NEWSLETTER OF THE VANCOUVER CENTRE RASC VOLUME 2005 ISSUE 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005 The Night Sky 1 The Night Sky by Ron Jerome Done Dies and Gone... 2 President’s Message 3 The viewing opportunities a sparkling, star-filled sky. this winter have been sparse. There was Orion, and while I Observing Sites 4 Was there a Leonid shower in knew from a Sky and Telescope Upcoming Events 6 November or a Geminid article where to look for Occultations... 8 shower in December? In this Machholz, it was not visible to neighbourhood, who can tell? my spectacle enhanced Members’ Gallery 10 The clouds did part long “naked” eye. It was 11:45pm by enough for Bill Ronald, Phil the time I arrived home (the Looking Ahead Morris and Dan Collier to only problem with astronomy Remember, you are always record the predicted as a hobby is that my day job welcome to attend meetings of Council, held on the first Tues- occultation of (1477) interferes). While my body was day of every month at 7:30pm Bonsdorffia/(80)Sappho, aiming for bed, I knew that I in the G.S.O. although, in their case, it was a had better catch this Jan. 11: Bill Ronald and Dan “fly-by” as they were south of opportunity before the clouds Collier will demonstrate how to observe asteroid occultations. the actual event boundary. settled in on the city again. On the first clear “How was your bridge?” Feb. 8: David Halliday, VP and Director of Special Projects at December weekend I knew Anne asked as I stepped into AMEC Dynamic Structures, Doug Montgomery would the house. “Terrible,” I replied, looks back at successful phone and invite me to go “But I do have a chance to see projects like CFHT, Keck and Gemini and will discuss the viewing. I knew that because I Comet Machholz tonight!” coming next generation of tel- had a dinner party to attend and Taking the binoculars off the escopes. my wife would not let me back closet shelf, I stepped onto the out. Doug wanted to see the front porch and pulled the plug Next Issue Deadline new comet; so did I. on all the Christmas lights Material for the March Nova The next clear night was before walking up the driveway should submitted by Monday, Feb. 28, 2005. Please send the following mid-week. I (yes, Chris, I know they are submissions to: stepped out into the parking lot light pollutants, but it is Gordon Farrell after my Wednesday evening Christmas…). Orion was ([email protected]) bridge game and stared up into continued on page 7 Done Died and Gone to Space Heaven! by Barry Shanko then had to fix a screw up with next few years. If the west isn’t Not quite, but this is as close my press credentials, I didn’t get careful, they’re going to not only as I’m going to get. From October to any of the lectures so I used catch up, but surpass us, and soon. 4 to 8, the International the time to check out the exhibits, A few weeks later, the industry Astronautics Federation (IAF) and there were lots of them; they magazine Aviation Week and 2004 conference visited took up most of Canada Place’s Space Technology paralleled my Vancouver’s convention centre. display area. There were two thinking in a major cover story on This is the largest gathering of types: government and industry. their program. aerospace professionals in the In the industry category were The second surprise was the world with over 2500 registered. outfits like Lockheed-Martin and effort they are putting into I’d read about these conferences our home grown outfits like MDA entering the launch market. They for years, but this was the first and MDRobotics, among others. are developing a series of time I’d been to one, mostly Lots of goodies to be had, ranging launchers not only for their own because they’d always been held all the way from CD-ROMs of program, but are selling them to in places far way and too MDR’s proposed Hubble rescue the rest of the world. Software expensive. to nicely done posters which now geeks aren’t the only ones who With my press credentials, I hang on various walls of mine. should be worried about job was able to attend all the events, But I was surprised Boeing offshoring. displays, lectures and press wasn’t there. For the public, there were conferences for free. Looking In the government category, free lectures every night as part back on it, I think I got more than there were the usual suspects like of an outreach program. The kick my money’s worth. The event NASA, CSA and ESA. The one off was Dr. Bruce Margon, was far too large for me to that surprised me was India’s. Deputy Director of the Space describe in detail, so what follows Two things drew my attention, the Telescope Science Institute. are my impressions of a very busy first being the dedication they Rather than go through week. have to Earth observation everything he said, let’s say Uncle applications. I counted at least Ray has serious competition. MONDAY three different types of satellites You can tell a class outfit by Since I showed up late and they are planning to launch in the continued on page 5 TeleVue, Celestron, Orion, Sky-Watcher, Antares, 1000 Oaks, ScopeTronix… [email protected] • www.heavensandearth.com • Toll Free: 1-866-537-6532 N3/05 2 President’s 2005 Vancouver About RASC Message Centre Officers The Vancouver Centre, RASC meets at 7:30 PM in the auditorium My wife gave me my first President of the H.R. MacMillan Space Cen- astronomy book, NightWatch, as Ron Jerome 604-298-3292 tre at 1100 Chestnut St., Vancou- [email protected] a Christmas present in 1996. I had ver, on the second Tuesday of every just completed an introductory Vice-President month. Guests are always wel- course to the night sky offered at Pomponia Martinez 604-215-8844 come. In addition, the Centre has [email protected] the SFU Downtown Campus. Over an observing site where star par- Secretary ties are regularly scheduled. ten evenings, I had become Brian Morse 604-267-6717 Membership is currently $55.00 familiar with the lunar cycle, had Treasurer per year ($31.25 for persons under learned some basic terminology Marc Verschueren 604-986-1485 21 years of age) and can be ob- and could identify a fair number [email protected] tained by writing to the Treasurer at the address below. Annual of constellations. One of the Librarian membership includes the invalu- sessions had comprised a field trip William Fearon 604-939-1895 able Observer’s Handbook, six is- [email protected] to Stanley Park where the class had sues of the RASC Journal, and, of actually looked at the night sky and Membership course, access to all of the club Dan Collier 604-732-6046 events and projects. put our new found knowledge to CARO Committee Chair For more information regarding work. Another had been a guest Bob Parry 604-215-8844 the Centre and its activities, please visit to a monthly meeting of the [email protected] contact our P.R. Director. NOVA, the newsletter of the RASC Vancouver Centre. Director of Telescopes Vancouver Centre, RASC, is pub- Phil Morris 604-734-8708 Following the course, I lished on odd numbered months. bought a good pair of binoculars Public Relations Opinions expressed herein are not and had my first “wow” Bruce MacDonald necessarily those of the Vancouver [email protected] experience seeing the moons of Centre. Speakers Material on any aspect of as- Jupiter and a hint of Saturn’s rings. Barry Shanko 604-271-0615 tronomy should be e-mailed to the Next came the purchase of a 5" [email protected] editor or mailed to the address on Newtonian. As I learned to waltz Nat’l Rep./Merchandising page 5. the equatorial mount about the Doug Montgomery 604-596-7058 Advertising night sky, my NightWatch became [email protected] my observing diary, the dates of Nova Editor Nova encourages free use of its Gordon Farrell 604-734-0326 classified ads for members with my encounters with various [email protected] items for sale or swap. Notify the celestial objects penned in the Nat’l Rep./Webmaster editor if you wish your ad to run in margins. Not recorded were the Jason Rickerby 604-502-8158 more than one issue. frustrations of being unable to find [email protected] Commerical certain sights in spite of my best LPA Committee Chair efforts. Chris Dolman 604-707-0089 Rates [email protected] I attended some viewing 1/4 Page: $15.00 per issue sessions with various RASC Education Cmte. Chair 1/2 Page: $25.00 per issue Craig Breckenridge 604-437-3103 members and in all cases was Full Page: $40.00 per issue [email protected] Rates are for camera-ready, or struck by their eagerness to share Trustees electronic files. Payment, by their knowledge and instruments Sally Baker 604-324-3309 cheque, must accompany ad ma- with a newcomer. It was somewhat Karl Miller [email protected] terial. Make cheque payable to: intimidating at first because of my RASC Vancouver Centre. continued on page 6 3 Observing Sites Dale McNabb Observatory in Aldergrove Lake Park (RASC Van- couver Centre's regular viewing site) Contact Mike Penndelton (604- 888-1505) or Howard Morgan (604-856-9186) Site of the annual star party organ- ized by the RASC Vancouver Cen- tre Site of the annual Mt.