MonSFFA Website

Japan: Moon lander Slim comes back to life and resumes mission

Japan: Moon lander Slim comes back to life and resumes mission
By Kelly Ng BBC News
JAXA Render of Slim's orientation
JAXA
Jaxa produced this render of Slim to show the awkward landing orientation that pointed the solar cells away from the Sun

Japan’s Moon lander has resumed operations after being shut down for a week due to a power supply issue.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) said it re-established contact with the lander on Sunday, indicating that the glitch had been fixed.

Its solar cells are working again after a shift in lighting conditions allowed it to catch sunlight, the agency said.

It could not generate power when it landed on 20 January as the solar cells pointed away from the Sun.

With the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) spacecraft, Japan became only the fifth country to achieve a soft touchdown on the Moon after the US, the former Soviet Union, China and India.

READ MORE

Collecting, Fandom

Rare Star Wars Jawa figure found in loft sells for £19,500

That’s a little over 33 000$ Canadian. Start looking through your basements and attics!

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68118326

Excalibur Auctions Jawa figure
Excalibur Auctions The Jawa character, wearing a vinyl cape on Palitoy packaging, is considered one of the rarest 70s Star Wars figures

An “exceptionally rare” Star Wars figure found in a loft has outstripped its estimate after attracting worldwide interest at auction.

The Jawa character, complete with vinyl cape, is considered the “holy grail” of 1970s Star Wars figures, according to auctioneer Jonathan Torode.

It was snapped up by a UK collector for £19,500 during the Hertfordshire sale.

“I feel honoured to have handled another rare part of Star Wars toy history,” Mr Torode said.

“The Jawa figure is still the absolute ultimate for Star Wars collectors.”

It was the second time in six months that Excalibur Auctions, of Kings Langley, was able to show off such a sought-after collectible.

In July, it sold an identical Jawa figure for £26,670, including commission charges, after it was found by the same owner among memorabilia packed away in boxes.

Each figure was estimated to attain £10,000 to £15,000.

The figure owner, who worked for Marvel UK between 1974 and 1979, received a range of gifts from the UK toy company Palitoy during the promotion of the Star Wars line in Marvel comics.

Only 10 to 15 examples of this type of figure were documented, Excalibur Auctions said, with the vinyl cape substituted for a cloth cape not long into production.

Awards

Hugo controversy in mainstream press

IN THE GUARDIAN.The Guardian’s report “Science fiction awards held in China under fire for excluding authors” includes quotes from Xiran Jay Zhao and Paul Weimer.

…No reason was given for the exclusions, which were only revealed on 20 January when the Hugo awards published the full nomination statistics for last year’s prize. Certain titles were listed as having been given votes, but were marked with an asterisk and the words “not eligible”, with no further details given….

…Concerns have been raised that the authors were targeted for political reasons, connected to the fact that the ruling Chinese Communist party exerts a tight control on all cultural events that take place inside its borders.

Dave McCarty, the head of the 2023 Hugo awards jury, wrote on Facebook: “Nobody has ordered me to do anything … There was no communication between the Hugo administration team and the Chinese government in any official manner.”

McCarty did not respond to a request from the Guardian for comment, but shared what he said was the official response from the awards administration team on Facebook: “After reviewing the constitution and the rules we must follow, the administration team determined those works/persons were not eligible.” He declined to elaborate on what the rules were.

READ MORE:

https://file770.com/hugo-controversy-hits-mainstream-news-a-chengdu-vice-chair-comments-in-social-media/

Astronomy News

JWST turns up even more heavier-than-expected black holes

These young supermassive black holes weigh more relative to their host galaxies than those today, supporting an idea called heavy seeding. By | Published: January 24, 2024

In this artist's conception, a black hole (center) is contained in a small host galaxy in the distant universe (left). In the nearby universe (right), the same sized black hole would be hosted in a much bigger galaxy. Credit: CfA/Melissa Weiss
In this artist’s conception, a black hole (center) is contained in a small host galaxy in the distant universe (left). In the nearby universe (right), the same sized black hole would be hosted in a much bigger galaxy. Credit: CfA/Melissa Weiss

In the two years since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched, astronomers are learning one thing: The early universe is a lot weirder than we thought.

JWST, which is the largest space telescope ever launched, is able to see back in time like never before thanks to a combination of its large mirrors and its sensitivity to infrared light. This means that it can see in stunning clarity objects whose light was emitted billions of years ago in the ultraviolet or visible portion of the spectrum, and has now been stretched by the universe’s expansion to longer wavelengths than optical telescopes like Hubble.

Astronomers are using it to peer back to near “cosmic dawn,” a time when the first stars and galaxies were forming. And JWST is showing that these early galaxies are different than astronomers had anticipated, in a plethora of ways: Some are settling into shapes we didn’t think were possible so early after the Big Bang. Others are unexpectedly large.

And recent research shows that even the black holes in the early universe were odd — they’re way bigger than they should be, relative to the mass of the galaxy around them. Unexpectedly, JWST is spotting mammoth black holes anchoring relatively small galaxies.

READ MOREhttps://www.astronomy.com/science/jwst-turns-up-even-more-heavier-than-expected-black-holes/

Awards

Hugo Awards: Nomination Stats questioned

Nomination stats for the Hugos awarded at Chengdu, China, have finally been published, and a can of worms exploded all over social media, lots landing on Dave McCarty, the Hugo administrator.

Some works were declared ineligible, no reason given beyond:

After reviewing the Constitution and the rules we must follow, the administration team determined those works/persons were not eligible.

When asked which rules, the answer was:

After reviewing the Constitution and the rules we must follow, the administration team determined those works/persons were not eligible.

Theories are tending toward the committee not wanting trouble with the government of China. And if that is the case, then we need to be a whole lot more careful about site selection. WSFS does have to comply with the local laws. Kevin Standlee used the example of, “what if we had the World Con in Florida”. Now there’s a scary scenario!

Lots of commentary from fans and pros alike on File770.com.

This particular thread is worth reading: https://file770.com/chengdu-hugo-administrator-dave-mccarty-fields-questions-on-facebook/

 

 

 

Upcoming meeting

MonSFFA meeting programming

Upcoming Club Meetings 2024

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1:00PM-5:00PM

1:00PM – THE ECLIPSE EXPERIENCE:Club members recount their experiences observing the total solar eclipse of April 8 and share any photos they snapped of the event.

1:30PM – THE SPARK THAT LIT THE FIRE: Moderated discussion of our earliest exposure to science fiction and/or fantasy; MonSFFen recall the novel, short story, comic book, movie, or television show that introduced them to the genre, and sparked their life-long interest in SF/F.  Assigned moderator: Cathy Palmer-Lister

2:30PM – WILLIAM CASTLE: HOLLYWOOD’S MAESTRO OF THE MOVIE-MARKETING GIMMICK! 

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1:00PM-5:00PM

1:00PM – LOST WORLDS:  We explore the “Lost Worlds” of both SF/F literature and screen! From Jules Vernes of the past to the imagined futures of the Star Trek Universe! Presented by Joe Aspler.

2:00PM – GUEST SPEAKER: Rich Larson
We welcome guest speaker Rich Larson (Annex, Ymir, Tomorrow Factory), acclaimed by Gardner Dozois as “One of the best new writers to enter science fiction in more than a decade.”

3:30PM – THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE: The same genre story as told in different media—novel, comic book, film, television series; we examine and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each medium when telling a story.  Assigned moderator: Danny Sichel

 SATURDAY, JUNE 8: MONSFFA FIELD TRIP 2024

Montreal Biodome; meet-up in main entrance lobby: 12:30

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 10:30AM-4:00PM: MONSFFA BARBECUE-IN-THE-PARK 2024

Parc Maisonneuve, Montreal (next to Botanical Gardens, across street from Olympic Stadium); rain date: Sunday, July 21

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1:00PM-5:00PM

1:00PM – THE MULTIVERSE: We examine the concept of “the Multiverse” in science fiction, including those famously depicted in both Marvel’s and DC’s comic book superhero stories. Presenter: Danny Sichel

2:00PM – TOM SWIFT AND HIS SCIENCE FICTION BOOK SERIES
An examination of the Tom Swift sci-fi/adventure books, ranging from the 1910s to the present day.  Presenter: Mark Burakoff

3:45PM – GAME: BUG-EYE BET!: We resurrect a game created by the late Sylvain St-Pierre in which still photographs and video clips from SF/F movies or TV shows are shown to players, who must then answer a series of questions focused on the minute, inconsequential, trivial details of that which they have just seen! Bets are placed on how accurate will be their recall of said details. Gamemaster: Keith Braithwaite

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1:00PM-5:00PM

1:00PM – REPORT ON WORLDCON 2024: Club members who   attended the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland will report on the convention and share anecdotes and photos with the club. Presenters: Joe Aspler and Cathy Palmer-Lister

2:00PM – MONTREAL’S BID FOR WORLDCON 2027: Given the recent launch of a Montreal bid for the 2027 Worldcon, we invite a representative of said bid to provide details and all the latest information. Guest Speaker: Montreal in 2027 Bid Committee Representative

2:30PM – WHAT MAKES THIS STORY SO GOOD? We ask the question of those who should know, perhaps, more than anyone—authors and editors! And of course, we also probe what exactly it is that makes another story so bad! Guest Speaker:  TBD , discussion moderated by Cathy Palmer-Lister

3:30PM – GAME: NOW PLAYING: Game in which SF/F movie posters with the film’s title, recognizable tag line, and cast/credits blanked-out or blurred are shown, leaving players to guess the proper title of the movie. Gamemaster: Keith Braithwaite

SATURDAY OCTOBER 19, SCI-FI BOOK SALE:  OPEN TO PUBLIC

THE RETURN OF MONSFFA’S SCI-FI BOOK SALE! After a five year hiatus, MonSFFA’s annual fund-raising SF/F used book sale is back! Hundreds of books at cut-rate prices! Bulk-purchase bargains! Great deals on specialty coffee-table books!
Doors open to the public at 12:30PM.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1:00PM-5:00PM

1:00PM – REPORT ON CLUB’S SF/F BOOK SALE 2024: The club’s co-treasurers will report on October 19’s SF/F used book sale.
Presenters: Joe Aspler and L. E. Moir

1:30PM – PLANNING SESSION FOR 2025 MEETING PROGRAMMING: We will take discussion-topic suggestions and presentation ideas from the membership and begin slotting in meeting programming for the coming year, assigning presenters and moderators, as well. Assigned moderator: Keith Braithwaite

3:45PM – GET A WONDERFUL LIFE: SPECULATIVE FICTION STORIES CENTERED ON CHRISTMAS AND/OR THE HOLIDAYS
With the festive season quickly approaching, we look at some of the more interesting SF/F tales of Christmas, and/or the Holidays, both in print and on screen: Moderators: L. E. Moir and Brian Knapp

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 6:00PM-12:00AM (OR LATER!) MONSFFA’S CHRISTMAS DINNER AND PARTY 2024

Dinner at a downtown restaurant (to be determined) and our annual fund-raising Christmas raffle, followed by drinks and partying either at the same locale, or at a nearby bar (also to be determined)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2:00PM-4:30PM
MONSFFA’S HOLIDAY ZOOM-PARTY 2024

For out-of-town club members and friends, and those MonSFFen unable to attend the previous night’s celebration, we hold an informal get- together on ZOOM to allow an exchange of season’s greetings, and casual chat and good cheer.

Montreal Science Fiction and Fantasy Association