BAS Events for 2013
Astronomy Week BAS
celebrates Astronomy Week (Apr 14 to 21, 2013) with a talk at the Grey Roots Museum called Celebrate the Night Sky followed
by public star viewing if clear. There are displays on astronomy on Saturday (usually Heroes Park, Owen Sound City Hall) and
a night viewing session later that evening at the ES Fox Observatory at the Bluewater Outdoor Ed Centre. BAS Summer Programs 2013
BAS has a week-long
astronomy camp for kids and 5 public stargazing sessions for visitors to the area. Details follow:
Kids
Astronomy Day Camp is a week of fun astronomy activities (Jul 29 to Aug 2, 2013) for kids from 8
to 13 years of age and includes daytime indoor and outdoor activities in astronomy and space science. It also includes
a field trip to two real and very different observatories in this area. There is one (optional) night time star gazing session
midweek where we observe from the ES Fox Observatory. Instructors are Joan Skelton & John Hlynialuk of the Bluewater Astronomical
Society. Contact info and registration forms can be obtained from Joan or John (see contact page for emails). Fee is
$170 for the full week and includes a bus field trip to Keppel Henge (Big Bay) and Quetican (Lion’s Head).
Summer Stargazing Sessions happen Tuesday nights July 30, Aug 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 7:30 pm and offer
an indoor star talk followed by stargazing from the ES Fox Observatory if weather permits. Bring clothes for cool weather,
a flashlight and bug repellant. Talks are on general astronomy and backyard stargazing.
Admission Fees apply with
proceeds to the observatory maintenance:
$15/adult ($5 refund if no observing)
Family
price $30 (2 adults + children 18 and under).
BAS membership ($40) provides additional observing
sessions and access to the ES Fox Observatory as well as telescopes for loan and other benefits. See contact page for details.
| Astronomy Kids Camp participants 2012 |
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2013 BAS Astronomy Events
Note: BAS Meetings and Night Sky Tours at Grey Roots Museum are open to the public
and there is no charge. BAS viewing at ES Fox Observatory is members and guests only except
on public observing nights. Individuals or groups may request special tours by contacting Joan Skelton, email: andromeda@gto.net or John Hlynialuk, email: stargazer@wightman.ca Note: Google Location of ES Fox Observatory is 3092 Bruce Rd 13, Ontario
And our Grey Roots viewing location is: 102599
Grey Road 18, Ontario
EVENTS FOR Spring 2013 (March to May):
MARCH
Mar 2 Sat
Port Elgin Rotary Tour of ES Fox 10:30 pm -a private
event in appreciation for the contributions of the PE Rotary to the ES Fox Observatory building project. [Contact: John Hlynialuk
stargazer@wightman.ca]
Mar 6 Wed BAS meeting
Grey Roots Museum Multipurpose Room 7 pm BAS Members Annual General
Meeting where we elect new executive as required, present financial reports, vote on budget items, preview club events for
2013 and get to know each other again. Since this is an official club “GM”, BAS members/guests only please. Please
enter the Multipurpose Room from the side (West) entrance.
Mar 9 Sat
Messier Marathon ES Fox @dark, a dusk ‘til dawn event. This is a dusk to dawn
event. Come prepared for a long stay if you want to see the maximum number of Messier objects. There are a total of 110 and
the all theoretically can be seen in one night. The best that we have done is about 80%. Bring your own record sheet (available
on BAS Maps and Charts page). There will be detailed finder charts at the Fox Observatory. Note: for this to be a 100% night,
a lot has to go right! [Contact: John Hlynialuk stargazer@wightman.ca]
Mar 16 Sat
Messier Mar. (backup) ES Fox @dark, see above for details -backup night
Mar 16, 17, 18 Sat, Sun, Mon
Jupiter and the Crescent Moon in Hyades star cluster with Pleiades nearby -a pretty collection of objects viewable from anywhere
with low western horizon. This group sets by midnight so there is plenty of time after dark to watch. It happens again in
mid April.
Mar 16 on-> Comet PanSTARRS may be naked eye. Look in the west just after sunset.
The comet rounds the sun in early March and it is hoped that it will brighten to be noticeable in twilight above the western
horizon. The crescent moon is nearby on Mar 12 and 13. It should be its best in the last part of March, but the moon is also
brightening towards full on the 26th, so viewing will be better mid-March. On April 3, the comet passes M31 in Andromeda.
Starry Night shows it visible both in the morning and evening sky at this time. NOTE: Comets are notoriously unpredictable
and this one may fizzle as did Comet Elenin a year ago. A reputable comet researcher has predicted a possible magnitude 2
for this comet at its peak during the first few days of April. Keep your fingers crossed.
Mar 23 Sat
Earth Hour ES Fox Earth Hour is from 8:30 to 9:30 pm but since the
site is a Dark Sky Preserve anyway, we will not be doing anything formal. However, the moon is waxing and we will be using
our telescopes to observe it’s mountains, craters and locating some of the Apollo landing sites. One of our scopes will
be doing live video camera viewing. Public welcome (no charge)
APRIL
Apr 3 Wed
BAS meeting Grey Roots Museum Multipurpose Room
7 pm Astronomy Trivia Quiz Night, Teams (3 or 4) rack up points for correctly answering astronomy questions of various difficulties.
Prizes awarded. A fun social night for beginners and experts alike. This will be a good way to bone up on your astronomical
knowledge as well as having some fun. New members and visitors welcome. Short Business meeting precedes.
Please enter
the Multipurpose Room from the side (West) entrance. Public welcome (no charge)
Apr 6 Sat (LQ+4)
BAS viewing @Fox Galaxies of the Virgo Cluster (and probably a quasar 3C273) will be the main targets for
tonight. Backup night for this event is Apr 13 Sat NM+3. Normally BAS viewing nights are for members and guests only, and
are not open to the general public. However, if you contact us ahead of time by email (click on the Contact Us link
above) we would be glad to accommodate you, especially if you are from out of the area.)
Apr 12 to 14 (NM+3)
Another pass of the crescent moon through the gap between the Pleiades and Hyades in Taurus. Visible from anywhere with low
western horizon, setting around 10:30 pm. A great start to International Astronomy Week.
Apr 14 to 20
International Astronomy Week
Apr 16 Tue (FQ-2) Celebrate the Night Sky
talk at the Grey Roots Museum, 7:30 pm. Speaker: John Hlynialuk: What’s Up for 2013? Public viewing afterwards in the
parking lot 9 pm. BAS Members & scopes will be present to share the skies. If weather prevents viewing the backup date
is Apr 20 (Astronomy Day) at the Fox Observatory. Public welcome (GR admission fee)
Apr 20 Sat (FQ+2)
Astronomy Day ES Fox A public event, all are welcome. Come out to view the mountains
and craters of the moon, the planets Jupiter and Saturn, clusters of stars, nebula and distant galaxies through the largest
telescope in regular use for public astronomy education in Canada. Please park near the Learning Centre and follow the
red lights to the ES Fox building. No vehicles are allowed at the observatory while we are hosting star parties. Bring a red
flashlight if you have one. Dress warmly as it is very cool at night. Hot chocolate will be provided. Public welcome (no charge)
Apr 28 Sun Saturn reaches opposition (magnitude 0.1) tonight but
it has been good viewing for several months both before and after. A planet at opposition rises in the East at dark and reaches
its highest point in the sky at midnight as it arcs to the western horizon. It sets at dawn, so Saturn will be visible ALL
NIGHT LONG. The best views are for the hour or two around midnight when the planet is farthest above the distorting effects
of the Earth’s atmosphere. Saturn’s ring tilt is about 18° in April and it decreases slightly this spring.
MAY
May 1 Wed BAS meeting
Grey Roots Museum Multipurpose Room 7 pm Speaker: Brian Reis our “astronomical weatherman” speaking
on “Weather and Astronomy -Nature at its Finest!” . Short business meeting precedes talk. Please enter the Multipurpose
Room from the side (West) entrance. Public welcome (no charge)
May 4/5 Sat/Sun (LQ+2,3)
BAS viewing @Fox Eta-Aqu meteors The peak of this meteor shower occurs around 2 am May 5, i.e. during dark
hours. We would see around 60/per hour if the moon were not in the sky but since it is waxing gibbous, maximum numbers will
be reduced. There is a backup BAS viewing night on Saturday, May 11(NM+1) but the shower will be over by then and just a regular
dark sky viewing night (moon is new) will take place. Normally BAS viewing nights are for members and guests only, and are
not open to the general public. However, if you contact us ahead of time by email (click on the Contact Us link above)
we would be glad to accommodate you, especially if you are from out of the area.
May 10 Fri (NM+1)
Public viewing Grey Roots Museum parking lot at 9 pm will hold the second of this year’s public viewing
nights. Note that due to logistic issues, the large Webster telescope will not be used at the museum for public viewing. Use
of the Webster will be at public viewing events only at the ES Fox Observatory. However the GR viewing nights will feature
several 12-inch telescopes that will be manned by BAS members. There will be views of Saturn, Jupiter, Venus (and possibly
a very thin crescent moon) as well as cluster, nebula and galaxies.
If you have a telescope that you need help with,
please bring it along and one of our members can give you some pointers. Public welcome (no charge)
May 11 Sat
Bluewater Outdoor Ed Centre re-union takes place at the BOEC Dining Hall starting at
1 pm. This is a BOEC/BEF sponsored event where students and former teachers and principals of the centre return to relive
old times. More information about the program is available at the BOEC website www.oec40.ca . On this occasion, the Royal
Astronomical Society of Canada will announce Canada’s 15th Dark Sky Preserve -the BOEC! BAS assisted in an application
for Dark Sky Preserve status for the 320 acre outdoor ed centre and in November, 2012, that was granted. The presentation
of the plaque will be made at the Saturday event. There will also be tours of the site as well as the observatory and maybe
even some solar telescopes will be in use at the Fox if weather permits. All BAS members and guests are invited to the celebration.
Please let one of the executive know if you can help out with a tour.
May 22-May 30
A rare trio of planets (Venus, Jupiter and Mercury) appears in the West just after sunset. The tightest grouping is
a nice triangle on May 26 (Sun) and even though there is a full moon, it will not spoil the show. This is best viewed over
a low western horizon, so the Fox Observatory is not the ideal location because of the trees to the west. The lake shore would
be ideal. Note: this is not the Victoria Day weekend so the lakeshore will be less peopled!
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