NOVANEWSLETTEROFTHEVANCOUVERCENTRERASC VOLUME2018ISSUE1JANUARYFEBRUARY2018 Paul Sykes Lecture – Sat, Jan 27 @ 7:30pm Ice on Mercury, Featuring Dr. Nancy Chabot of Johns Hopkins University SFU Burnaby Campus, Room SWH 10081 Even though Mercury is the Dr. Nancy L. Chabot is a and Case Western Reserve Uni- planet closest to the Sun, there planetary scientist at the Johns versity. She has been a mem- are places at its poles that never Hopkins Applied Physics Labo- ber of five field teams with the receive sunlight and are very ratory (apl). She received an Antarctic Search for Meteorites cold—cold enough to hold wa- (ansmet) program and served ter ice! In this presentation, Dr. as the Instrument Scientist for Chabot will show the multiple the Mercury Dual Imaging Sys- lines of evidence that regions tem (mdis) on the messenger near Mercury’s poles hold water mission. Her research interests ice—from the first discovery involve understanding the evo- by Earth-based radar observa- lution of rocky planetary bod- tions to multiple data sets from ies in the Solar System, and at nasa’s messenger spacecraft, apl she oversees an experimen- the first spacecraft ever to or- tal geochemistry laboratory bit the planet Mercury. These that is used to conduct experi- combined results suggest that ments related to this topic. Dr. Mercury’s polar ice deposits Chabot has served as an Associ- are substantial, perhaps compa- ate Editor for the journal Mete- rable to the amount of water in oritics and Planetary Science, Lake Ontario! Where did the chair of nasa’s Small Bodies ice come from and how did it undergraduate degree in physics Assessment Group, a member get there? Dr. Chabot will dis- at Rice University and a PhD in of nasa’s Planetary Science cuss these questions and others planetary science at the Univer- Subcommittee, and other pro- during this presentation of wa- sity of Arizona. Prior to join- fessional positions. Asteroid ter ice on our Solar System’s in- ing apl, Dr. Chabot worked at 6899 Nancychabot is named in nermost planet. nasa Johnson Space Center her honour. JANUARY 11 SFU FEBRUARY 8 SFU MARCH 8 SFU Terence Lee, senior engineer at MDA: Dr. Sean Dougherty, Director of ALMA Patrick Earl and Matt Cimone (see The Sapphire Space Telescope and (Atacama Large Millimeter/submilli- Meetup for details). Room AQ3159 a history of MDA’s space missions. meter Array). Room AQ3159 Room AQ3159 SWEET Event at Science World – Nov. 10, 2017 2 rasc-vancouver.com JANUARYFEBRUARY2018 President’s Message by Leigh Cummings Greetings to all my fellow star tive events, starting on the Atlantic the lower mainland. There will be gazers. 2018 marks the 150th anni- coast and reaching westwards (and monthly podcasts from rasc Na- versary of The Royal Astronomical of course northwards) to encompass tional telling odd stories and history Society of Canada. We have some many of our Centres. A nation-wide from the archives. There will also great things to look forward to in online welcoming between centre be images and documents of rare the coming year starting on Janu- presidents is also planned for that rasc artifacts to enhance the pod- ary 27th with a cross-country Star day. Throughout the year, there will cast experience. rasc National also Party that combines solar and lunar be events held in collaborations with has plans for special projects and observing, local Centre exhibits and other centres as well as with some competitions for our members to displays, as well as many other fes- of our other partners in science in continued on page 4 About RASC The RASC Vancouver Centre meets at 7:30 to the Treasurer at the address below. Annual essarily those of the Vancouver Centre. PM on the second Thursday of every month at membership includes the invaluable Observer’s Material on any aspect of astronomy should SFU’s Burnaby campus (see map on page 4). Handbook, six issues of the RASC Journal, and, be e-mailed to the editor or mailed to the ad- Guests are always welcome. In addition, the of course, access to all of the club events and dress below. Centre has an observing site where star parties projects. Remember, you are always welcome to are regularly scheduled. For more information regarding the Centre attend meetings of Council, held on the first Membership is currently $78.00 per year and its activities, please contact our P.R. Director. Thursday of every month at 7:30pm in the Trot- ($45.00 for persons under 21 years of age; NOVA, the newsletter of the Vancouver tier Studio in the Chemistry wing of the Shrum family memberships also available) and can Centre, RASC, is published on odd-numbered Science Centre at SFU. Please contact a council be obtained online, at a meeting, or by writing months. Opinions expressed herein are not nec- member for directions. 2018 Vancouver Centre Officers President Leigh Cummings LPA Pascal Pillot-Bruhat Merchandise Kyle Dally [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Vice-President Gordon Farrell Dir. of Telescopes Don Duthie Webmaster Ken Jackson [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Secretary Olivier Eymere Observing Robert Conrad NOVA Editor Gordon Farrell [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer Phil Lobo Membership Suzanna Nagy, Francesca Crema Speakers Scott McGilllivray [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] National Rep. Kenneth Lui Events Coord. Jeremy van den Driesen, Hayley Miller [email protected] [email protected] Past President Suzanna Nagy Librarian William Fearon Education Robert Conrad, Tim Stephenson, Andrew Krysa At Large Howard Trottier, Ken Arthurs, [email protected] [email protected] Bill Burnyeat, Isabelle Eymere Public Relations Scott McGilllivray AOMO Alan Jones Trustee Pomponia Martinez [email protected] [email protected] Honourary President J. Karl Miller 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 PO Box 89608 ment. Please take advantage of this club http://astronomy.meetup.com/131/ 9000 University High Street service and visit often to check out the new http://www.facebook.com/RASC.Van Burnaby, B.C. purchases. Suggestions for future library @RASCVancouver V5A 4Y0 acquisitions are appreciated. JANUARYFEBRUARY2018 rasc-vancouver.com 3 Map to Meeting Site Our Jan-Mar meetings are in st We room AQ3159, located near the ve Dri ity ers southeast corner of the Academic iv P P Un Quadrangle as indicated by the AQ arrow on the map. Lecture Hall Shru m Scie nce Ctr P T So o uth w Pay parking is available at sev- Cam e pus r Rd R eral locations located around d campus (indicated as “P” on the map). Burnaby Mtn Pkwy G a g Un la iv r er d sity i Dri W continued fromve E pageast 4 a y continued from page 3 times. We had to re-apply for our our meeting locations with helpful take part in. Check out our webpage charitable status with the cra as information and possibly a few free- (rasc-vancouver.com) to be kept up well as re-register with the BC So- bies. to date on what is planned for this cieties branch. To accomplish these A new face on council will be big celebration. tasks we also had to update and re- Olivier Eymere who is taking on We start 2018 off with a new write our by-laws and have them the role of Secretary. He has the council for rasc–Vancouver. As a passed by our general membership. essential duty of keeping official re- new president, I am lucky to have Suzanna and Bruce Hutchison were cords of our meetings, events and such a large and enthusiastic council the main drivers behind all of these programs throughout the year. The to help accomplish our goals in the accomplishments and I do not know importance of his job cannot be next 2 years. I think our council is if we would have been successful had overstated, and I’m very thankful he a good reflection of our member- it not been for their keen organiza- is taking it on. ship at large as we have a good mix tional skills and ability to weave Phil Lobo has stepped up to take of men and women both young and their way through the bureaucracies over the Treasurer’s Chair from more mature (as well as a few of us of our governments. Somehow dur- Bruce. This is another essential job more ripened fellows). Our new ing all this turmoil, Suzanna found on council, keeping watch over the council has a healthy blend of both time to put together a President’s purse strings so our members can experienced members and those Manual to assist her followers in do- know their fees are being spent freshly new at their responsibilities. ing their (my) job as President. For wisely. We look forward to working A wide variety of backgrounds also that I am so very grateful! with him in order to accomplish as means a broader spectrum of talent Sharing the duties of Membership much as we can while trying to stay to bring to the table. I look forward Chair with Suzanna will be Franc- on budget. to working with every one of them. esca Crema who served last year as Gordon Farrell is continuing to Suzanna Nagy, our past presi- an At Large Councillor. Guests in- take on the arduous task as Nova dent, has stepped into the position terested in joining rasc–Vancouver Editor.