The Running Man Nebula
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The Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada PROMOTING ASTRONOMY IN CANADA June/juin 2011 Volume/volume 105 Le Journal de la Société royale d’astronomie du Canada Number/numéro 3 [748] Inside this issue: The Rise and Fall of Mount Kobau Granite Gap Things That Go Bump in the Night The Running Man Nebula June/juin 2011 | Vol. 105, No. 3 | Whole Number 748 contents / table des matières Feature Articles / Articles de fond Columns / Rubriques 95 The Grand Schism in Canadian Astronomy I: 112 Cosmic Contemplations: An Averted Glance at Three The Rise and Fall of Mount Kobau Decades of Sky & Telescope by Victor Gaizauskas by Jim Chung 109 Granite Gap 114 Pen and Pixel by Don Van Akker NGC 4565 / Leo Triplet / Cassini / Eastern Veil by Blair MacDonald / Lynn Hilborn / Mike Wirths / Jay Anderson 111 Things That Go Bump in the Night by Mike Wirths 116 On Another Wavelength: M13 – The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules Departments / Départements by David Garner 118 A Moment With…Dr. Catherine Robin 94 President’s Corner by Phil Mozel by Mary Lou Whitehorne 120 Orbital Oddities: Saros Start 128 Obituary by Bruce McCurdy Ralph B. Baldwin (1912 – 2010) by R.A. Rosenfeld 123 Imager’s Corner: Stretching Images by Blair MacDonald 131 Reviews / Critiques Advancing Variable Star Astronomy: The Centennial History of 124 Astronomical Art & Artifact: Corrigenda et errata the American Association of Variable Star Observers / Cracking by R.A. Rosenfeld the Einstein Code: Relativity and the Birth of Black Hole Physics / The Cosmic Connection: How Astronomical Events 125 Second Light: Ringing the Red-Giant Bell Impact Life on Earth by Leslie J. Sage 135 Astrocryptic 126 Through My Eyepiece: Raising Arizona by Curt Nason by Geoff Gaherty 135 Cartoon 127 Gizmos: Eyeball Newtonian by Ted Dunphy by Don Van Akker 136 Society News by James Edgar 136 Errata On the cover: The collaboration of Paul Mortfield and Stef Cancelli has produced this colourful image of the Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977), which lies just above the Great Nebula in Orion. The image was acquired using a 16-inch RCOS telescope at f/8.9 from Sierra Remote Observatories in California. Exposure was a total of 10.9 hours in LRGB using an Apogee U16M camera. In their words: “The goal in processing this target was to reveal the intricate inner structures and accentuate some of the more subtle colour shades not often seen, but nonetheless there.” June / juin 2011 JRASC | Promoting Astronomy In Canada 93 President’s Corner Mary Lou Whitehorne The Journal is a bi-monthly publication of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and is President, RASC devoted to the advancement of astronomy and allied sciences. It contains articles on Canadian astronomers and current activities of the RASC and its Centres, research and review papers by professional and amateur astronomers, and articles of a historical, biographical, or educational nature of general interest to the astronomical community. All It is with pleasure that I sit down to write contributions are welcome, but the editors reserve the right to edit material prior to publication. a good-news column for this issue of the Research papers are reviewed prior to publication, and professional astronomers with institutional affiliations are asked to pay publication charges of $100 per page. Such charges Journal. The recent National Council meet- are waived for RASC members who do not have access to professional funds as well as for ing held on 2011 March 26 had a very full agenda with many solicited articles. Manuscripts and other submitted material may be in English or French, and should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. issues requiring decisions. The outcome of that meeting is a series of good-news stories. Here they are: Editor-in-Chief Contributing Editors Jay Anderson Jim Chung (Cosmic Contemplations) 203 – 4920 Dundas St W Geoff Gaherty (Through My Eyepiece) 1) No membership fee increase. The 2010 fee increase of three Toronto ON M9A 1B7, Canada Dave Garner (On Another Wavelength) dollars was only half the amount originally requested, so Internet: [email protected] Blair MacDonald (Imager's Corner) there were warnings of the likelihood of another small Web site: www.rasc.ca Bruce McCurdy (Orbital Oddities) Telephone: (416) 924-7973 Philip Mozel (A Moment With…) increase in 2011. Thanks to careful management and the Fax: (416) 924-2911 Curt Nason (Astrocryptic) tireless diligence of our Treasurer, we have been able to Andrew I. Oakes (News Notes) Associate Editor, Research Randall Rosenfeld (Art & Artifact) avoid an increase in membership fees this year. There is a Douglas Hube Leslie Sage (Second Light) budget deficit in the charity sector of our business, but the Internet: [email protected] Gerry Smerchanski (Gerry’s Meanderings) David Turner (Reviews) membership and publications sectors managed to break Associate Editor, General Don Van Akker (Gizmos) even. This enabled us to avert the anticipated fee increase. Michael Attas Internet: [email protected] Proofreaders Ossama El Badawy 2) We have applied for and received a $25,000 Business Inno- Assistant Editors Margaret Brons vation grant from the Canadian Periodical Fund, to refresh Michael Allen Angelika Hackett and redesign the Journal, and to market it more aggressively Martin Beech Terry Leeder Dave Chapman Kim Leitch to increase subscriptions and readership. Ralph Chou Suzanne Moreau Dave Garner 3) The recent second print run of 100,000 Star Finders has Patrick Kelly Design/Production Michael Gatto, Grant Tomchuk been partly funded in the amount of $4000 through the Editorial Assistant Internet: [email protected], existing Beyond IYA NSERC PromoScience grant, jointly Suzanne E. Moreau [email protected] Internet: [email protected] held by RASC, CASCA, and FAAQ. Additionally, 10,000 Advertising English Star Finders and 5000 French Cherche-étoiles Production Manager James Edgar James Edgar Internet: [email protected] have been purchased by the National Research Council. The Internet: [email protected] grant and large sale have produced a favourable impact on Printing the charitable sector of our business, giving us additional Maritime Digital Colour leeway to carry out more charitable work this year. The Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is published at an annual subscription rate of $93.45 (including tax) by The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Membership, 4) Council voted in favour of our new strategic plan, giving which includes the publications (for personal use), is open to anyone interested in astronomy. Applications for subscriptions to the Journal or membership in the RASC, and the Society its first-ever planning document to guide it into information on how to acquire back issues of the Journal can be obtained from: the future. In truth, the Executive Committee and staff had The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada been implementing parts of the plan prior to the Council 203 – 4920 Dundas St W meeting and already we are seeing the first positive results. Toronto ON M9A 1B7, Canada Internet: [email protected] Web site: www.rasc.ca 5) Council also voted in favour of our new marketing com- Telephone: (416) 924-7973 munications plan. Like the Strategic plan, this is also a first; Fax: (416) 924-2911 it is also beginning to show early positive results for the Canadian Publications Mail Registration No. 09818 Canada Post: Send address changes to 203 - 4920 Dundas St W, Toronto ON M9A 1B7 Society. Canada Post Publication Agreement No. 40069313 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada 6) Council ratified the Executive and Light-Pollution Abate- Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. ment Committees’ approval of the Jasper National Park Dark-Sky Preserve application. With a land area of 1.1 million hectares, Jasper is Canada’s and the world’s largest dark-sky preserve. Jasper National Park is internationally © 2011 The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. renowned and hosts many thousands of international visi- All rights reserved. ISSN 0035-872X Cert no. SW-COC-005174 tors every year. This designation will help spread the word about preserving the nighttime environment around the 94 JRASC | Promoting Astronomy In Canada June / juin 2011 globe, multiplying our own efforts many times over in the The RASC would not exist without its members, its Centres, years to come. and its volunteers, who work tirelessly at the local and national levels. It is your commitment and dedication that makes our Society 7) Transport Canada has expressed a willingness to work what it is today – a Society internationally recognized for quality collaboratively with the RASC to help educate Canadians and integrity in its work. When I look at the list of success about the safe and responsible use of green-laser pointers, stories from the most recent National Council meeting, I am and to help reduce irresponsible and hazardous use of these compelled to acknowledge here and now the superb volunteer devices. Transport Canada acknowledges the legitimacy work done by our members, Centres, committees – indeed, all of green-laser pointer use in astronomy education and of our volunteers. This last year has seen significant contributions outreach activities. Partnering with Transport Canada in from some very busy committees, most especially the this way gives us a golden opportunity to have a say in any Membership and Promotion, Light-Pollution Abatement, future legislation that may be developed around the use of Green-Laser Pointer, Education, and IT committees (well, OK, GLPs. Expect to see more about this collaborative work in the Executive Committee, too). My thanks go to everyone who the months to come. has worked hard to make good things happen in and for the RASC over the past year. 8) Last, but definitely not least, we finally have a full comple- ment of dedicated, competent, and talented staff in the I look forward with great optimism to what the next year National Office.