May | 2024 | RASC Victoria

Astronomy Cafe – May 13, 2024

Posted May 13, 2024 by Webmaster as Astro Cafe

Intro by Marjie Welchframe
Aurora – David Lee
- Huge Sunspot Wednesday of last week
- Coronal Mass Ejection
- Friday evening at Cattle Point was very popular by the public observing the aurora
- Various types of aurora – BBC Sky At Night
Cosmic Wonder book – Nathan Hellner-Mestleman
- Nathan worked on his first astronomy book over last two years
- Existential thoughts
- Are we alone?
  - Carbon and water – source of life on Earth as we know it
  - Other elements are probably the source of life on other worlds
- Where are we from?
- Where are we going?
- Don’t stress about our ultimate destruction!
- Q&A
The Geomagnetic Field and Solar Storms (Aurora) – Randy Enkin
- Zoozve on Radio Lab t-shirt t-shirt
- Aurora photos from Sechelt Peninsula at Sunshine Coast RASC Centre
- Geo-magnetism
- Earth’s magnetic field
- Sun’s magnetic field and solar winds
- Julius Bartels – Kp index
- Number of Sunspots correlate with magnetic disturbances
- How human night vision sees auroral colours
Electromagnetic Spectrum Display – story boards for Astronomy Day – Dorothy Paul
- A Brief History of Chronobiology and Light
- The Electromagnetic Spectrum, Light, and Life on Our Home Planet
- Responsible , good-neighbourly outdoor lighting
Brock Johnston – photo gallery
- Aurora photos from Central Saanich
- M91, M95 & M96 spiral galaxies
Event info
- Beginners SIG – next Wednesday 7:30PM
- Astronomy Day – this Saturday – all day and evening
- ~The Photographic Legacy of the DAO and John Stanley Plaskett – Dennis Crabtree~ video recording of the presentation will be posted online in the next day or so – David Lee
Aurora – May 10, 2024 – a collection of photographs of the aurora taken by our members – a once in 20 year apparition of the Sun at maximum, with coronal mass ejections causing amazing displays!

There is no Astro Cafe next Monday on Victoria Day, May 20th. The last Astro Cafe will be held on May 27th, hosted by Brock Johnston. We take a break over the summer months, resuming in September.

Astronomy Cafe – May 6, 2024

Posted May 6, 2024 by Webmaster as Astro Cafe

Meeting transcript video

Intro by Randy Enkin
Astronomy Podcasts – Randy Enkin
- Live podcast of Astronomy By the Bay at just-past GA by Chris & Shane
- David Lee
  - BBC Sky At Night – they offer Master Classes as well
  - The Actual Astronomy Podcast and Astronomy by the Bay – Chris & Shane
- Universe Today (Youtube) and podcast – Fraser Cain & Pamela Gay
- Dr. Becky
- Space Daily– Reg Dunkley
- Google News search on Astronomy topic– Dave Payne
- Astronomy Photo of the Day – Randy Enkin
- Astrophotography channel on Youtube – Dave Payne
RASC General Assembly Report – last weekend
- Jenna Hinds coordinated the back end
- Gather Town wasn’t as well attended as previous years
- John Reed’s presentation on acquiring an observing site in Nova Scotia
- One stream this year instead of 2 or 3 previously
- Victoria Centre Observatory
  - Video for GA by David Lee – many members related their history with the VCO, including observing experiences, construction, equipment, camaraderie with fellow members
- Astronomy poetry by Mark Tovey, Adjunct Prof of History at Western U – David Lee
  - Based on 1940 astronomy journal found by Peter Jedicke at Western University
- Astronomy Live by Chris & Shane – Kirsten Pedersen
- Astronomical observing and sketching – presented by Randy Enkin and Bill Weir
Nathan’s Book Launch at Bolen Books (events – free tickets) on Tuesday
Monthly Meeting at UVic on Wed – Chris Gainor
- The Photographic Legacy of the DAO and John Stanley Plaskett – Dennis Crabtree
- Advanced security measures in place due to protests on campus
- Doors will be locked at 7PM according to campus security, however entry to the lecture theatre is still possible
- Hopefully the meeting will be recorded
Hubble Space Telescope – Chris Gainor
- Three gyroscopes have failed, impacting operations
- New repair mission? Not likely, but de-orbiting will happen in 10 years or so
- Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is in the future
Astrophotography – Dave Payne
Bode’s Neighbourhood with Dust and Hydrogen – Wide-field
- Created from 24 hours of exposure (3+ nights)
- Bode’s Galaxy
- M82 Cigar Galaxy
- NGC 3077 – third “messy” galaxy in lower right
- Many other smaller galaxies to find in the field
- Dust in the field is from the Milky Way Galaxy
- 17Gb JPG drizzled resultant image
Beginner’s SIG being held on May 15th
Astronomy Day 2024 – May 18th – Lauri Roche & David Lee
- More volunteers still needed
Satellite tracks – image by Alan Dyer – Chris Gainor
FDAO Star Parties (events) – volunteers needed – Lauri Roche

Marjie Welchframe is hosting next week’s Astronomy Cafe on May 13th. There is no Astro Cafe on Victoria Day, May 20th. The last Astronomy Cafe will be held on May 27th, resuming in September.