To view or download this latest issue of Impulse, click here: February2024IMPULSE
Impulse is the monthly new bulletin of the Montreal Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (MonSFFA). The electronic version is available on this Website, and past issues are archived, here, as well (see Impulse page). Print copies are available at the club’s in-person meetings, and are distributed by postal mail upon request.
WASP-69, given the formal name Wouri by the International Astronomical Union in 2019, is a K-type star somewhat like our Sun but slightly smaller. The planet with the tail, however, is much different from anything in our own solar system.
That’s because WASP-69 b, named Makombé in 2019 to match its host star (Wouri and Makombé are both rivers in Cameroon), is a hot Jupiter. This class of planet is defined by two major factors: its size similarity to our own gas giant planets and its close-in orbit around its host star.
WASP-69 b certainly fits the bill: It is about 10 percent bigger than Jupiter — though only 30 percent its mass — and orbits its star at a distance just less than five percent the distance at which the Earth orbits the Sun. This means the exoplanet is constantly scorched by stellar radiation to a degree that would make even Mercury sweat.
WASP-69 b was the subject of considerable attention in the summer of 2022 when it became one of the first targets of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
In new research published Jan. 9 in The Astrophysical Journal, a team led by astrophysicists at UCLA has revealed the planet’s atmosphere is escaping into space, creating a cometlike tail that stretches at least 350,000 miles (563,270 km).
Zines to Share!
From MonSFFriend Guy Lilian: Spartacus ,SPARTACUS no 70
An update from Bill Burns over at efanzines:
I received a flurry of fanzines following the snow, and here they all are at https://efanzines.com
Guy H. Lillian III’s Spartacus #70
Leybl Botwinik’s CyberCozen – Jan 2024
Andy Hooper’s CAPTAIN FLASHBACK #62
Christopher J. Garcia’s The Drink Tank #453
Octothorpe #101, a regular fannish podcast by John Coxon, Alison Scott and Liz Batty, is now on line
Bill Plott’s Sporadic #78, 78.1, 79 (2023 archive issues)
Opuntia #564, edited by Dale Speirs
Perry Middlemiss’s Perryscope #39 & 40
Christopher J. Garcia’s Claims Department #63, 64, 65
—
Bill
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.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68118326
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.
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:
These young supermassive black holes weigh more relative to their host galaxies than those today, supporting an idea called heavy seeding. | Published: January 24, 2024
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/
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/
NB: Always subject to change, it’s fandom!
Elections! We vote for our executive: president, treasurer, Veep, and appoint editors for our website and publications.
Presentation: a comparison of artificial intelligence as depicted in SF with the AI models currently in development in the real world.
Art Presentation: A primer on perspective as a useful guide to producing striking works of sci-fi art.
Discussion: Remembering the classic SF&F toys of our collective childhoods.
Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie! Examples are proffered of good SF/F books made into bad SF/F movies, and vice versa! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Joe Aspler
Hidden Gems! We cite examples of SF/F books/films that we serendipitously happened upon and thoroughly enjoyed; happy accidental discoveries, real gems previously hidden, but now revealed, much to our pleasure. Moderator: Cathy Palmer-Lister
Title: Sci-Fi Balderdash (Game)! Actual titles, fake synopses, lots of fun! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Danny Sichel
The Alien Franchise: We examine the popular SF/horror franchise centered on one the Genre’s most terrifying space aliens! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Charles El Rahi
Real-World Architectural Landmarks in SF/F Film: An appreciation of landmark real-world architectural exemplars and actual futuristically-styled buildings that have been featured in SF/F film.
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
Telepathy: Exploring examples in paranormal belief, and as depicted in SF&F, as well as the implications were a telepathic society, or individual, actually to exist among us. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Danny Sichel, Josée Bellemare
MonSFFA’s Own MST3K! We try our hand at mocking a really bad sci-fi B-movie, and pop culture as a whole, in the MST3K style!
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
The Titanic in Sci-Fi :On this very date in 1912, RMS Titanic set out from Ireland across the North Atlantic on the final leg of her doomed maiden voyage, inspiring many a tale across numerous genres, including SF/F. We’ll look at sci-fi’s take on the legendary ship.
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
Impactful SF/F Movies/Television Episodes: We share each of our own examples of films and TV episodes that made us think, wonder, shudder, and that stayed with us well after the closing credits rolled!
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Mark Hickey
Sinbad and the Voyages Never Taken: A look at the unproduced projects of one-man special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen.
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
Coming Soon! We look ahead to this summer in Genre books, films, etc. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
The club embarks upon an excursion to an away-from-meeting-room locale—museum, exhibition, theatre, or such— preferably having at least a tangential association with the sciences, and/or the SF/F universe. Field Trip destination to be determined by the membership in advance of the event.
Sunday in the park, 19th in case of rain: Club members convene in Parc Maisonneuve—adjacent Montreal’s Botanical Gardens—for an outdoor barbecue/picnic and afternoon of relaxation in the park. Each individual supplies their own lunch, plus snacks to share; club supplies grill
Virtual Picnic: Club members convene online via ZOOM for a casual summertime get-together, essentially, a virtual version of the Barbecue-in-the-Park, for the benefit of those out-of-towners and others who could not attend the Barbecue in person.
Fancraft Workshops: A series of SF/F-themed, hands-on crafting workshops running concurrently throughout the afternoon. These are designed both to showcase a specific craft, demonstrating the “how-to,” and to encourage MonSFFen to try their hand at one or more of the featured “Fancrafts.” Sci-Fi Origami and SF/F Jewellery-Making are planned; one or two other workshops yet to be determined. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Sarah Aspler, Josée Bellemare, Others
Sci-Fi B-Movie Purgatory! Offering a list of recommendations, we celebrate sci-fi films that are so bad, they’re good (for a laugh)!
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Adam Jed, Keith Braithwaite
He is Legend! A look at the legacy of genre author and screenwriter Richard Matheson, whose stories permeate mid-late 20th-century SF/F literature, film, and television to a much greater degree that most SF/F fans are aware. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
The Doctor is In! A look at the depiction of science fiction’s doctors and scientists—Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Moreau, Sector General, Cherijo Grey Veil, Hari Seldon, Clayton Forrester, “Bones” McCoy, Emmett Brown, and a certain Timelord. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Danny Sichel
MonSFFA hosts its annual fund-raising, second-hand sci-fi book sale; open to the public, all revenue raised directed to the club’s operating budget.
The Visions of von Däniken! Various concepts of “Ancient Aliens” in science fiction. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Josée Bellemare
Dragons+! A look at dragons and other fantastical fauna in fantasy and science fiction. Daniel P. Kenney, Cathy Palmer-Lister
SF&F Win, Lose, or Draw: We play the popular parlour game, with an added twist of SF&F! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite
Club members and their families, friends, gather at a Montreal restaurant for a festive meal celebrating the season; includes annual fund-raising Christmas Raffle.
MonSFFen gather online over ZOOM to celebrate the season and exchange season’s greetings; designed as an online version of the Christmas Dinner/Party, for the benefit of out-of-town members, and those who could not attend the party.