Volume 14 • Issue 5 May 2015 ISSN 1712-4425 peterboroughastronomy.com twitter.com/PtbAstronomical The Reflector Newsletter of the Peterborough Astronomical Association Is the Most Massive Star Still Alive? Images credit: ESO/IDA/Danish 1.5 m/R. Gendler, C. C. Thöne, C. Féron, and J.-E. Ovaldsen (L), of the giant star-forming Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud; NASA, ESA, and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), with acknowledgment to R. O’Connell (University of Virginia) and the Wide Field Camera 3 Science Oversight Committee (R), of the central merging star cluster NGC 2070, containing the enormous R136a1 at the centre. ETHAN SEIGEL he brilliant specks of through their fuel the fastest, in satellite galaxy (and fourth-largest light twinkling in the night only a few million years instead of in the local group) located 170,000 sky, with more and more roughly ten billion like our sun. light years distant. Tvisible under darker skies and Because of this, it’s only the Despite containing only one with larger telescope apertures, youngest of all star clusters that percent of the mass of our galaxy, each have their own story to tell. contain the hottest, bluest stars, the lmc contains the Tarantula In general, a star’s colour corre- and so if we want to find the most Nebula (30 Doradus), a star-form- lates very well with its mass and massive stars in the universe, we ing nebula approximately 1,000 its total lifetime, with the bluest have to look to the largest regions light years in size, or roughly seven stars representing the hottest, of space that are actively forming percent of the galaxy itself. You’ll most massive and shortest-lived them right now. In our local group have to be south of the Tropic of stars in the universe. Even though of galaxies, that region doesn’t be- Cancer to observe it, but if you can they contain the most fuel overall, long to the giants, the Milky Way locate it, its centre contains the su- their cores achieve incredibly high or Andromeda, but to the Large per star cluster ngc 2070, holding temperatures, meaning they burn Magellanic Cloud (lmc), a small, see “R136” on page 16 2 • peterboroughastronomy.com President’s Message Our Thoughts Turn to Spring inally we can anticipate spending On May 16th and 17th we will host our some time under the night sky. It’s 10th annual “Astronomy on the Hill” week- the end of April so we must be ready. end on Armour Hill at the Peterborough FAs I glance out the window and see a light Museum and Archives. We need your help. snow falling I wonder how I could have If you have a telescope, bring it along, if not possibly started this message the way I did. we need volunteers to watch equipment, There’s even a bit of snow on the ground direct traffic and mingle with the public an- from overnight. swering questions etc. Please come out and April means the return of the annual support your club. This is a great weekend Peterborough Regional Science Fair. The for families to get out and participate in live PAA was there again with Sean Dunne, Rick astronomy events. Stankiewicz and myself judging the proj- Rodger Forsyth ects and determining the astronomy award PAA President winners. A write-up is included in this issue of The Reflector. Things Are Heating Up ith winter finally at end of days Ken Sunderland provides a membership we look forward to the warm report that illustrates the vitality of our club. weather; and hopefully clear Dean Shewring has done a great job pull- Wviewing skies. It would be nice to have ing together another display at the Peter- another clear night for viewing for our “As- borough Public Library. Don’t miss out as it tronomy on the Hill” weekend on Armour is on now until May 4. Hill, May 16-17. Member Doug Armstrong sent along a tip Rick Stankiewicz has been prolific this that R&D Magazine offers a free newsletter if month. He has a light pollution article with you are interested in science and engineer- respect to Quaker Oats, a report from the ing news. He notes that they have many Hayden Planetarium in New York City, astronomical news items. Check out this NY, a photo gallery submission of the most example: http://tinyurl.com/qgzt3pp recent lunar eclipse, and a review of Jacob Berkowitz’s lecture at Trent. Roger Forsyth provides a report of the re- cent Regional Science Fair and the award- ing of the Frank Hancock Award to some deserving students. The Reflector John Crossen has an opinion on Buzz Al- drin’s recent plea to the U.S. Senate to fund The Reflector is a publication of the Peterborough Astronomi- cal Association (P.A.A.) Founded in 1970, the P.A.A. is your local a Mars colony and explains why the former group for astronomy in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. astronaut’s arguments don’t hold water and www.peterboroughastronomy.com • [email protected] counter-argues from the precedant of the Phone: 705.292.0729 Club Mailing Address International Space Station that a multina- Rodger Forsyth, President Peterborough Astronomical Association tional, global mission is a better philosophy 536 Robinson Road RR #1 for our interplanetary dreams. Peterborough, ON K9J 6X2 Vol 14 • Issue no. 5 • May 2015 • 3 The Reflector A Light Pollution Abatement Win RICK STANKIEWICZ ny form of pollution is This is called glare. It may be a neighbour’s something that has a detrimental yard light that shines light onto your prop- effect on us or our environment. We erty, or worse yet, into your house. This is Atend to think of air, water and noise pollu- called light trespass. LP often boils down tion, but light can fall into the same catego- to excessive, or over-lighting or misdi- ry and be just as harmful to your health and rected lighting. LP has been linked to many the environment. Light pollution (LP) can negative effects on human health including take many forms. Consider your reduced cancer, to detrimental effects on nocturnal visibility when a driver does not dim their organisms and just plain wasted energy. headlights as they approach you at night. See “Quaker” on page 15 4 • peterboroughastronomy.com The 46th Annual Regional Science Fair Planet Mars: Can it sustain life as we know? The Frank Hancock Award Winners, Madison Earle and Madyson Graham, pose with their project. Photo by Sean Dunne. ROGER FORSYTH domes made from foam-core with hand drawn images applied. he PAA had three members present The runner up and recipient of a one year at the Regional Science Fair on April family membership to the paa was Ga- 8th offering their services as judges, briel Sikma. His project titled “Telescopes Ttwo of which were award presenters. There Through Time” was very well presented. He were 215 students presenting over 160 proj- started with the inventor of the telescope ects, five of which were astronomy related. and traced its history up to the Hubble. Rick Stankiewicz, Sean Dunne and I spent He constructed a small reflector through the entire day there and following our du- which you could see the moon, an image ties as science fair judges we also judged cleverly hidden at the top of his display and the astronomy related projects to determine illuminated by a small flashlight attached the winner of The Frank Hancock Award to his telescope. He mentioned that he and and the one year family membership. Our his family attended the Earth Hour event on choice for the $100 Frank Hancock Award Armour Hill this year. A good candidate for was “Planet Mars, Can it sustain human life the family membership award. as we know?” The project was designed by Following all the judging and waiting the Madison Earle and Madyson Graham in the appropriate time Sean Dunne and I were Junior category grades 7-8. They spoke well on-stage with a number of other “dignitar- of their project which included “survival” continued on next page When it Comes to Moons, Jupiter Outshines Them All Vol 14 • Issue no. 5 • May 2015 • 5 The Reflector continued from previous page Telescopes Through Time. Runner up, Gabriel Sikma sits with his project. Photo by Sean Dunne. ies” for the award presentation. I met and sat next to Dr. Ray Marsh the person that started it all in 1970. Dr. Marsh will also be our guest speaker for the May 1st meeting. Rick Stankiewicz stayed with us to photo- graph the presentations. We started with the runner up and wrapped it up with the 1st place winners. Sean Dunne was on his feet many times presenting ieee awards. It was a full day. We arrived around 8:00 a.m. and left there around 4:30 p.m. The paa has been well represented over the years and I hope the tradition continues. Thank you Rick and Sean for your support this year and maybe we’ll see you next year. Award Presentations. PAA President, Roger Forsyth, presents the Frank Hancock Award to Madison Earle and Madyson Graham (top) and a one year PAA Family Membership to runner up Gabriel Sikma (bottom). Pho- tos by Rick Stankiewicz. 6 • peterboroughastronomy.com Our Changing Solar System Our Library Lobby Display “Our Changing Solar System”, with (L to R) Sean Dunne, Ken Sunderland and Dean Shewring. Photo by Rick Stankiewicz. DEAN SHEWRING onday, April 27 saw the from stalwart astrophotographer Rick unveiling of a new display for the Stankiewicz.