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What's New at the Observatory?

There are still a couple of safety issues in the dome to clear up and the display areas of the observatory are still being prepared, but we hope to be able to start public tours soon after the official opening of the building May 25th.

The Transit of Venus on June 5th

The Transit of Venus is among the rarest astronomical phenomena and won't happen again until the year 2117! What is a "transit" and why is it so important?

A transit happens when a planet (in this case Venus) comes between the Earth and the Sun, so that its disc is outlined against the bright disc of the Sun. This happens rarely because the orbits of Earth and Venus are not in exactly the same plane, but each are inclined by a different amount. Careful timing of the event has led to a precise determination of the distance between the Sun and Earth.

Here are two excellent videos about the importance of the transit:
Transit of Venus, Part One
Transit of Venus, Part Two

Not all areas of the Earth will see the transit on June 5th. In Corner Brook we will only witness the beginning of the transit; the Sun will set while Venus is still visible against the solar disc. We hope to have our new solar telescope installed in time to have a public viewing - with a little luck from the weather!
Check back here for more information.

April is Global Astronomy Month!

Amatueurs and professional astronomers around the world are celebrating the sky this month. There are numerous events scheduled world-wide, including global star parties and remote (online) observing. Find out more from an international blog by Astronomers Without Borders.

First Student Photos from Our Telescope!

On April 3rd the Physics 2151 class held a poster session containing several images they took with the new telescope. Despite the terrible weather this term, the enthusiastic students were able to be the first class to use the telescope!

This Fall, students in EaSc 2150 - The Solar System - will again have opportunities to use the telescope, both for observing and for course projects.

Right: The spiral galaxy Messier 51 in the constellation of Canes Venatici, close to the Big Dipper. It is often known as the Whirlpool Galaxy because of its spiral arms containing many hot, newly formed stars. The bright object just below it is a smaller companion galaxy which is thought to be interacting with it. M51 is approximately 26 million light-years distant.

Left: The strange appearance of Messier 82 or the Starburst Galaxy, has been revealed by telescopes in orbit to be due to several highly energetic star-forming (or starburst) regions around its central super-massive black hole. One of our galaxy's closer neighbours, it is about 12 million light-years away.

Right: One of the most photographed objects in the northern skies, the Orion Nebula is also one of the brightest nebulae, visible to the naked eye as the middle "star" in Orion's sword. At a distance of 1300 light years, it is the closest region of massive star formation and has been extensively studied at all wavelengths to understand the birth and early development of stars and planetary systems. The red and green "fuzzy" areas are due to clouds of dust and gas left over from star formation, glowing as they are energized by the new, hot stars.

 

FIRST LIGHT THROUGH THE TELESCOPE!!! Saturday 29 October 2011

Saturday, 29 October saw "first light" through the new Grenfell Observatory 0.60 m telescope! Starlight hit the mirror for the first time. Although cloudy, we were able to use "holes" in the clouds for the initial testing. Ian Huss (left) and Richard Neel (off camera) of DFM Engineering completed the check of the telescope's polar alignment - it's OK! - and initial focusing. On hand to assist were Grenfell's thrilled astronomers Doug Forbes (centre) and Darlene English (right).