Explore nature beyond earth
Nature P.E.I. presents Sidewalk Astronomers speaker Nov. 3
The Rib Tickling Wags will be presenting the play, “Is Mrs. Green Fit?” as well as songs and skits at the Alberton Arts and Heritage Centre Nov. 12 and 13. Cast members include, front, from left, Marlene Bolger, Wanda Dunbar, Wanda Matthews, Katherine Boulter; back, Everett Boulter, Roy Arsenault, Bev Arsenault and Ray Arsenault. There is good reason to have a good laugh now and then, suggests one of the organizers of the Rib Tickling Wags’ comedy shows.
“Life is serious enough,” says Vaunda Richards. The 17-member cast of actors, singers and musicians is getting together for two big shows Nov. 12 and 13 at the Alberton Arts and Heritage Centre. Showtime each night is 7 p.m.
This is the group’s fifth year. Their shows serve two purposes - to entertain and to assist the Arts and Heritage Centre with its operating cost.
“Is Mrs. Green Fit?” is the theme of this year’s show. It’s also the title of the play that will be formed as part of the show. The production will also feature songs and skits.
The shows sell out every year, so anyone planning on attending is urged to get their tickets early.
They are available at Saunders Variety in Alberton. People with binoculars and telescopes regularly look at landscapes, plants, birds and animals from a distance, and appreciate them without disturbing them. The same technology allows us to observe things beyond our planet. Our skies are teeming with interesting objects that offer clues as to the nature and structure of the universe, and put our own existence into context.
Chris Vessey of the Sidewalk Astronomers of Charlottetown will be feature speaker for the Nature P.E.I. meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 3. It starts at 7:30 p.m. at Beaconsfield’s Carriage House, corner of West and Kent, Charlottetown. Vessey is an amateur astronomer who will use his professional knowledge of computer science to enhance his presentation. He plans to enlighten with:
Basic concepts of the apparently changing position of objects in the sky, and what really happens;Basic types of telescopes and mounting systems;The use of computer software to simulate the sky;”Easy-to-find” objects in the sky right now, using naked eye or binoculars; Demonstrating how a Dobsonian-type telescope works; and Weather permitting, he’ll conduct an outdoor observing session.@$:Dressing in layers is recommended for the indoor slide presentation, and if conditions permit, viewing outdoors. Guests are invited to bring along their own binoculars or a telescope.
Vessey says he’s always had an interest in astronomy since his parents provided him with several illustrated picture and fact books. One of his favourite images is the view of Venus from the Venera-13 space probe, as well as the early images of Mars from the Viking lander, but his greatest astronomy thrill was seeing the exceptionally bright and detailed comet Hale-Bopp with his parents in 1997.
A self-professed geek, Vessey started with computers in the early 1980s and now instructs computer science at the University of Prince Edward Island, specializing in hardware systems. He’s currently teaching a course in practical embedded systems, the hardware basis for all the Internet-connected devices that are beginning to crop up.
Although he’ll be demonstrating a basic manually-operated telescope, he notes that computer-guided telescopes are now well within the average family’s reach, and can greatly increase the ease with which objects can be found and tracked.