degradation
      • M33 – good detail
      • NGC 206 Andromeda starcloud
      • M31 Andromeda Galaxy – core – scotopic & photopic vision – green colour visible
      • Colour of the core of the Orion Nebula – Hydrogen a, b, g, d – green colour visible
    • Comments from Bob Drew
  • Astrophotographs and Sketches
    • Observing from Victoria Centre Observatory – Randy Enkin
      • Photos of Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks using 12″ Dob and 20″ Obsession with new tracker
      • Moon sketch using 20″ Obsession
    • Mike Nash’s lunar photo compared with Randy Enkin’s sketch – both from their homes
    • Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks
      • Mar 18, 2024 APOD – red spiral core of the comet featured
      • Dan Posey’s photo of the comet and beautiful tail
  • Leap Year 2024 – Jeff Pivnick
    • Common Year, Solar Year and Sidereal Year
    • Leap Years started with Julian calendar
    • Gregorian calendar – more accurate compensation to define leap years
    • Accuracy of calendars adjusting for leap years
  • Events – David Lee, Randy Enkin, Lauri Roche
    • Makers SIG cancelled for this month
    • Next week’s Astro Cafe – presenter Kali Salmas, Operating the MMT Telescope in Arizona
    • FDAO Star Party – March 23 starting at 6:30PM

Astronomy Cafe – Mar 11, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Astrophotography – Dave Payne
    • Orion Nebula, M78 – reflection, emission and dark nebulae
    • Triangulum Galaxy M33
    • Monoceros (next to Orion) – Fox Fur Nebula
  • Barbara Lane 1955-2024
    • Memories of Barbara shared by Randy Enkin and other members
    • Hosted Astronomy Cafe along with her husband Kurt
    • Awarded a Certificate of Appreciation in 2022 for her contributions to Victoria Centre
    • Past Secretary of Victoria Centre, creating wonderful annual reports
    • Kurt and Barbara were a team, volunteering at public outreach events
  • New Crescent Moon of Ramadan 1445 – Randy Enkin
    • Muslim months start at the first glimpse of the New Crescent Moon – beginning of Ramadan
    • Observing a very new Crescent Moon is tricky!
  • They Promised Her the Moon – Dennis F
    • A local play by St. Luke’s Players
    • Originally, women were being tested for the Mercury Program
    • Chris Gainor added to the history of women in space
  • Chris Gainor
    • Canada Post 2024 Eclipse stamp – available this Thursday from your local post office
    • Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks – brightening as it falls apart. It might be visible during Totality on Total Solar Eclipse day.
  • Discord for RASC Victoria – Darren Delorme
    • Private chat room with channels and discussion threads for specific topics
    • Useful as an alternative to email
    • Post information of interest to everyone
    • Join the RASC-Victoria Discord Server!
  • UVic presentation this Wednesday at 7:30PM – Reg Dunkley
  • Volunteers needed
    • Astronomy Cafe – Randy Enkin email
    • Astronomy Day – Lauri Roche email
    • Victoria Centre’s Volunteers List – Marjie Welchframe email

Astronomy Cafe – Mar 5, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Transcript video of the meeting

  • 2024 Total Solar Eclipse (TSE) Information and Discussion
    • Randy Enkin
      • Observing the 2024 TSE from Montreal, Quebec
      • Review of the cosmic geometry for a solar eclipse
      • Track of Totality
      • Totality versus partial eclipse
      • How long have you been in the shadow?– list of top eclipse chasers
    • Joe Carr – 4 TSEs
    • Mike Webb – 8 TSEs
      • Totality flies by quickly, so relax and experience it
    • David Lee – 2107 in Oregon
      • Be sure to practice with your observing and photography gear ahead of time
    • Leslie Welch – 9 TSEs
      • Be sure to visually observe and experience the whole eclipse
    • Neil Banera – 2 TSEs
      • Luckily the cloud parted during Totality when observing from Austria
    • Lauri Roche – 2 TSEs
      • Observing the 2024 TSE from St. Catherines, Ontario
      • Solar Eclipse glasses available from the Centre of the Universe – about 100 left – email
      • DiscoverTheUniverse.ca – best Eclipse 2024 resource for teachers and students
      • Eclipse 2024 – RASC National listing of TSE events (scroll down)
      • 2024 Eclipse Ontario Education Bundle – comprehensive eclipse information for teachers and students
    • Reg Dunkley
      • Look at this forecast site starting two days before eclipse day – Astronomical Cloud Cover – refer to Eastern United States – 12 UTC
      • Video of 2017 TSE from Western Oregon University’s observing field
    • Leah & Cathy – observing 2024 TSE from Niagara-On-The-Lake
  • SIGs – David Lee
  • Chris Gainor
    • 2017 TSE from Madras Oregon
    • Observing the 2024 TSE from Ontario, near the USA border
    • Lauri Roche – CHEK News profile – Inspiring Island Women
    • RASC Victoria Centre Council Meeting on Thursday evening
  • Astrophotography – Matt Neild – Bubble Nebula
  • UVic Monthly meeting – Reg Dunkley
  • RASC Victoria Social Dinner – Lauri Roche
    • Over 60 attended last Monday, Feb 26th
    • Many new people
    • Thanks to all the organizers – a fun evening!

Galaxies at the Dawn of Time with JWST – Dr. Leonardo Ferreira, UVic Postdoc

Posted by as UVic Meetings

Date/Time: Wednesday March 13, 2024 starting at 7:30PM

Location: University of Victoria, Bob Wright Centre, Lecture Theatre A104. Park in Lot 1 (pay parking) and cross Ring Road.

JWST First Deep Field Image: Galaxy Cluster SMACS 0723
JWST First Deep Field Image: Galaxy Cluster SMACS 0723

The new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) brought upon us a golden era for the study of distant galaxies. For the first time, we are capable of seeing the visible light of galaxies during the first billion years of the Universe. Understanding their shapes and forms, and how they changed since this epoch, reveals not only how they formed and evolved, but how our own Universe evolved as well.

This talk will highlight groundbreaking discoveries made with JWST and illustrate how they alter our understanding of the cosmos compared to the pre-JWST era. We will also address misconceptions that have arisen in the mainstream media regarding these new insights into cosmology and how our concept of galaxies has evolved dramatically since 1920.

Biography: Leonardo Ferreira was born in Brazil and pursued an undergraduate degree and master’s degree in physics at the Federal University of Rio Grande, where he first began his work on the morphology of galaxies. He then moved to the UK for his PhD studies in Astronomy, focusing on how galaxies evolved across cosmic time. In 2023, Leonardo joined the University of Victoria as a Postdoctoral Fellow, working within Prof. Sara Ellison’s group on the topics of galaxy evolution through merging interactions. Leonardo has led pioneering studies on the morphology of distant galaxies using JWST and remains actively involved in this research area.

2024 AGM – Awards

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Certificates of Recognition and Excellence for 2023

Congratulations to all the award winners who were announced at the RASC Victoria Centre Annual General Meeting held Feb 12, 2025!

Chris Purse – Certificate of Appreciation – Since the outbreak of the Covid Pandemic in 2020, Chris helped implement Astro Cafe Zoom sessions and has scheduled, hosted and coordinated these meetings. This contribution ensured that the Victoria Centre remained active and connected during a challenging interlude and has emerged as a preferred way for many to attend sessions.

David Payne  – Certificate of Appreciation – FOR organizing, coordinating, and executing a very successful 2023 Island Star Party at Bright Angel Park. Dave navigated bureaucratic hurdles and logistical challenges along the way. As a result, the many who attended will fondly remember this special event.

David Lee – Token of Appreciation – the Victoria Centre “renaissance Man” – in recognition of his many and wonderful contributions.

Lauri Roche – Token of Appreciation – the Victoria Centre “Energizer Bunny” – in recognition of her many and wonderful contributions.

Award of Excellence in Astro-Imaging – TO Ken McGill FOR his black and white image of the Horsehead Nebula and Neighbourhood.

Award of Excellence in Astro-Sketching – TO Bill Weir FOR his Comet C/2022 E3(ZTG) sketched on Feb 15, 2023 Using a Televue NP101 Refractor at 90x.

Installing gear on the 16″ Obsession – Miles analyzing the next step

RASC National Ken Chilton Prize in recognition of a significant piece of astronomical work carried out or published recently – TO Chris Gainor. His book Not Yet Imagined, documents the history of the Hubble Space Telescope. Citation

Ernie Pfannenschmidt Award for Telescope Making – TO Miles Waite FOR many improvements to the VCO 20 Inch Obsession Telescope including attaching digital setting circles and designing bumpers to safeguard these delicate sensors, as well as devising a customized system to stabilize the platform.

Newton-Ball For Distinguished Service to the Victoria Centre RASC – TO Alex Schmid – Alex has been an active member of the Victoria Centre for over 30 years. Accompanied by his iconic handmade Newtonian telescope, Alex has been introducing treasures of the night sky to the Public at DAO Star Parties for decades. His custom crafted tray at the VCO allows eyepieces (to be) safely stowed and readily available. As the Victoria Centre librarian he also prepares coffee, cookies, and wonderful cakes for monthly meetings at UVic. Alex also provides technical support at the Astro Cafe and serves as a Director at Large on Council. The Victoria Centre is very appreciative for the many contributions Alex has made over the years.

2023 AGM Slide Deck – RASC Victoria Centre

Astronomy Cafe – Feb 5, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Intro – Jeff Pivnick
  • EnceladusAPOD Feb 5, 2023 – Jeff Pivnick
    • Smaller moon of Saturn discovered by William Herschel
    • The Great Forty 48″ reflector in Slough near Windsor – Herschel’s telescope
    • Cassini Mission
      • Discoveries: magnetic field disruptions, jets of water from “tiger stripe” fissures, wobbly orbital period caused by loose crust
      • 2:1 resonance with Dione results in elliptical orbit and interior heating of the ocean below the crust
      • Cassini division in Saturn’s rings – named for Gian Domenico Cassini, discoverer
      • Mimas 1:2 resonance with Cassini division
    • Diameter 504 kms, 14% liquid water
    • Discussion
  • Randy Enkin
  • Annual General Meeting – RASC Victoria Centre – Randy Enkin
    • Feb 12 7:00PM – Zoom meeting – info and special link to be sent to members
    • Victoria Centre’s Annual Report – contact Randy Enkin with your report president@victoria.rasc.ca
    • Financial Report
    • Election – Reg Dunkley
      • Chris Gainor has agreed to stand for President
      • We now have a full slate, but further nominations will be sought at the AGM
      • New Council will be seeking involvement from members for volunteering
      • We need a quorum of 25 members. If you cannot attend, contact Randy president@victoria.rasc.ca (or another member attending) to be your proxy for voting purposes.
  • Social Dinner – RASC Victoria Centre – Four Mile Pub – Feb 26th
    • Large parking lot, but please carpool if possible
    • Sound system with microphone and speaker will be used for speakers
    • Attendees please contact Marjie to RSVP by Feb 21st
  • SIGs – David Lee david@victoria.rasc.ca
    • Beginners SIG – tomorrow night’s presentation by Randy Enkin on observing the Moon
    • Citizen Science SIG cancelled
    • Astrophotography SIG – 4th Wednesday – hosted by Brock
  • Astronomy Books – David Lee
    • Observer’s Sky Atlas – Erich Karkoschka
    • 21st Century Atlas of the Moon – Charles Wood, Maurice Collins
  • Astronomy Cafe – March 4th
  • Scitech Daily
    • Perseverance Mars Lander – sedimentary layers discovered by ground penetrating radar and samples taken
    • Ingenuity helicopter has crashed

Next Astro Cafe – March 4th – none for the rest of February

Astronomy Cafe – Jan 29, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Meeting transcript video

  • Intro – Randy Enkin
  • FDAO Star Party – Jan 27 – Randy Enkin
    • Games Night – Jeopardy – was a lot of fun
      • Teams: FDAO, RASC (Nathan, Randy, Chris Gainor)
      • Emcee: Amy
  • 2024 Total Solar Eclipse – Randy Enkin
    • 15% obscuration in Victoria
    • Observe first, photograph next
    • Eye safety – contact Lauri or Randy to pick up some eclipse glasses
    • RASC Eclipse Task Force – Lauri
      • Southern Ontario – mid-afternoon, school kids are being let out early
      • Maritimes – late afternoon, after school
      • Education of teachers in eastern Canada
    • Early March – next eclipse presentation at Astro Cafe
    • Total Solar Eclipse – April 8, 2024 | RASC Victoria
  • Victoria Centre Events – Randy Enkin
    • AGM – Feb 12th
      • Zoom only
      • Quorum of 25 needed
      • Financial Report
      • Election – slate in place except for President – contact Reg Dunkley
    • Social Dinner – Feb 26 at ~ Four Mile Brewpub
      • 22 people registered
      • Contact Marjie to sign up by Wed, Feb 21
      • 55 attendees allows exclusive use of the restaurant, so please sign up!
      • Starts at 6PM
      • Drinks and meals at own expense
      • Awards and speeches
      • Victoria Centre report of activities for 2023 – send info to Randy
    • Astronomy Day – May 18
      • Venue is the Royal BC Museum
      • Need a working committee
    • Island Star Party
      • New Moon weekend is Aug 2-4, but Aug 5 is BC Day so that is a holiday weekend
      • Following weekend to New Moon – Crescent Moon & Perseids – Aug 9-11
      • CVRD has decided no camping and no events outside of park hours, so a new venue probably needed
  • Space Missions
    • Japanese Lunar Mission – now active, despite being on its side
    • Helicopter on Mars has crashed, so that mission is over
  • Good Lighting in Metchosin – Bill Weir
    • Bill had success with controlling streetlights with full cutoff fixtures
    • Ted White is pursuing International Dark Sky certification for municipality
    • Patrick Earl and Dave Robinson will assist
  • Zoozbe “moon” of Venus – Bill Weir
    • Radio Lab podcast
    • Zoozbe is actually an asteroid!

Next Astro Cafe – Feb 5th, then none for the rest of the month. Monday, March 4th will be the next Astro Cafe after Feb 5th.

Astronomy Cafe – Jan 22, 2024

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Video transcipt of meeting

  • Intro – Jim Cliffe
  • Space Telescopes – Chris Gainor
    • How Long Will Hubble Last? – Sky & Telescope article
    • US Postal Service issued two stamps with images from JWST – $30.45 and $9.85 for their express service
  • David Lee
    • Inside the Star Factory – book profiling JWST by Chris Gunn (photography) & Christopher Wanjek
    • Makers SIG – meeting online this Thursday
      • Citizen Science – transitioning from analog to digital recording for occultations – IOTA
      • Imaging computing platforms – including Astroberry
    • Astrophotography SIG – meeting online this Wednesday – Dave Payne
      • Camera settings
      • Photo showcase
      • Q&A
  • Canadian stamp for the Total Solar Eclipse – Lauri Roche
    • March 14th issue day
  • Eclipse viewing glasses – Lauri Roche
  • Astrophotos
    • Dave Payneonline gallery
      • Flying Dragon Nebula – molecular cloud in Cygnus – taken last summer
      • Medusa by Garvacchio
      • Medusa Planetary Nebula in Gemini – RGB and narrowband taken earlier this month
    • Brock Johnstononline gallery
      • Christmas Tree and Fox Fur Nebula
      • Network Nebula – part of the Veil Nebula
      • Crab Nebula
    • Astrophoto Processing – discussion by Ken McGill, David Lee, Brock Johnston, Jim Cliffe
  • Astronomy Information Sources – Susan Grady posed the question to the group
  • Panic! Early results regarding the morphological and structural properties of galaxies seen with the James Webb Space Telescope – UVic, Wed, March 13 – Dr. Leonardo Ferreira, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physics & Astronomy
  • Young people’s astronomy club? – question by Garry Sedun
    • Some High schools and Middle schools offer astronomy groups
    • Discussion about how to reach out to younger people
    • Youth under 18 need family member who is also a member if VCO visit is desired – Chris Purse
    • Using smartphones on a telescope for imaging – simple mounting platforms work well
  • FDAO – Lauri Roche – roche.lauri@gmail.com
    • Games Night at this Saturday’s Star Party – 6:30-10PM – NRC, FDAO & RASC teams
    • FDAO Strategic Planning coming up
  • Victoria Centre – upcoming events– Reg Dunkley & Lauri Roche
    • AGM – Feb12 7:00PM – online zoom to all members
      • Election
      • Financial Report
      • Awards announcements
    • Social Evening – Four Mile Pub – Feb 28th – sign up with Ken Atkinson secretary@victoria.rasc.ca
      • Socialize with your fellow astronomers and friends over some good food and drink
  • Lunar and Mars Missions – group discussion

Astronomy Cafe – Jan 15, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Intro – Brock Johnston
  • DAO Virtual RealityLight Wave ObserVR – Darren Delorme
    • Photogrammetric capture using Drone Deploy to create a point cloud of the outside of the observatory site
    • Modelled the telescope and mount inside using Blender from smart phone imagery and archival images
    • Working on windows, dome shutters, viewing platform, surrounding buildings and terrain
    • Unity – star catalog data – currently using 100,000 stars
    • VR headsets and hand motion tracking
    • VR tour starts at Elk Lake built on Lidar data
    • Multi-user experience/star party (up to 64 people), rooms, Meta platform launch
    • Inspired by Loki on Disney+
    • Next step is to create the stories and lessons
    • Perhaps add John Plaskett as a tour guide
    • Discussion of next steps, project milestones, first use, terms of use
  • Games night at FDAO Star Party – Jan 27th
  • The Colours of Uranus and Neptune – Randy Enkin
    • Are the two planets the same colour?
    • Uranus discovered by Herschel in 1781
    • Neptune discovered by several people in 1821, 1845 and 1846
    • Voyager 2 space probe has visited both planets in 1986 and 1989
    • Modelling the seasonal cycle of Uranus’s colour and magnitude, and comparison with Neptune – Patrick G. J. Irwin et al
    • Members relate their observations of Neptune and Uranus
    • Chris Gainor reminisced about being at JPL as a press reporter for the planetary encounters by Voyager 2. Both Hubble and JWST now observe the two planets regularly
  • David Lee david@victoria.rasc.ca
    • Occultations – citizen science
      • NEO
      • Int’l Occultation Timing Assoc – occultations.org
      • New DIY kits available
    • Makers SIG – Jan 25th
      • Imaging computing platforms – convergence and DIY solutions
  • FDAO – Lauri Roche roche.lauri@gmail.com
    • Star Party on Jan 27th
    • Strategic Planning for FDAO coming up
    • Send suggestions for new activities for the FDAO
  • RASC Victoria Centre Events – Lauri Roche & Reg Dunkley
  • Herschel Museum  – Reg Dunkley
    • Near Paddington Station, London, UK
    • Treadle lathe, mirror grinding, forge for mirrors
    • Catalog of stars
    • Site of discovery of Uranus in the garden
    • Musical instruments

Astronomy Cafe – Jan 8, 2024

Posted by as Astro Cafe

Video transcript of meeting

  • Intro – Jeff Pivnick
  • Galileo – Jeff Pivnic
    • Today is the 382nd anniversary of his death in Florence in 1642
    • Taught at Universities of Pisa and Padua
    • Patron of the Medici family
    • Conducted experiments
    • Developed first telescopes based on Lippershey optics
    • Observed the Moon, Venus, Jupiter & 4 moons, Saturn, stars, Sun
    • Sidereal Messenger (1610) documenting his discoveries
    • Planetary motion theories
      • Ptolomaic model – Aristotle, Ptolemy, Aristarchus, Copernicus, Catholic Church
      • Heliocentric model – Galileo, Kepler and Copernicus
    • In 1630 published “The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems”
    • Inquisition in 1633  found Galileo a heretic – put under house arrest
    • Review of his contributions to science
  • APOD for Dec 26, 2023 – Jellyfish Nebula photo by Dave Payne
    • Explanation of the formation of the nebula and the resulting structure
    • Composition and appearance based on materials
    • Stellar Supernova resulting in a Neutron star
    • Well-deserved recognition!
  • Astrophotos – Dave Payne
  • Ravensberger puzzle of the solar system – Randy Enkin
    • Planets and moons
    • From Lee Valley – now sold out
    • Fun to put together with numbered pieces in separate bags
  • Victoria Centre Awards – Reg Dunkley
  • Revealing the Invisible Universe with Radio Telescopes – Dr. Jennifer West, NRC – presentation at UVic – Wed Jan 10, 2024 at 7:30pm
  • AGM – Feb
  • Lauri Roche
    • Victoria Centre social at Four Mile Pub – Feb 26th
    • Astronomy Day – May 18, 2024 Royal BC Museum
      • Need a team to form soon to take leads in the volunteer tasks
      • ⁃ Contact Lauri for more info roche.lauri@gmail.com
    • Games night at the FDAO Star Party – Jan 27 6:30-10PM