Date/Time: Wednesday May 8, 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.
Plaskett with RASC Victoria Centre members grouped around the telescope
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) is fortunate that John Stanley Plaskett arranged to have the construction of the Plaskett telescope photographically documented. There are approximately 150 8” x 10” glass plates that were taken during the construction. I am in the process of scanning these plates at high resolution and then “cleaning” them in Photoshop.
About three years ago, I discovered a collection of negatives and prints that were taken by John Stanley Plaskett during the period from 1910 to 1914. These images were taken in Pasadena, Wakefield Quebec, England, Germany, and Victoria.
I will show a selection of images from both of these important historical collections. There will also be a surprise show and tell.
We are fortunate to have Dennis Crabtree join us to do a presentation about the photographic legacy of Victoria’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) and John Stanley Plaskett. Dennis Crabtree is retired astronomer who worked for the DAO for over 35 years. He is a former Director of the Observatory. During his career he worked for the Canada-France-Telescope, the Gemini Observatory and at the Space Telescope Science Institute. He is the “unofficial’ historian of the DAO.
Some good books by Carlo Rovelli, cosmological physicist
Seven Lessons on physics
White Holes – time reversed version to Black Holes
Books available in local bookshops,online and audio versions
2024 Total Solar Eclipse – Composite photo of a series from partial to Totality
Uplands street lighting – update from Dave Robinson
Met with involved parties in Oak Bay
Will meet further with mayor and engineer to try to head off the poor choices to try to get responsible night lighting when heritage street lights are replaced
Garry Sedun
Lava Lake on Io, moon of Jupiter
Recent Solar Eclipse caused time shifts for satellites
Chandra X-ray space telescope may go dark due to impending budget cuts – 25 years of work done. Save Chandra
David Lane, past president of RASC has died. He was the author of Earth Centred Universe planetarium software, operated a popular robotic telescope from his home in Nova Scotia, and was on staff at St. Mary’s University until his retirement.
There is no Astronomy Cafe on April 1 due to Easter holiday. The April 8 meeting will be online only, since many members will be away to observe the Total Solar Eclipse from the path of Totality.
Usually Victoria Centre Presidents serve two years and then move on to something else. Right now, things are a little different. Randy Enkin has just wrapped up three years as President and shifted to other jobs in the centre, including editing SkyNews.
Chris Gainor on Observatory Hill
When I agreed to return to the Centre President’s job after having served in that position from 2002 to 2004, I reflected on what has changed and not changed since those days when we managed to get by without smartphones and social media. Many members from that time are still active, some have left us, and at least one prominent member of today wasn’t even born yet.
In 2002 I succeeded David Lee as President and two years later handed off to Scott Mair. Scott had come to Victoria in 2001 to open up the Centre of the Universe at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, which during those years operated under the wing of the National Research Council.
Two decades ago, we had our monthly meetings in the basement of the Elliott Building at UVic, but we adjourned to the lounge on the fourth floor for our library, and coffee and cookies, as we still do. Astro Cafes took place at Sandy Barta’s place on Fridays and later in Bruno Quenneville’s basement. Sid Sidhu hosted beginning observers at his home in Highlands, and Bill Almond led astro imaging meetings at his observatory in Colwood.
Our Star Parties took place at the Victoria Fish and Game Association just off the Malahat. Our annual banquets happened in November at the Gorge Vale Golf Club. Astronomy Days took place at the Royal BC Museum. Many Victoria Centre members attended the 2003 RASC General Assembly in Vancouver.
Mars made its closest passage to Earth in our lifetimes in August 2003. We drew big crowds to Cattle Point for viewing the Red Planet that week. Blaire Pellatt brought sidewalk astronomy to the streets of Victoria. We lost Ernie Pffanenschmidt and John Howell in 2003.
Celebrating RASC Victoria Centre’s 90th anniversary in 2004 – George Ball, John Climenhaga and Chris Gainor cut the cake.
Our Centre celebrated its 90th birthday in 2004 with a cake that was cut by myself and two Honorary Presidents who have since left us, George Ball and Prof. John Climenhaga. A big centre project that year was relocating George’s telescope dome and his equipment. Our Centre website had migrated the year before to a private ISP after having been hosted on the Victoria Freenet. Joe Carr succeeded David Lee as Webmaster.
In those years, the most popular discussion topic in the Victoria Centre was our desire to build a centre observatory in a time when real estate was already pricey. Early in 2004, talk turned to action when our centre formed an Observing Site Committee chaired by Dave Bennett, along with Bruno Quenneville, David Lee, Sandy Barta, and myself as members.
Four years later, the efforts of our members, including many not on the original committee, bore fruit when the Victoria Centre Observatory opened — with a big assist from the NRC — on Little Saanich Mountain near the DAO and the Centre of the Universe.
In a future message, I will discuss my involvement in the RASC in the two decades between 2004 and this spring, our Centre’s 110th anniversary. But in the meantime, my attention is shifting to a major celestial event that will take place on April 8.
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
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.
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
