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THE REFLECTOR Volume 2, Issue 3 January 2003

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THE REFLECTOR Volume 2, Issue 3 January 2003 PETERBOROUGH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION THE REFLECTOR Volume 2, Issue 3 January 2003 January 2000. The moon will enter the Editorial umbra at 2:02 UT (10:02 PM EDT) and will be at greatest eclipse at 3:40 UT his year should be a stellar year (no (11:40 PM EDT). The umbral phase will T pun intended) for astronomical end at 5:17 UT (1:17 AM EDT). The events. The planets will be putting on a second lunar eclipse will also be visible spectacular series of shows this year. in North America and occurs on the night of November 8-9. The moon will enter The first of these occurs on the night of the umbra at 23:32 UT (6:02 PM EST) January 4-5 when Saturn will transit and will be at greatest eclipse at 1:18 UT across the Crab Nebula (M1) in Taurus. (8:18 PM EST). The umbral phase will It will be in the middle of its transit end at 3:04 UT (10:04 PM EDT). around 6:00 PM EST. Unfortunately, Saturn’s brightness will most likely hide This month we may also be treated to a the nebula, but you never know – so take Mars as Percival Lowell saw it when relatively bright comet—Comet Kudo- a look! In addition to this rare event, it was at opposition in 1924. Fujikawa. This comet is currently Saturn is also at its most favorable visible in the morning sky in Hercules position in 30 years. The rings are tipped near Vega (see www.skytelescope.com fully toward us and the planet is the thought were evidence of life on the red for chart). It could brighten to magnitude closest that it gets during its 30 orbit. planet. In fact it will be the closest 2 or 3 before it disappears in the sun’s This will provide an optimum that Mars has come to Earth in about glare in the last half of the month. I opportunity to view the rings. 73,000 years. At this distance, even looked for it on the morning of January small telescopes should be able to show 7th, but was unsuccessful. Perhaps this On May 7, a transit of Mercury will you the Martian polar caps and dark is another Kahoutek! We’ll see! occur. It will reach maximum at 7:52 UT surface markings on the planet's (3:52 AM EDT). In this part of the reddish surface. Be sure to take this Clear Skies! world, the last part of the transit will be opportunity to study the red planet this visible after sunrise and will end at 10:27 summer, as the next favorable Charles W. Baetsen UT (6:27 AM EDT). As an aside, be opposition will not occur for 16 years. [email protected] sure to mark you calendars next year, as the first of a pair of transits of Venus this The moon will also be putting on a century, will occur on 08 June 2004 show, as there will be two total lunar during sunrise. This would be a good eclipses this year. The first one occurs time to plan a vacation somewhere east on the night of May 15-16. It is the !" of here (e.g., Atlantic Canada or Europe) first total lunar eclipse visible from this to get the maximum effect as the transit part of the world for the first time since ends at 7:05 EDT around here. If you miss that one, you have one more chance in your lifetime to see a transit of Venus Inside This Issue in 2012. ! EDITORIAL ! RING AROUND THE MILKY WAY Mars will be the “star” attraction of the year. At this year’s opposition on Aug. ! ASTRONOMY IN STRANGE PLACES ! A UNIVERSE IN MY STOCKING 27th, it will only be some 55.8 million- km away. At that time, the planet will ! MEET PAA MEMBER: RENE BOWE ! OFF THE BEATEN PATH attain an apparent diameter of 25.1” and mag. -2.9. It will be closer to Earth than ! THE SKY THIS MONTH ! ASTRONOMY IN PHILATELY it was in the 1924 when Percival Lowell looked at it and saw the “canals” that he ! GEMINI ! CLASSIFIEDS Page 2 THE REFLECTOR Meet PAA Member Rene Bowe hat did it take to get PAA W member Rene Bowe interested in astronomy? Just a job transfer, about a year living in a college boarding house (the imagination soars) and a trip to Dunlap Observatory. Here’s how those events conspired to produce the dapper fellow with the gray and yellow telescope who we often see at club outings. The year is 1950 and a 22-year-old Rene Bowe finds himself transferred from the dim and distant realms of Antigonish , NS (Charles Baetsen’s birth place) to the glowing core of the Canadian galaxy - Toronto. At the time, Rene worked for a bank. Such institutions have never been Rene Bowe with his hand crafted scope. Rene and wife Lee have been renowned for their generosity to Peterborough residents for over 50 years. employees just entering the profession, so Rene found a boarding house to be suitable – and affordable – housing. It Rene bought the mirror and did some was in this environment, surrounded by After a few years as a gentleman of more reading. Next he put his home U of T students that Rene first took an leisure Rene’s yen for a telescope once workshop to good use building the interest in astronomy. again rose to the surface. So he started optical tube and rocker box for the scope. reading some books on the subject – Rene began work on the scope in January It seems that some of the students made a and he joined the PAA. During one of of 2000 and completed the project three sojourn to Dunlap Observatory and the club’s meetings Rene mentioned months later in April. invited Rene along. At that point he that he would like to build his own became fascinated with both the telescope. But he still wasn’t too keen astronomical and the mirror grinding on grinding the mirror. Dave Duffus aspects of the hobby. There was only one told Rene that he knew where there was Peterborough drawback. Grinding a telescope mirror a good 8-inch mirror up for sale. The required an absolutely pristine events surrounding the sale of the Astronomical environment. A boarding house filled mirror were somewhat sad, but the Association with college boys didn’t even come eventual outcome had a 98% reflective close. silver lining. The Reflector is a publication of the Peterborough Astronomical Association In late 1950 Rene uprooted himself and The mirror was originally ground by (PAA). Founded in 1970, the PAA is moved to Peterborough where he took a Mr. Sydney Barry. Unfortunately in your local group for astronomy in job with Raybestos. Rene worked with recent years he had become ill with Peterborough and the Kawarthas. them until about 12 years ago when Alzheimer’s Disease and his wife was Raybestos decided to close their selling his equipment. Rene still Website Canadian plant and move their remembers Mr. Barry approaching him www.geocities.com/paa_ca production facilities to Mexico. At that just as he was leaving with the mirror point, Rene was asked to move back to and handing him photograph . On it Email Toronto to help Raybestos wind down were the mirror’s focal ratio and the [email protected] their Canadian operations. That option dates 1952-53. It seems Mr. Barry didn’t appeal to Rene, so he became a made the mirror shortly after Rene was Club Mailing Address consultant for Raybestos during that first visited Dunlap Observatory. c/o Dave Duffus period, then retired. 7 Riverview Hts. Peterborough, ON, Canada K9J1A9 Page 3 THE REFLECTOR So next time we’re out and you have a “Variable Stars and Crazy Blocks has seen M51 and its companion galaxy look through this beautiful little scope, Quilt, c.1890”. Four embroidered interacting has seen this incredible force don’t forget to compliment Rene on his crazy quit squares are enclosed within a in action. In the recent discovery, it workmanship. And maybe, just maybe field of blocks containing clusters of appears that the Milky Way ripped apart you’ll also remember to tip your toque to “variable stars”. This was created the smaller galaxy and scattered its stars Mr. Barry. It could be he’s up there using thousands of tiny individual into a faint surrounding ring. The end looking right back at you. pieces of silk. It was described as result is a donut-shaped ring of stars with glistening and sparkling with the Milky Way at the centre. John Crossen kaleidoscopic energy! [email protected] Newberg and Yanny presented their Wow, makes one want to pick up a discovery Monday, January 6th at the needle and thread. The more a stare at national meeting of the American this calendar, the more it dazzles. You Astronomical Society. Yanny said that Astronomy In The can see for yourself that the star pattern the ring has 100 million to a half billion is a typical one used in quilting. What stars circling the Milky Way in an orbital Strangest Places makes this sample “variable”, is the period of tens of thousands of years. different colours of fabric used to Newberg said the stars in the ring show ost people who are interested in create each star. I don’t think any two that they are moving ''in a very similar M astronomy are all too aware of the are the same (just like the stars in the fashion to way that planets orbit the sun.'' related items that exist out there.
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