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.
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
Science Venture – hands-on, minds-on science, engineering and technology learning opportunities for youth entering grades 1 through 12 (STEM). Experience the Spiro Mars Rovers (robots)!
Centre of the Universe and the Observatory – 7:30PM to 11PM – event
Observatory Hill, 5071 West Saanich Road, Saanich
Reserve Your Tickets (free – available May 15th) – only ticket holders will be admitted to this evening event. (Daytime events at the Museum do not require tickets!)
Plaskett telescope tours
Planetarium shows
Observing through telescopes
Virtual reality with the Rift
Centre of the Universe gallery
Children’s Activities
Gift shop
Presentation – Looking for precious metals at the end of the galactic rainbow – Dr. Trystyn Berg
Please Note:
All Astronomy Day activities are FREE and available to the general public.
Membership in RASC is not required.
Regular admission applies to the Royal BC Museum exhibits and IMAX Theatre.
Resident pressure stopped replacement of existing historic lighting
Proposed lighting upgrade is a poor idea
There are good options available for “historic” light fixtures
RASC Victoria should approach the mayor
Email to obcouncil@oakbay.ca
Solar Eclipse Reports
Aboard the Discovery Princess – 125nmi SW from Mazatlan, Mexico
Joe Carr
John McDonald and Bill Weir and his wife from Victoria were also onboard the ship
Pastry chefs served eclipse cookies
Princess Cruises and the ship’s officers were very well prepared for this special cruise, giving out eclipse glasses to both passengers and crew, communicating the ship’s position and heading would be, and having two experts aboard to give presentations on the subject and answer questions.
Observed a beautiful Green Flash at sunset the night before the eclipse
Ships within a few miles: Zaandam, Koningsdam, Sh Diana, and Ruby Princess
John and Joe observed from Joe’s balcony, since it was on the side of the ship facing the Sun
Students are back in Victoria High School. John Geehan trying to start up the trans-Neptunian Objects initiative with the high school’s new observing deck.
Central Texas – Peter Jedicke
Drove from Ontario
Weather was iffy, but it cleared for lots of glimpses of the eclipse
Enjoyed reports from dozens of people spread out all along the path of totality
Kingston, Ontario – Marjie Welchframe
Cloudy during the eclipse, but usable observing
Beauharnois, Québec – Chris Purse
Drove from Kingston, Ontario to much clearer skies
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.
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.
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.