The CAMROSE BOOSTER, January 26, 2021 – Page 22
Hesje Observatory opens virtually By Murray Green
Importance of physical activity during the pandemic
The COVID pandemic and the resulting restrictions have changed the way that many of us are living our lives. Every facet of our daily lives has been impacted. In terms of well-being and health, COVID-19 has had an obvious impact as indicated by people’s increasing reliance on mental health Jane Yardley, professionals and mounting Physical Education, University of Alberta mortality rates. The actual Augustana Campus death toll of the pandemic is much higher when we include people who didn’t get screened for cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Then there are those people whose fitness and activity diminished during lockdown, resulting in serious health issues. Fortunately, many people who were physically active before the pandemic began have found different ways to stay active as team sports, gyms, and recreational facilities have periodically closed or limited their capacity. For many, who weren’t all that active to begin with, the pandemic has resulted in even lower levels of physical activity. Here are three very important reasons why we should all keep (or start) moving our bodies in the face of COVID-19. To begin with, exercise improves immune system function. One of the common features of individuals who risk hospitalization and poor outcomes with COVID-19 infection is systemic inflammation. This type of inflammation can be caused by smoking, carrying extra weight, excess alcohol intake, or high levels of stress. As many of these causes of inflammation are also known side effects of living through a pandemic, it is essential to do everything possible to decrease their adverse effects. Regular physical activity is known to substantially decrease systemic inflammation. It also improves the immune system’s ability to detect and destroy invaders, such as the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. Second, many of the health conditions known to increase the risk of severe COVID are improved with regular physical activity. Being overweight/obese, having Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are underlying health conditions that are known to increase the risk of developing severe COVID-19. Regular physical activity is known to prevent the development of these conditions and can decrease their progression and/or severity. As a result, your body will be in a better position to not only fight off the virus, but will also be better able to handle the effects of the infection if it happens. Finally, people who exercise are happier. Being confined and deprived of our activities makes most of us cranky. As creatures of habit, changes to our living and working environments are generally stressful. Chronic stress can interfere with everything from digestion, to sleep, to social interactions with friends and family. Stress can also decrease the function of the immune system. People who are active and exercise on a regular basis generally rate their quality of life higher than those who do not. This is not surprising, as regular physical activity is known to decrease the effects of chronic stress and to improve all of the systems with which it interferes. If a pill could improve sleep, help fight disease, and improve relationships with family, friends and coworkers, wouldn’t you want to take the maximum dose daily? Remember that it is not necessary to be an elite athlete. Something as simple as walking for 20 to 30 minutes per day (which doesn’t have to be all at once) is more than enough to reap all of these benefits. There really is no better time than the present to stay–or become– physically active.
The Hesje Observatory at the University of Alberta Augustana Campus Miquelon Lake Research Station officially opened on Jan. 12 with a virtual presentation. “It has superior optics, so you can really see things sharply. The 17-inch opening allows for twice as much light as our portable telescope, about 5,000 times more light, so you can see dim and far away objects really well,” said professor Gerhard Lotz. “The whole thing is operated by computer where you can see the entire sky.” Professor Lotz showed visitors the virtual tour of the bright red planet Mars and the Andromeda Galaxy of one trillion stars. The Hesje Observatory at the Miquelon Provincial Park is the only facility located in a dark sky preserve in western Canada. “You can click on an object and the telescope will go to that position. We can control the telescope from the classroom and see what the telescope is seeing,” explained Lotz. It is the ideal place for an astronomical observatory as there is minimal light pollution to hinder the excellent view of the night sky. The dream of having an astronomical observatory was made possible by alumnus Brian Hesje, who donated $500,000 for the project. “We are in a dark sky preserve which extends from Miquelon Lake all the way up to Elk Island
National Park. It is a tremendous opportunity to have the telescope here with reduced light pollution. This is one of the better areas for low-light pollution,” said professor Glynnis Hood. “We are looking at the benefits at the university as well as the local community, broader community and beyond. It is a wonderful place to bring the greatest minds together.” The telescope in the observatory provides a digital feed to the nearby classroom and will eventually be able to be remotely accessible at Augustana and online. There is an observation deck around the dome where portable telescopes can be set up. The addition of the observatory will benefit Augustana students, professors, teachers and anyone else who is interested in astronomy. The observatory is a centre for opportunity, giving astronomy enthusiasts access to the high-tech instruments necessary to study beyond Earth and into the cosmos. “We invite all students to enjoy the Miquelon Park area and the mysteries of the universe. My advice to students is to stop and think about things. Looking at the stars and sky is opening the door to doing that. Think more,” said Augustana dean Demetres Tryphonopoulos. There will be many upcoming programs and special events held at the observatory, including tours, presentations, star
parties and camps, later this year when COVID-19 restrictions will allow visitors. Programs will be available for university groups and K-12 classes, and observation nights of important astronomical events will be open to the public. Undergraduate university students will work on projects that contribute data to worldwide astronomy research collaborations. The telescope in the observatory is mounted permanently and weighs almost 50 kg. It has quartz mirrors for thermal stability and a rotating focuser for ease when imaging. With an aperture (the opening in the telescope) of 17 inches, it has very high light gathering power, allowing researchers and other users to see and study deep into the stars. Augustana also has a portable telescope with excellent optics and an equatorial mount. This telescope will be more dedicated to photographing night sky objects to share with the world. Diane, a 10-year-old student, asked Lotz how many stars are in the sky. “We can see about 3,000 on a clear night. Those are the really close stars to us. That is a really small fraction in our galaxy. A galaxy contains about 200 billion stars and there are trillions of galaxies. You have to put a lot of zeros on the end of numbers,” he explained.
Submitted
The Hesje Observatory (dome in the rear of the Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station) was launched with a virtual presentation on Jan. 12. Not only will university students be available to view the stars through the new telescope, but students of various grades and adults will be able to tour the site in the future.
Fall municipal election nominations sought By Lori Larsen
The City of Camrose is gearing up for the municipal election to be held on Monday, Oct. 18. Nominations for mayor and councillors began Monday, Jan. 4, and will be accepted until Monday, Sept. 20 at noon.
Nominations will be accepted at City Hall (5204-50 Avenue), however, it should be noted that due to the City Hall closure as a result of COVID-19, anyone wishing to submit nomination packages must make an appointment with
the returning officer Kim Isaak at 780-678-3027 or at kisaak@camrose.ca. Visit the City of Camrose website at www.camrose. ca/election to download the Candidate Information Guide.
