Montreal Centre Volunteers + Participants    

                                                                                                                              Klingons visit our Centres Info Table

On Saturday Oct 03 2009 the Montreal Centre was invited to participate in the Con*Cept 2009 Science Fiction Convention.

In order to show everyone what celestial objects look like when viewed through a telescope, we posted images of Jupiter, Saturn and the Andromeda Galaxy at the far end of the Exhibits room and pointed a telescope at these images.  For the many dozens of conventioneers who stopped by our Centres Information Table this was their first ever view through a telescope.  Many were amazed at what can be seen with even the smallest of Astronomical Instruments.

We also displayed a replica of the original “Galileoscope” and this was of great interest to our visitors.  

Bruno Paul Stenson brought his Meteorite collection and everyone marvelled at these magnificent “Rocks from Outer Space”.  

David Shuman and Paul Simard presented their amazing Mars 3D and Palomar 3D movies while Bettina Forget and Sandiago Lopez distributed Star finders, magazines and other IYA materials.

It was indeed a lot of fun and I am sure we will be invited back next year at Con*Cept 2010.

A big “Thank You” to everyone who participated.

Bill + Kevin Setting up Refractor

 

15in F5 Reflector waiting for Sunset

On Saturday September 19 2009 the Montreal Centre hosted a Members Only Starparty at our Centres Dark Observing Site ”Wooly Woods”.  Located near St.Crysostome Quebec Wooly Woods is the Montreal Centres darkest observing site (mag 6.1 skies) that is within a 45minute drive from Montreal. 

Many of our Centres Messier graduates will tell you, this is one of their favorite sites, as all of the Messier Objects can be observed from Wooly Woods.  This site has also proven to be good for Astro Photography.     

The 15 or so members that were present were treated to clear and transparent skies all night.  Nearly impossible to see from Montreal, many of our newer members marvelled at the Milky Way as it stretched from Cassiopea across the Summer Triangle then all the way down to Saggitarius .

Using the 15in f5 Reflector we were treated to spectacular views of both the Veil Nebula (East) and (West) the Saturn Nebula, M13 and the smaller NGC6207 Galaxy nearby,  and dozens of faint galaxies, globular clusters and extended objects. 

As usual Jupiters moons put on a great show and many of Jupiters Temperate Belts were visible in even the smallest of telescopes.

Bill Strople brought an older Edmond Scientific 4in f16 Refractor which had surprisingly good optics.  

For some of our members perhaps the icing on the cake was their first ever view of our Solar Systems 8th Planet, Neptune.

It was wondeful to see the weather co-operate on this particular night and everyone present was well rewarded with exceptionally clear and steady skies. 

A memorable observing session!!

Rain or shine, the RASC Montreal Centre meets once a week during the summer months at the Morgan Arboretum in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. We present a free public lecture (even if the skies are cloudy), followed by some stargazing (weather permitting). This month, RASC Montreal Centre member and VP Bettina Forget will lead a presentation and workshop to get you started in astronomical drawing.

Abstract:
Everyone I know is a much better artists than they think they are. There is something uniquely absorbing about sketching an astronomical object. You become much more familiar with every nook and cranny of a lunar crater, and the exact positions of every star in an open cluster will be etched into your brain forever once you put pencil to paper. Sure, it takes a bit of practice, but not as much artistic talent as you think it does. Everyone - everyone! - can learn how to produce a decent sketch.

Bettina will show you some drawings rendered by well-known astronomers (Galileo Galilei among them!), and then give you a set of useful drawing tips. Following the presentation you will be given drawing supplies and put theory into practice. If you’re inspired you can even take your sketching paper outside and try your skills right at the eyepiece during our stargazing session (here’s hoping for clear skies!).

About the Speaker:
Bettina Forget is a full-time visual artist living in Montreal. Her work focuses on astronomical subjects, and her work has been exhibited internationally in group and solo shows. Bettina is the Director of Exhibitions of the International Association of Astronomical Artists, the Vice President of the RASC Montreal Centre, and the organizer of Yuri’s Night Montreal. She also owns and runs the Visual Voice Art Gallery in Montreal’s Belgo building.

Saturday, July 18. 2009
Draw Like Galileo - Astronomical Drawing Workshop
presented by Bettina Forget
Morgan Arboretum
Visitor’s Centre
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
starting at 8:00 p.m.

Note: drawing materials will be provided. This is a free event.

On Tuesday June 23 2009 the Montreal Centre hosted the Starparty at Coopers Aviation in St-Lazare Quebec. The skies remained clear all night and the dozen or so members present were treated to particularly good seeing conditions.

At 10:00 pm we were also treated to a spectacular fireworks display put on by the town of St-Lazare in celebration of St. Jean Baptiste.

On his way to the RASC Messier certificate Ron Baran bagged yet another 8 Messier Objects while David Shuman  and Paul Simard setup for a night of Astrophotography.  Earlier in the evening one of the Pilots that had just landed his plane at Coopers came over to see what we were doing and he was well rewarded with his first ever look at the planet Saturn.  The WoW planet surely did not disappoint him.

An excellent observing outing indeed !!

At a recent “Saturday Under The Stars” IYA 2009 event held at the Morgan Arboretum, Kevin Kimball, a member of the board of Directors of the RASC Montreal Centre gave an out of this world learning experience to everyone present.. Kevin took visitors and RASC members outside to do a “Walk of the Solar System”. Starting in the Parking Lot of the Arboretum with a basketball to represent the sun Kevin started the walk. After walking the proportionate distance in relation to the sun’s size and distance to the planets, Kevin then stopped and explained Mercury’s relationship (in size, distance, speed etc.) to the other bodies in the solar system. Kevin continued this “Walk of the Solar System” (always using the proportionate sizes of the planets and their distances). When we arrived at Neptune’s appropriate distance from the sun we found ourselves’ past the main gate of the Arboretum’s entrance, in front of the Doppler radar. At this point everybody opted not to continue on to the edge of the Kuiper Belt which Kevin calculated to be by proportion, somewhere near Florida.

It was acclaimed by all present to have been a fantastic lesson that would never be forgotten. The relative size and distances in out solar system will now rest thoroughly implanted in our senses and will be better appreciated due to Kevin’s unique teaching approach.

A second treat was offered later that night when we were given a brief and impromptu presentation by one of our visitors. Deborah Hambly of the Northland, New Zealand “Skydome Observatory” exclaimed the sights and wonders which she and the visitors to her observatory enjoy under the clear skys . She charmed us with vivid descriptions of the Magellanic Clouds and some of the lore concerning the Southern skys over New Zealand. This was truly a wonderful and unexpected treat.

After theses two great presentations, several members and visitors headed to the meadow where between cloudy skys they managed to enjoy several telescope views.

A good time was had by all, a special thanks to Kevin and to Deborah Hambly.

Mark your calendars for Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, 2009! To celebrate the International Astronomy Day on May 2nd, the Montreal Planetarium is teaming up with the RASC Montreal Centre to host a star party at the Morgan Arboretum at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. Weather permitting, you’ll be treated to views of Venus and Saturn as you get a chance to peek through the telescopes brought to the event by members of the RASC.

Planetarium & RASC Montreal Centre Star Party
May 1 & May 2, 2009 - 8:00 p.m. until midnight
Morgan Arboretum Visitor’s Centre
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue

Another Galileo Moment! Captured during the RASC Montreal Centre’s participation in Earth Hour (photo by Ron Baran).

The RASC Montreal Centre has been very actively participating in the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA 2009). The goal of the IYA 2009 Canada is to create one million Galileo moments during the International Year of Astronomy.  A Galileo Moment is tabulated each time that a “Newbie” discovers the wonders of astronomy. By the beginning of April, over 750 Moments have been reported by the Montreal Centre. Across Canada the total Galileo Moments now stands at  over 153,659. Now that the weather has improved we expect our numbers in the Montreal region and throughout Canada to explode. Perhaps our Centre will be the club to report the one millionth Moment. Everyone is welcome to join us in creating more Galileo Moments, all local IYA 2009 events are listed on the RASC Montreal website http://www.rascmontreal.org/ or on the National site http://www.astronomy2009.ca/.

(Ron Baran & the RASC Montreal Centre IYA 2009 committee)

During the academic year (fall, winter, and spring) the RASC Montreal Centre offers a free public lecture every first Thursday of the month. This month’s lecture titled Galileo: He Looked and Changed the World is presented by Bruno Paul Stenson.

Lecture Abstract:
In 1609, one man using a simple wooden tube and glass lenses proved the universe to be a place very different from what most people were prepared to believe. In an entertaining, illustrated lecture, historian Bruno Paul Stenson presents the evolution of our view of the universe, the revelations brought to Galileo Galilei through the ten-new telescope, and a look at Galileo himself as he struggled through social, religious and familial circumstances to bring a new reality to the world.

Bruno Paul Stenson graduated from Concordia and McGill universities with degrees in psychology, education, public relations management, and history. Professionally, Bruno is a historian specializing in the social histories of New France, Victorian Montreal, and Expo 67.

Galileo: He Looked and Changed the World
Bruno Paul Stenson
Vanier College, room B-223
821 Ste-Croix Ave, Ville St-Laurent
Thursday, March 5, 2009
8:00 p.m.