General Assembly & Saskatchewan Summer Star Party

by Richard Huziak and Kathleen Houston, SSSP Registrars

Hello everyone! Greetings from the General Assembly/Sask Summer Star Party - Aug 13 - 16, 2009!

Well - it is 2 weeks to go to the first-ever RASC General Assembly held at a Dark-Sky Preserve, or a star party, for that matter, and here's the poop!

Sarnia's First IYA Event

by Ron Warren, Sarnia Centre

Sarnia Centre's first IYA 2009 event promoting astronomy was successful. We weren't sure how many kids and parents would come out, but there were over 70... with kids making up at least 40, and many were girls!

Victoria IYA Events

by Chris Gainor, Victoria Centre

The Victoria Centre is continuing with IYA events, including an exhibition of astronomical photos at the Bay Centre downtown Victoria in February and at Victoria International Airport in March. Many people passing by the exhibits stopped and picked up IYA literature and had "Galileo moments." And another event...

On March 22 I took part in one of the more unusual events happening anywhere in connection with the International Year of Astronomy, the Star Gazers tour of Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria.

Results of the Special Event IYA Call Sign, January-February, 2009

I have received reports from the following radio amateurs who indicated they were going to be active during the IYA Ham Radio Prefix Period. They had requested the Special IYA Ham Radio card that they could used to send to the contacts they made.

Bill Haskin, VA3AY; Robert Mazur, VA3ROM; Karl Hamilton, VE3RRP; Gary Hammond, VE3XN; Steven Leblanc, VE9SY; and Tony Fonseca, VE7ACF.

One of the most active for the IYA initiative was Paul Leger, VE9NC.

Victoria Member's IYA Project in France

by Jack Ruitenbeek, Victoria Centre

24" ZeroDur Mirror

By Dave Gamble

The telescope mirror we are about to discuss has not led an ordinary life, nor is it an ordinary optic. The bouncing baby 24" ZeroDur blank came out of the annealing oven in the early 1970's weighing 120 pounds. It was four inches thick and sported a ten inch central perforation.

Colours of the Stars at Bel Ayr Schoolby Dave Chapman, Halifax CentreOn January 27, I presented "The Colours of the Stars" to 44 Grade 6 students at Bel Ayr School in Dartmouth. The week before, I gave them some prep work to do: several questions about stars to warm them up. I also had them make 6 large paper disks with different star names and colours: Aldebaren (orange), Betelgeuse (red), Procyon (light yellow), Rigel (blue), Capella (yellow), Sirius (white). These are the 6 brightest winter stars at our latitude.

2009 Donors to the International Year of Astronomy Appeal

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