I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

CorrespondenceCorrespondanceDear Sir,A LIFE OF VARIABLE STARSMy first contact with the Royal AstronomicalSociety of Canada was in 1952. It wasfortunate that a five-month lecture tourof North America was to commence inVancouver and then to continue to otherCanadian astronomical centres. I knewthat most of my audiences had forgottenmore astronomy than I knew. Professionalastronomers throughout Canada were allso helpful and encouraging that they gaveme the confidence for the U.S. tour. HelenHogg, Jack Heard, and many others freelygave helpful advice on the problems thatconcerned me. A very happy result waslife-long friendships.After service in the Royal New ZealandNavy, I settled on Rarotonga in the CookIslands at the end of World War II. ThereI established my observatory to continuemy observations of variable stars. I alsodreamt of establishing a professionalobservatory and of having astronomytaught at a New Zealand University. I hadno idea how I would bring this about, butBrad Wood of Pennsylvania had expressedinterest and hence this first lecture tour.I had established the Variable StarSection (V.S.S.) of the Astronomical Societyof New Zealand many years before. Thislater became the R.A.S.N.Z. Directing itsactivities was a part time job until October1969 when I retired as Astronomer-in-Charge of the Mt. John UniversityObservatory, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.I had, by then, seen my dreams come trueafter heading the Site Selection Survey ofNew Zealand. Along the way I led the multinationalEclipse Expedition to the SouthPacific in 1965; helped establish the NationalCommittee for Astronomy in New Zealand,and being its Chairman for many years;got New Zealand to adhere to the IAU; andbecame New Zealand’s first official delegateto the IAU.Since I retired from Mt. JohnObservatory, my life has been devoted fulltime to directing the activities of the V.S.S.,R.A.S.N.Z. We now have a database ofaround three million observations ofsouthern variables and have taken part injust over 1,000 special programmes requestedby professionals worldwide. The only paidstaff we have is a part-time secretary. Ourwork is financed by subscriptions to ourcharts and other publications and by salesof Paradise Beckons. Grants have suppliedour computers.I have visited Canada on manyoccasions, especially when my elder daughterwas alive. I have visited several Canadianobservatories during these trips but havenot been able to be in the country duringthe annual meetings of your society. Mydaughter was a medical missionary inSaskatoon working with Metis and Indianpeople. This has given me a great love forCanada and its people, especially as I havebeen privileged to experience many facetsof life unknown even to many Canadians.Some of my grandchildren and greatgrandchildrenlive in various parts ofCanada, but my days of travel are over.Frank M. BatesonTauranga, New Zealand[Editor’s Note: Frank M. Bateson has beenan honourary member of the RASC sinceMarch 1984.]Dear Sir:MEDICINE WHEELSI read with great interest David A. Rodger’sletter in the April 2000 issue (JRASC, 94, 44,2000) responding to my article on medicinewheels. The facts he puts forth do challengethe theory of medicine wheels being activeobservatories and I, for one, would like tohave additional information. Progress isnot made by agreement, but by disagreement.Still, certain points should be made.Prehistoric peoples may not have neededsuch accuracy. If a hill stood in their wayand the Sun rose 30 minutes later than ourinstruments tell us, it may not have matteredto them. What was important was that itrose in a certain spot.There is the question of the sunburststone patterns, such as the one found atthe Minton Turtle Medicine Wheel, nearwhat could be a sunrise alignment. Werethese arrangements made for a set purpose?There still remains the question ofthe shapes of these wheels. Were theyaccidental or not? The similarity betweenthe medicine wheels and stone circles foundin Britain, a point raised by Mr. Rodger, ismost interesting. Another question concernsthe relationship of the main axis of a Creesundance lodge and possible sunrisealignments, as well as its similarity to theRoy Rivers medicine wheel.Questions and more questions, allserving to inspire the imagination and pushothers to seek the answers! These answersmay never be found, but seeking them willhelp to push outward the boundaries ofour knowledge concerning prehistoricsocieties. Mr. Rodger’s theories may becorrect. The medicine wheels may neverhave been used as observatories by thePlains Indians; however, until certainquestions can be answered, they may havebeen.In the meantime, I would be glad tohear from anyone who has information ortheories on the subject. I will be writingmore articles on prehistoric astronomy inthe future and perhaps some of thesequestions will be answered. Perhaps morequestions will be raised. Whatever happens,I am sure there will always be that whichcannot be known and that which will alwaysbe questioned.Barbara SilvermanSt. Laurent, QuébecDecember/ décembre 2000 JRASC209