Mississauga Astronomical Society

Fortyfirst Meeting

Members’ Night

Day:                Friday, May 27, 2005

Chair:         Phil Mozel

Speakers:   Steve Barnes

                   John Boyd

Randy Attwood

Phil Mozel

Digital SLRs

Steve Barnes, of Sky Optics discussed digital SLR cameras for astronomy especially Canons cameras. The Canon Digital Rebel is an excellent astronomy camera. Newly available is the Canon 20Da which is strictly for astroimaging with its mirror lockup feature and higher red sensitivity.

For imaging one needs a camera, adaptor, cable release, extra memory cards and batteries. A laptop and Image Plus software for focusing are also useful because good focus is critical. The cable release can be on the camera or run through the laptop. The camera can be on a tripod, piggyback on a telescope or short exposures can be made through the telescope. Steve showed examples of images he had taken including M13, Omega Centauri, Orion mosaic, M46, Rosette Nebula, Horsehead and others.

Steve mentioned two must-have software packages. Images Plus which converts raw images from the camera, stacks, dark subtracts and does flat fields. Noise Ninja is a freeware program to remove noise from images.   A good web resource is YahooGroups_Digital_Astro

Australian Astronomy Adventure

John Boyd described the trip to Australia that he and Dairne took last April. He showed slides of the Anglo Australian Telescope at Siding Spring, the City of Broken Hill, the Australian National Observatory at Mount Stromlo and its destruction by fire in 2003. The 74” reflector was destroyed. The only instrument left and functioning is the laser range finder used for satellite motion and tracking. John also showed a picture of Crux and α and β Centauri.

RASC General Assembly, Kelowna B.C.

Randy Attwood attended the general assembly of the RASC in Kelowna on the Victoria Weekend. He described the council meeting, new officers of the Society, and paper sessions on Saturday. At the General assembly, Randy gave a presentation about the possibility of a new planetarium in the GTA. Dave Lane, who had previously talked to the MAS, discovered a second supernova. Alan Dyer gave an astrophotography talk as did Rajiv Gupta and Jack Newton. James Matthew gave the Ruth Northcott lecture on the MOST spacecraft.  The MOST team’s outreach component involves a contest for public proposals, aimed especially at high schools and amateur astronomers, for science to be done with the spacecraft. 

Historical Vignette

Phil Mozel recounted the story of Berenice’s hair. The star group has been associated at times with the tuft of Leo’s tail, or a sheath of wheat held by Virgo and has also been called Ariadne’s hair. In the third century B.C., Bernice, a descendant of Cleopatra, married Ptolemy III of the Egyptian dynasty. After he left for war in Syria, Bernice presented her hair as an offering in the temple of Aphridite for his safe return. After the hair disappeared, the court astronomer pointed out the that the gods are pleased with the offering and put the lock among the stars for eternity, the current Coma Berenices. Phil also mentioned the poem “The Lock of Bernice” in which the hair itself angrily narrates its tale of being placed in the sky and its desire of being reunited with Berenice.

Submitted by Chris Malicki, Secretary  Chris Malicki, Secretary                               back to M.A.S. meeting reports page
Mississauga Astronomical Society