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Editorial[From the RASCals discussion group:www.rasc.ca/discussion/index.shtml.Ed]Hi All,My name is Ralph and I am affiliated with the WinnipegCentre of the RASC. I have been a member since 2003,and joining the club was one of the better decisions Ihave made. The RASC, specifically the Winnipeg Centre, hasbeen a source of inspiration for my love of astronomy andscience in general. In the last five years, I have met some reallyfine people from all walks of life, a lot of whom are now my verygood friends.I have been following the discussion on outreach and havenow come to the point where I have to chime in and add myown two cents. A lot of us involved in the discussion have putforth comments and ideas from both sides of the fence and ithas been interesting to read how varied our opinions can be onthe same subject.I personally consider outreach to be a sharing of my passionfor astronomy. I will talk about astronomy to anyone who isinterested or will listen, and have initiated conversations withthose who seemed disinterested at first but joined in readilyonce they felt my passion for the subject. These conversationshave exposed me to a lot of the myths about astronomy thatpeople have come to believe in, and I have been able to set therecord straight on many occasions. These people with whomI have talked are those that some of us have described as “across-section of the stupidity of the common folks,” “idiots,”and “unwashed masses.” This is what has prompted me tosay my piece because these comments simply reek of shallowelitism.First of all, I am just a high-school grad who never hadthe opportunity or resources to attend college or university.Does that make me part of the “stupid common folk?” Am Ian “idiot” because I don’t have a degree? Let me tell you this, Ihave a lot of really good friends within the RASC who are veryhighly educated but do not act snobbish. They realize that thereis more to life than their own expertise and that people are not“stupid idiots” because they don’t share their views or interests.What makes us any different from the rest of the people outthere? Are we so caught up in our own little worlds that wefail to see the big picture? Are we so egotistical as to think thatscience — astronomy in particular — is the only true field ofendeavour and all else is superficial and sub-standard? Whereexactly do we get off thinking that way?So what if a pot-smoking, skateboard-riding, high-schooldropout has no interest in looking through our telescopes andgoing “WOW!” That same “dreg of society” can probably build,from the ground up, an old car and fine tune it to race-readyperformance. Does he think we are stupid because you and IThe Journal is a bi-monthly publication of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canadaand is devoted to the advancement of astronomy and allied sciences. It contains articleson Canadian astronomers and current activities of the RASC and its Centres, researchand review papers by professional and amateur astronomers, and articles of a historical,biographical, or educational nature of general interest to the astronomical community.All contributions are welcome, but the editors reserve the right to edit material priorto publication. Research papers are reviewed prior to publication, and professionalastronomers with institutional affiliations are asked to pay publication charges of$100 per page. Such charges are waived for RASC members who do not have access toprofessional funds as well as for solicited articles. Manuscripts and other submittedmaterial may be in English or French, and should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief.Editor-in-ChiefJay Anderson203 – 4920 Dundas St WToronto ON M9A 1B7, CanadaInternet: editor@rasc.caWeb site: www.rasc.caTelephone: (416) 924-7973Fax: (416) 924-2911Associate Editor, ResearchDouglas HubeInternet: dhube@phys.ualberta.caAssociate Editor, GeneralMichael AttasInternet: attasm@aecl.caAssistant EditorsMichael AllenMartin BeechDave ChapmanRalph ChouDave GarnerPatrick KellyEditorial AssistantSuzanne E. MoreauInternet: semore@sympatico.caProduction ManagerJames EdgarInternet: jamesedgar@sasktel.netContributing EditorsGeoff Gaherty (Through My Eyepiece)Dave Garner (On Another Wavelength)Bruce McCurdy (Orbital Oddities)Philip Mozel (A <strong>Moment</strong> With…)Curt Nason (Astrocryptic)Guy Nason (Carpe Umbram)Andrew I. Oakes (News Notes)Randall Rosenfeld (Art & Artifact)Leslie Sage (Second Light)Gerry Smerchanski (Gerry’s Meanderings)David Turner (Reviews)Don Van Akker (Gizmos)ProofreadersOssama El BadawyMargaret BronsAngelika HackettTerry LeederKim LeitchSuzanne MoreauMaureen OkunDesign/ProductionBrian G. Segal, Redgull IncorporatedAdvertisingJames EdgarInternet: jamesedgar@sasktel.netPrintingMaritime Digital ColourThe Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is published at an annualsubscription rate of $80.00 by The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Membership,which includes the publications (for personal use), is open to anyone interested inastronomy. Applications for subscriptions to the Journal or membership in the RASC,and information on how to acquire back issues of the Journal can be obtained from:The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada203 – 4920 Dundas St WToronto ON M9A 1B7, CanadaInternet: nationaloffice@rasc.caWeb site: www.rasc.caTelephone: (416) 924-7973Fax: (416) 924-2911Canadian Publications Mail Registration No. 09818Canada Post: Send address changes to 203 - 4920 Dundas St W, Toronto ON M9A 1B7Canada Post Publication Agreement No. 40069313We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through thePublications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs.U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IMS of NY, PO Box 1518, Champlain NY12919. U.S. Periodicals Registration Number 010-751.Periodicals postage paid at Champlain NY and additional mailing offices.The Journal is printed on recycled stock.© 2009 The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. All rights reserved. ISSN 0035-872X46 Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009)JRASC April / avril 2009
can’t do what he can? I am sure there are some of us who havenever popped the hoods of our cars and can’t tell the differencebetween a dipstick and a tie rod.The bottom line here is that each and every one of us hassomething that interests us. So what if it’s not astronomy or thesciences? We all come from the same place and will eventuallyend up in the same place. Just because we are different does notmake us better than others. What I feel should really matter isthat we make the most of the time we have and try to make theworld a better place, even if our efforts are insignificant in thelarger scheme of things.The mandate of the RASC in general is the promotionof astronomy and related sciences. Outreach plays a majorpart in achieving that goal. Whichever way it is done, itshould be done. It can be advertised to attract a crowdwho shares our interest...an impromptu, on-the-sidewalk,outside-a-movie-theatre event If, out of the 500 people whomay walk by, only 10 percent stop out of curiosity, then theevent has been worthwhile. If even one of them gains aninterest, albeit only at the enthusiast level, then the eventis a huge success. So, we should not argue about the bestmethod of outreach, but use every opportunity available tous.Most importantly, we must not allow our personalopinions, aired in a public forum, to taint the image ofthe RASC with the stigma of elitism. Our goal is to attractpeople to our interests, not turn them away from us. Weare NOT more special in any way, shape, or form than ourfellow human beings and that concept should be our guidewhen promoting the RASC and astronomy.We have ahead of us, IYA2009. Let us make our mark.Best wishes to all,Ralph A. CroningWinnipeg CentreSociety NewsNew National Office found!On Friday, February 13, a three-year lease was signedfor a new RASC National Office. Our new premises arelocated on the second floor of a medical and professionalbuilding, and are approximately 700 ft 2 . By the time you readthis, the Society will have taken possession on March 1.The new National Office mailing address, effective 2009March 16, is:The RASC203 - 4920 Dundas St WToronto ON M9A 1B7CanadaOur telephone number remains the same (416) 924-7973The landlord has completed some minor alterations at ourrequest, including new carpet and paint and a storage locker.The building is located in “Islington Village” near theIslington subway station. Visitors to National Office will findample visitor parking available for a fully accessible building.The new National Office is significantly easier to reach fromPearson Airport.The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is dedicated to the advancement of astronomy and its related sciences; the Journal espouses thescientific method, and supports dissemination of information, discoveries, and theories based on that well-tested method.April / avril 2009JRASCCelebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009)47
Page 1 and 2: Share a Galileo MomentApril / avril
Page 3: 46 Editorialby Ralph Croning47 Soci
Page 7 and 8: Gold Medal for Exemplary Work in As
Page 9 and 10: wish to do so. For many, this may b
Page 12 and 13: A New Major Observatory in Canadaby
Page 14 and 15: 4. The TelescopeNo effort was spare
Page 16 and 17: e situated at the same corrected fo
Page 18 and 19: enable the OMI to detect several hu
Page 20 and 21: ocks. The sample was sent to the Ha
Page 22 and 23: Figure 9 — This is one of the few
Page 24 and 25: mountain-sheep hunter who has shot
Page 26 and 27: Pen & PixelWinnipeg Centre’s Ralp
Page 28 and 29: A Handwritten Copy of a Report by W
Page 32 and 33: sold. 30 Perhaps the Company or the
Page 34 and 35: with an observer from Red Deer, Bob
Page 36 and 37: Many people believe that the cresce
Page 38: The light curves from a) the Faulke
Page 41 and 42: Figure 3Figure 1will be 52 degrees
Page 43 and 44: A Moment With…Dr. Christian Maroi
Page 45 and 46: GizmosSpringwater Observatoryby Don
Page 47: RegistrationVisit our Web site for
Page 50 and 51: Great ImagesA great image from the
Page 52: Great ImagesMike Wirths writes:My W

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