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The Cabin in the Sky Observatory: How Astronomy Changed Everything for One Lucky Family by Howard Trottier (Part Two of Three) Kids in the Camp

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The Cabin in the Sky Observatory: How Astronomy Changed Everything for One Lucky Family by Howard Trottier (Part Two of Three) Kids in the Camp NOVA NEWSLETTEROFTHEVANCOUVERCENTRERASC VOLUME2012ISSUE1JANUARYFEBRUARY2012 The Cabin in the Sky Observatory: How astronomy changed everything for one lucky family by Howard Trottier (Part two of three) kids in the camp. I became with “serious gear,” and located On May 12/13 of 2010, I was obsessed with observing, especially infinitely far from city lights; a fortunate to realize a dream shared deep-sky objects. I endlessly place to which I would escape to by many amateur astronomers. I poured over reference books and plumb the deepest of skies. took first light from an observatory star charts to prepare target lists, After high school, “recreational” that I had built at a remote get-away, and to come up with strategies for astronomy all but disappeared and which by certain providences how I might find those celestial from my life. When I would I was able to equip with first-rate treasurers from the sidewalk in occasionally think back to the time gear. I could when I had been now capture the consumed by deepest of deep- the pursuit of sky treasures. the next deep- As I recounted sky wonder, I in the first part was puzzled at of this story how that dream, (which appeared once so present, in the March/ now seemed so First light images with a CCD camera April 2011 removed. But edition of nova), the dream had front of my parents’ home, under it must have been there all along, its first stirrings in my case at the heavily light-polluted skies just under the surface, waiting for summer camp, when I was about of urban Montreal. I learned by the right time and trigger to return 12 years old. I owe so much to doing, saving money from paper to the fore. And when it did, I had a camp counsellor, whose name routes to buy two telescopes (with a family, and that dream would I can no longer remember, who help from my parents). And all change everything for all of us. introduced the glory of the night the while I dreamt about building The trigger came in the spring sky to a group of us, the nerdiest my own observatory, equipped continued on page 2 JANUARY 12 UBC FEBRUARY 9 HRMSC MARCH 8 UBC Prof. Ray Jayawardhana of the Uni- Dr. Ed Krupp, Director of the Griffith Dr. Catherine Johnson of UBC Earth versity of Toronto: Rocks, Ice and Observatory: Time’s Up: 2012 and the and Ocean Sciences: The First Results Penguins: Finding Meteorites in Maya Calendar from MESSENGER at Mercury Antarctica continued from page 1 portraits. colour images of deep-sky objects of 2007. I had been teaching The depth and scope of that had transfixed me as a kid, Introduction to Astronomy at the astrophotography would be the including the Whirlpool Galaxy Simon Fraser University physics trigger. Soon, I would be caught and the Ring Nebula (notice department for several years, and up in a revolution being driven by the out-of-focus stars in that it seemed like a good idea to give new and relatively affordable large- one!). I was stunned at what was aperture telescopes, with optical possible with relatively modest systems designed for razor-sharp equipment, even for a newbie, imaging over huge fields, carried and in the heavily light-polluted by mounts of stunning mechanical skies of urban Vancouver no less. precision, and ccd cameras Imagine, capturing the spiral arms specially designed for astronomy, in the Whirlpool, and the 15th along with powerful software magnitude white dwarf at the for running the control systems centre of the Ring Nebula, from the The second night: Saturn and processing the results. But in city, in just minutes of exposure! the students the chance to do a bit March 2007, when the sfu gear The passion had returned, full of observing. I was not intending arrived, I had no inkling of what I bore. to do any serious astronomy was getting into. By the fall, I was routinely for myself. My goal was to give Within days, after trying out imaging at sfu, first for students my students the opportunity the new gear on downtown in my Astronomy course, and then to directly experience some of buildings in the daytime from more broadly for members of the the celestial wonders that they my living room, I had my first public, who would attend star were only hearing about in the evening of astronomical imaging. parties under the banner of “Starry classroom. I was pretty ambitious, going for Nights @ sfu” (but that’s another I persuaded my Chair that we the Orion Nebula and Saturn, story). One of the first images that needed a new telescope. So, on with disappointing results, before I shot at sfu was that October, behalf of the department, I ordered settling that night on an easier of Comet Holmes, looking like a a Meade LX-200 8” telescope, target, the Moon. But now I cosmic bowling ball, with some through Vancouver Telescope. was hooked. By early April, my students from my class watching On a last-minute whim, I decided technique improving, I got a the frames downloading “live.” to add a small ccd imager to reasonable image of Saturn. Meanwhile, I had been thinking the order, the Meade dsi (about Within a month, I was getting continued on page 6 0.5 megapixel, colour one-shot version). I had a vague idea that ccd cameras were a leap forward over the earlier era of film emulsions, but was completely unaware of the renaissance that was taking place in amateur astrophotography. When I would occasionally look at the stunning images that appeared on Astronomy Picture of the Day, I had no idea that “amateurs,” using their own equipment, produced many of the most beautiful M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy (left) and M57, the Ring Nebula (right) 2 rasc-vancouver.com JANUARYFEBRUARY2012 President’s Message by Howard Trottier On behalf of the rasc Vancouver likely picked it up at our first public edition of nova for a backgrounder Centre Council, and on the occasion lecture of the year, which is being on our speaker, who has been hailed of the publication of this, our first held at the ubc Hennings Physics by Wired Magazine as “a rock star” of edition of nova for 2012, I would Building. We will be hosting Prof. Ray astronomy! like to extend best wishes to our Jayawardhana, Professor and Canada This lecture promises to be just the members and public for a happy and Research Chair of the University of start of another year of presentations fulfilling New Year, one that includes Toronto, for our January 12 lecture. by A-list speakers on a diverse range an abundance of astronomy in all of Prof. Jayawardhana’s presentation of topics! Our top-flight speaker its forms, especially clear skies! is entitled Rocks, Ice and Penguins: program is one of the great strengths If you are reading a hardcopy of Searching for Meteorites in Antarctica. of rasc Vancouver’s programming, this edition of nova, then you quite Be sure to look elsewhere in this continued on page 4 About RASC The RASC Vancouver Centre meets at the Treasurer at the address on page 5. herein are not necessarily those of the 7:30 PM on the second Thursday of ev- Annual membership includes the invalu- Vancouver Centre. ery month at various locations in Metro able Observer’s Handbook, six issues of Material on any aspect of astronomy Vancouver (see page 1 for meeting loca- the RASC Journal, and, of course, access should be e-mailed to the editor or tions and page 4 for maps). Guests are to all of the club events and projects. mailed to the address below. always welcome. In addition, the Centre For more information regarding the Remember, you are always welcome has an observing site where star parties Centre and its activities, please contact to attend meetings of Council, held on the are regularly scheduled. our P.R. Director. first Thursday of every month at 7:30pm Membership is currently $73.00 per NOVA, the newsletter of the Vancou- in room P8445.2 of the Physics wing of year ($41.00 for persons under 21 years ver Centre, RASC, is published on odd- the Shrum Science Centre at SFU. Please of age) and can be obtained by writing to numbered months. Opinions expressed contact a council member for directions. 2012 Vancouver Centre Officers President Howard Trottier Membership Ciara Morgan-Feir & Rohit Grover Observing Oleg Mazurenko [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Vice-President/Secretary Alan Jones Events Suzanna Nagy Speakers Barry Shanko [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer/Telescopes Steve Coleopy Education Bill Burnyeat Merchandise Diedre Sportack [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] National Rep./LPA Mark Eburne AOMO Chair Leigh Cummings Deputy IT Steve Meighan & Jonathan Neufeld [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Librarian William Fearon Webmaster Harvey Dueck Councillor Jim Ronback [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Public Relations Scott McGillivary NOVA Editor Gordon Farrell Honourary President Dr. John Macdonald [email protected] [email protected] Trustees Sally Baker & Ron Jerome Library On the Internet Mailing Address The centre has a large library of books, http://rasc-vancouver.com or RASC Vancouver Centre magazines and old NOVAs for your enjoy- http://www.rasc.ca/vancouver 1100 Chestnut Street ment at the GMSO. Please take advantage Vancouver, B.C.
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