RASC eNews

Bizzion Galaxies

If you are a lover of distant galaxies, you must be full of joy at this time of year. Stretching from the Bowl of Ursa Major all the down to the highly populated grouping known as the Virgo cluster, literally hundreds of galaxies are available for your choosing. Depending on the light gathering power of your telescope, some might be out of your viewing range. But do not fret; there is a nice combo of semi bright and extremely faint grey smudges to choose from.  

In addition to all the usual events at a GA, this year's Astronomy Roundup will have five 1/2-day paper sessions presented by more than 35 professional and amateur astronomers.

The Friday paper session kicks off with a talk from Dr. Jaymie Matthews on the MOST satellite and what it teaches us about variable stars. The afternoon will continue with more talks about observing variable stars and ends with brief teaser presentations describing the poster papers that are available for viewing throughout the weekend.

Congratulations are in order for Chris Gainor, member of the Victoria Centre and former National Council representative who has recently published a new book entitled: Canada In Space: The People & Stories behind Canada's Role in the Exploration of Space.

Canada In Space follows the inventions and people that helped catapult Canada beyond Earth's skies. From the Avro Arrow and early Canadian inventions like the Alouette I to modern day shuttle missions with Canadian astronauts including Julie Payette, Chris Hadfield and Marc Garneau.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, stimulating worldwide interest not only in astronomy, but in science in general, with a particular slant towards young people. IYA2009 will mark Galileo Galilei’s first use of the telescope for astronomical observations, and will portray astronomy as a peaceful global scientific endeavour that unites astronomers in an international, multicultural family of scientists working together to find answers to some of the most fundamental questions that humanity has ever asked.