Photo Credit: Dan Falk

When it was completed in 1935, it was the second largest astronomical telescope in the world. The 74 inch reflector was used by astronomer Dr. Tom Bolton to confirm the existence of Cygnus X-1 as a Black Hole, a first in astronomy. Dr. Helen Sawyer Hogg contributed to our understanding of the universe by the decades of research at the David Dunlap Observatory’s mighty telescope. The 190 acres of surrounding undeveloped land are home to deer and over dozens of species of birds. It’s an oasis of astronomy and biology surrounded by the suburbs of Toronto.

The University of Toronto intends to sell the DDO and the surrounding wild space and fetch as much as $100 million dollars in the process. Will we see it snapped up by developers keen on turning the land into houses, offices and strip plazas? I hope not. There’s a strong community voice in Richmond Hill, including Mayor Dave Barrow who wants to see the site preserved. Local government along with community groups such as the Richmond Hill Naturalists have mounted a campaign to offer the U of T a serious alternative to the dismantling and destruction of the DDO. We know that this is the right thing to do. The David Dunlap Observatory represents a major piece of the history of astronomy, as well as the history of Canada.

We can do our part to help but we must act quickly. The University of Toronto has placed a deadline of February 15th, 2008 to decide on submissions for the sale of the facility. Let them know that you want the DDO to remain as a testament to the advancement of the science of astronomy, a part of our heritage and that it should be preserved. Take a moment and fill out this online petition.

Thank you and clear skies!

Photo by Dan Falk -author: Universe on a T-shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything (thanks Dan!)

Well it’s been a while and we’re still catching up. In the summer, News in Space went to Starfest, one of the top Star Parties and Astronomy Conventions in North America. Very soon we will have a series of Starfest episodes posted on AstroShorts. I know many of you have been waiting patiently and you will be rewarded. Starfest attracts over 900 astronomy enthusiasts to Southern Ontario, Canada each year. Its diversity of programs means there is something for everyone. I’m impressed by how such a small group of organizers, the North York Astronomical Association produces such a great event.

The David Dunlap Observatory was one of the world’s leading facilities in Astronomical Research.  Situated in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto, it provided Canadian researchers the ability to explore the universe since the 1930’s.  A lot of real scientific discovery went on at the 74 inch reflector telescope, once considered a Goliath.  Now, it is a victim of progress.  Light pollution from urban growth coupled with more advanced and more capable designs made the DDO less and less important.  It’s hard to justify spending $800,000 per year to operate something that now offers minimal returns.  The shame here is that we could have had gone further with the present facility if the political will existed on all levels of government to use better municipal lighting.  Still, it had to happen eventually.

The facility was a gift to the University of Toronto from Jessie Dunlap in memory of her husband.  The university recently announced that it has reached an agreement with the grandchildren of Jessie and David which allows the closure of the facility and sale of the lands and equipment.  A new facility built with the proceeds will be called the Dunlap Institute.  It will support future astronomical research from the U of T’s St. George Campus.  Final vote is expected in October.

It is sad that this jewel will go missing from Richmond Hill.  A piece of history will be lost.  Progress is like that though; some good with the bad.

It really makes me happy to see the ever-increasing number of visitors to AstroShorts but that is only one part of the equation.  It is the input of our members that makes a difference.  I bet you’ve noticed more than a few videos from AstroShorts member John Crilly who takes some fabulous pictures from his urban observatory.  I urge you to explore them all.  Thanks John for all your valuable contributions.

I’m equally pleased to report that the good people at Astronomy magazine have posted a series of videos on a wide range of topics related to astronomy.  There’s been a great deal of interest from viewers -they’re very popular and we’re really happy to see them available to AstroShorts viewers.

You can upload your own videos too!  Don’t be shy.  Everyone visiting AstroShorts wants to see.  The whole astronomical community benefits every time someone shares their interest of astronomy.  That’s why we are here, doing what we do and why you are visiting right now.

Clear Skies!

I returned recently from a trip to Florida to experience the launch of the Space Shuttle. While there, I was made welcome by members of the Brevard Astronomical Society as well as the staff of the Brevard Community College Planetarium.

The day after the shuttle launch, the good folk of the Brevard Astronomical Society and Melbourne Astronomical Society were engaged in a public event to share views of the sun and other celestial objects. They are wonderful people who really do a great job of bringing the wonder and excitement of astronomy to people of all ages. It was a pleasure to speak with the individual members -we’ll have it all in an upcoming installment of “News In Space”. Of course, we shot some great video at the BCC Planetarium as well. They run many good programs and exhibits from their beautiful location on the Brevard Community College Campus.

We are working on four new episodes of “News In Space” which focus on Florida’s Spacecoast, including the BAS, BCC Planetarium and of course the Kennedy Space Center. I think you’ll enjoy them. If you are visiting that part of Florida, check them out.

I want to thank all the wonderful people from around the world who submitted pictures they took on International Sidewalk Astronomy Night.  AstroShorts is putting them together into a slide show on behalf of the ISAN organizers so everyone can see them.   There are A LOT of pictures so please be patient.  We will have them very soon!   Also, we’ve received a few video entries and I have to say how happy I am to see them.  Please take a moment to visit these entries from Mexico and Australia.   It’s important that we bring astronomy to the public and do so on a regular basis.  Public events like the International Sidewalk Astronomy Night tap into the natural curiosity that people have.  You don’t have to burden people with facts and figures.  Just let them experience it.  Those who dismiss astronomy as a pastime for eggheads are usually the first to be amazed and delighted when they actually see Saturn or Jupiter in a telescope for the first time.  Do you remember your first time?  That’s what need to do more of -give people the chance to experience the cosmos in their own way.  We need to break down the barriers so people can appreciate astronomy and to do this we need to share more often.  This is crucial if we want to attract new people to the hobby and to the science.

Why not upload your own video related to the idea of attracting new people to astronomy?   Our IPOD contest is still on but you need to act soon.  Perhaps you have some ideas for public events and they’ve worked well with your club.  Maybe you have some great video on you last public event or have made an animation that teaches an astronomical concept.  It’s up to you.  It doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production.   Produce it with a web-cam, a handy-cam -whatever!  Don’t be shy.  Contest closes June 23rd.  The winning entry as judged by the AstroShorts community receives an IPOD.

Come on now -be a STAR for the STARS!

Welcome!

It’s the official launch of AstroShorts and I couldn’t be more pleased. About two months ago, AstroShorts started as an idea, a concept of serving the astronomical community with a video-sharing service. Now, instead of traveling the internet in search of astronomy and space video you can find a lot of it right here. Now you can upload your astronomy or space video on this site and find an audience that’s eager to see it.

Register for your own AstroShorts account. It’s easy, it doesn’t cost anything and we don’t share your personal info with anyone. By registering, you can access all the features in AstroShorts, form friendships with other members and share your astronomy or space video. Got a great mod for a webcam? Do you have video of your club’s public event? Do you have an astrophotography technique that you want to share? AstroShorts viewers want to see this.

Win an IPOD!

Right now, we’re running a contest for videos related to attracting new people to astronomy. Got a public outreach idea or a tutorial on how to purchase your first telescope? Upload your video today and you could be the lucky winner of an IPOD! As long as it pertains to attracting new people to astronomy, it qualifies.

Create your Account

To create your free AstroShorts account go to the top right hand corner of the main page and click on “register“. The process only takes a couple of minutes. For security purposes your account will not be activated until you respond to an email from us. You will receive this email within minutes of registering -If your spam filter is aggressive you may want to keep an eye out in the trash or spam folders. Hotmail users take note!

More video is added all the time so please visit often!

Clear Skies!

Steve Bevan