Main Presentation
We are very pleased to have UVic PhD student Simon Smith present to us in-person!

‘All the dark we cannot see — How the twists and twirls of the smallest galaxies point us to the invisible presence of dark matter’

Summary: The very smallest galaxies, made up of just a few thousand individual stars, hide in plain sight even in the deepest images taken of the night skies. We call these systems ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, reflecting just how little light they produce. Aside from how fascinating it is to see such teeny tiny galaxies, these systems of gravitationally-bound stars are critically important to our theories of how the entire Universe behaves, because ultra faint dwarf galaxies appear to be surrounded by huge clouds of dark matter, the invisible substance that comprises 80% of all mass. In this presentation, I’ll share with you work that I do to discovery new ultra faint dwarf galaxies and measure how much dark matter surrounds them, including the faintest system ever discovered, called Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1, a system so extreme that we cannot yet definitively say whether dark matter is truly there or not. I’ll share several images taken from major observatories in Hawaii, and tell you about the most recent work being undertaken to investigate the presence of dark matter in Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 and the consequences that it may impose upon our theories of dark matter.

Bio: My name is Simon Smith, I’m a PhD student at the University of Victoria, and an enthusiast public communicator of Astronomy! I’m originally from the tiny village of Oxenden, Ontario, and I’ve been thrilled to participate in a variety Astronomy events around Victoria since moving here nearly four years ago. When I’m not working away on my thesis, I’m often out exploring the incredible natural beauty that Vancouver Island has to offer!

Photo: Simon Smith

Title: The Search for Life on Exoplanets: Spectroscopic Evidence

Summary

Ryley and Drew are undergraduate Biology students at VIU and will be presenting about the spectroscopic evidence for life on planets outside of our solar system. They will be focusing on the evidence of life on the exoplanet K2-18b and will talk about the highlights and limitations of the findings from the JWST.  They will discuss aspects of biomarkers, light spectroscopy, astrobiology, ethics, and future considerations for research.

Vancouver Island University (VIU) students with a minimum of third year standing are able to enrol in two specialized elective courses in astronomy: The History of Astronomy (ASTR 312) and Exploring the Universe (ASTR 311).  Unlike our more general “survey style” first year astronomy offerings, the third year courses emphasize a smaller but more specific set of topics without requiring previous astronomical or mathematical background.  An important component of both courses is a group presentation made to the class at the end of term.  This short “teaching” lecture is on a topic of interest selected by each group and typically falls within the scope of the material covered in the class (but without significant repetition of class material).

It had been a goal for years to expand on the existing ties between the Nanaimo Astronomical Society & VIU as well as to find more direct ways to involve students from the VIU astronomy courses in NAS events.  Those aspirations finally came to fruition at the April meeting in 2023 as students shared their ASTR 311 presentation with NAS members, and this shared venture has become an annual “tradition” ever since!

Cheers,

Gordon Farlie
President Nanaimo Astronomy Society