Jrasc Dec 1998
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Publications from December/décembre 1998 Volume/volume 92 Number/numero 6 [674] The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada NEW LARGER SIZE! Observer’s Calendar — 1999 This calendar was created by members of the RASC. All photographs were taken by amateur astronomers using ordinary camera lenses and small The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Le Journal de la Société royale d’astronomie du Canada telescopes and represent a wide spectrum of objects. An informative caption accompanies every photograph. This year all of the photos are in full colour. It is designed with the observer in mind and contains comprehensive astronomical data such as daily Moon rise and set times, significant lunar and planetary conjunctions, eclipses, and meteor showers. (designed and produced by Rajiv Gupta) Price: $14 (includes taxes, postage and handling) The Beginner’s Observing Guide This guide is for anyone with little or no experience in observing the night sky. Large, easy to read star maps are provided to acquaint the reader with the constellations and bright stars. Basic information on observing the moon, planets and eclipses through the year 2000 is provided. There is also a special section to help Scouts, Cubs, Guides and Brownies achieve their respective astronomy badges. Written by Leo Enright (160 pages of information in a soft-cover book with a spiral binding which allows the book to lie flat). Price: $12 (includes taxes, postage and handling) Looking Up: A History of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Published to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the first meeting of the Toronto Astronomical Club, “Looking Up — A History of the RASC” is an excellent overall history of Canada’s national astronomy organization. The book was written by R. Peter Broughton, a Past President and expert on the history of astronomy in Canada. Histories on each of the centres across the country are included as well as dozens of biographical sketches of the many people who have volunteered their time and skills to the Society. (hard cover with cloth binding, 300 pages with 150 b&w illustrations) Price: $43 (includes taxes, postage and handling) INSIDE THIS ISSUE *** Special Discount — Looking Up and the BOG — $50 — All three publications — $60 *** Send cheque or money order to: RASC, 136 Dupont St., Toronto, ON, M5R 1V2 Canada Cold Weather Observing • Starfest 1998 • Impact Cratering Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Orders outside Canada please remit in U.S. Funds. Major credit cards accepted. Call the National Office toll-free at 1-888-924-7272 to place your order. CASCA Abstracts • Image Stabilized Binoculars (copies of these publications may also be available directly from your local Centre) THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA December/décembre 1998 NATIONAL OFFICERS AND COUNCIL FOR 1998-99/CONSEIL ET ADMINISTRATEURS NATIONAUX Honorary President Jack Locke, Ph.D., Ottawa President Randy Attwood, Toronto Vol. 92, No. 6 Whole Number 674 1st Vice-President Robert Garrison, Ph.D., Toronto 2nd Vice-President Rajiv Gupta, Ph.D., Vancouver Secretary Raymond Auclair, Unattached Member Treasurer Michael S. F. Watson, Unattached member COLUMNS/RUBRIQUES Recorder Peter Jedicke, London contents Librarian Andrew Oakes, B.A., M.A., Unattached Member table des matières 293 Reflections: Dark Mornings Past Presidents Douglas P. George, M. Eng. B.A.Sc., Ottawa and Douglas P. Hube, Ph.D., Edmonton by David M. F. Chapman Editor of Journal David G. Turner, Ph.D., Halifax Associate Editor of Journal Pat Kelly, M.Sc., Halifax 295 Second Light: Counting Molecules in Editor of Observer’s Handbook Roy L. Bishop, Ph.D., Halifax FEATURE ARTICLES/ARTICLES DE FOND Galaxies Editor of Beginner’s Observing Guide Leo Enright, Kingston by Leslie J. Sage Executive Secretary Bonnie Bird, M.L.Sc., 136 Dupont Street, Toronto, ON, M5R 1V2 (Telephone: 416-924-7973) 284 How to Stay Warm at a Cold Eyepiece 331 At The Eyepiece: Navigating the Perseus by Tony Wallace Archipeligo by Lucian J. Kemble CENTRE ADDRESSES/ADRESSES DES CENTRES 288 The Wilkinson Memorial Observatory Calgary Québec 333 The Light Side of Research: Home c/o Calgary Science Centre, P. O. Box 2100, Station “M”, Loc #73, 2000, boul. Montmorency, Québec, QC, G1J 5E7 by R. A. Clark Calgary, AB, T2P 2M5 Research Regina by Orla Aaquist Edmonton P. O. Box 20014, Cornwall Centre, Regina, SK, S4P 4J7 290 Starfest for the First Time c/o Edmonton Space & Sciences Centre, 11211 - 142 St., by Phil McCausland Edmonton, AB, T5M 4A1 St. John’s c/o 206 Frecker Drive, St. John’s, NF, A1E 5H9 Halifax P. O. Box 31011, Halifax, NS, B3K 5T9 Sarnia c/o Alice Lester, P.O. Box 394, Wyoming, ON, NON 1T0 RESEARCH PAPERS/ARTICLES DE RECHERCHE Hamilton P. O. Box 1223, Waterdown, ON, LOR 2HO Saskatoon P. O. Box 317, RPO University, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 4J8 297 Impact Cratering Through Geologic Time The Wilkinson Memorial Kingston by Eugene M. Shoemaker Observatory P. O. Box 1793, Kingston, ON, K7L 5J6 Thunder Bay p.288 c/o 135 Hogarth Street, Thunder Bay, ON, P7A 7H1 Kitchener-Waterloo 310 Abstracts of Papers Presented at the c/o J. Brunton, 123 Grand River Street N., Paris, ON, N3L 2M4 Toronto c/o Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Don Mills, ON, 1998 CASCA Annual Meeting Held in London M3C 1T3 Québec, May 19-22, 1998 P. O. Box 842, Station B, London, ON, N6A 4Z3 Vancouver Starfest for the First Time Montréal c/o Gordon Southam Observatory, 1100 Chesnut Street, Vancouver, BC, p.290 P. O. Box 1752, Station B, Montréal, QC, H3B 3L3 V6J 3J9 EDUCATION NOTES/RUBRIQUES PÉDAGOGIQUES Centre Francophone de Montréal Victoria C. P. 206, Station St-Michel, Montréal, QC, H2A 3L9 c/o Bill Almond, 354 Benhomer Drive, Victoria, BC, V9C 2C6 322 Variable Stars in Your Classroom Niagara Windsor by John R. Percy and Janet Akyüz Mattei P. O. Box 4040, St. Catherines, ON, L2R 7S3 c/o Frank J. Shepley, 344 South Middle Road, R.R. # 2, Maidstone, ON, NOR 1K0 Okanagan P. O. Box 20119 TCM, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 9H2 Winnipeg Counting Molecules in Galaxies P.O. Box 2694, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4B3 p.295 Ottawa P. O. Box 33012, 1974 Baseline Road, Nepean, ON, K2C OEO The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Le Journal de la Société royale d’astronomie du Canada DEPARTMENTS/DÉPARTEMENTS 278 From the Editor by David Turner 279 News Notes / En Manchettes Mont Mégantic Happenings, Leonid Meteors, Kitchener Meteorite, A Superlative Canadian Satellite, Is Jupiter a Not-so-Failed Star? 281 From the Past/Au fil des ans Impact Cratering Through Geologic Time Observations of the 1933 Leonids — Part I by Eugene M. Shoemaker p.297 282 Questions and Answers/Questions et réponses Predicting Sky Transparency and Seeing ACROSS THE RASC Conditions DU NOUVEAU DANS LES CENTRES 325 Society News/Nouvelles de la société 336 Reviews of Publications/Critiques d’ouvrages The Newly-Modified Simon Newcomb Award; Starfest “Bring Home the Bacon” Award; Help After the First Three Minutes: The Story of our Improve Your Society; Congratulations to David Universe, by T. Padmanabhan; Our Evolving Levy, Rajiv Gupta and the RASC Observer’s Universe, by Malcolm S. Longair; Carl Sagan’s Calendar 1998 Universe, edited by Yervant Terzian and Elizabeth Bilson; Einstein’s Mirror, by Tony Hey 327 An Evaluation of Canon Image Stabilized and Patrick Walters; An Introduction to Radio Binoculars Astronomy, by Bernard F. Burke and Francis by Chris Baldock Graham-Smith 329 Choosing an Eyepiece 342 Index to Volume 92, 1998 by Gary Angers 334 Scenic Vistas: Anchor Star by Mark Bratton Our Evolving Universe, by Malcolm S. Longair Cover Photo: p.337 Landsat image of the Shoemaker Impact structure. See page 297 From the Editor by David Turner umbers. They pervade our daily lives in so many ways The Journal is a bi-monthly publication of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and is that we are often unaware of them. From the current devoted to the advancement of astronomy and allied sciences. It contains articles on Canadian value of the Canadian dollar and the prices of common astronomers and current activities of the RASC and its centres, research and review papers N by professional and amateur astronomers, and articles of a historical, biographical, or stock shares to the equity in our principal residence or the baud educational nature of general interest to the astronomical community. All contributions are rate of our Internet connections, there is a certain fascination welcome, but the editors reserve the right to edit material prior to publication. Research papers are reviewed prior to publication, and professional astronomers with institutional with numbers that is timeless. A similar appeal for numbers affiliations are asked to pay publication charges of $100 per page. Such charges are waived was also common in ancient times, with many interesting for RASC members who do not have access to professional funds as well as for solicited articles. Manuscripts and other submitted material may be in English or French, and should consequences. One particular number game related to the be sent to one of the addresses given below. factors of various integers, in other words those numbers — including unity but not including the number itself — that can Editor Editorial Board be divided evenly into an integer. The number 20, for example, David G. Turner Robert F. Garrison has factors 1, 2, 4, 5, and 10. The number 22 has factors 1, 2, Department of Astronomy (Publications Committee Chair) and Physics, Saint Mary’s University J. Donald Fernie and 11. In the case of the number 20, its factors sum to 22, while Halifax, Nova Scotia Douglas Forbes the factors of 22 sum to 14.