Starry Dreams: Bob McPhail’s Journey to Crafting a Personal Observatory in Emsdale

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As a child in Etobicoke, his passion began as a hobby of observing the night sky through a small telescope.

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Little did Bob MacPhail, now 71 years of age in Perry Township, foresee that his curiosity would expand to a point where he would contribute to the global database of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).

As indicated by its name, the organization monitors variable stars with assistance from amateur astronomers.

These stars fluctuate in brightness, alternating between brightening, dimming, and brightening again.

Once amateurs detect the star, professional astronomers are notified and take over with more advanced telescopes and tracking instruments.

“Professional astronomers are keenly interested in this,” MacPhail remarked. “They wish to know when a variable star exhibits unusual activity. They seek to understand what is happening and why the star behaves in its particular manner.”

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MacPhail’s fascination with the night sky initiated when he listened to President John F. Kennedy’s speech in 1962 about the United States landing a human on the moon within the decade. Back then, his parents gifted him a small toy telescope, prompting him to gaze upwards at night.

“During the 1960s in Etobicoke, observing the Milky Way was possible as light pollution hadn’t proliferated yet,” MacPhail recounted.

He also began to focus on the Apollo missions, which reached their pinnacle with the moon landing on July 20, 1969. Much like millions of North Americans, MacPhail witnessed astronaut Neil Armstrong’s historic steps on the lunar surface.

“My father was a sailor, and we were on a sailboat in the Thousand Islands, where the adjacent boat had a little black and white television,” MacPhail reminisced.

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This event would have occurred long after midnight, yet everyone on the boat remained awake to witness the monumental first steps of a human on a celestial body other than Earth.

Post moon landing, MacPhail’s passion for astronomy continued to intensify, leading his parents to acquire a genuine telescope for him.

Throughout the years, including his 20 years in the military, MacPhail feels fortunate to have resided in rural locations where the night sky remained untainted due to a lack of light pollution.

Living in Emsdale, MacPhail is unconcerned about the potential loss of that dark sky. Perry Township’s official guidelines mandate that future constructions in the area must adhere to dark-sky standards. The township stipulates that lighting in waterfront properties be compliant, ensuring minimal light spill from one property onto another, including over water.

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MacPhail’s passion for astronomy grew when he and his spouse relocated to Armour Township in 1995 and purchased a resort at Doe Lake.

To facilitate a greater number of astronomical observations, he constructed an observatory and, years later, when the couple shifted to Emsdale in Perry Township, MacPhail erected two additional observatories.

One of these observatories features a retractable roof, while the other, which is no longer in existence, boasted a rotating dome.

During his youth, MacPhail owned five telescopes, engaging in extensive viewing from dusk until dawn, surviving on merely four hours of slumber. He examined planets, the moon, and even the sun, utilizing specialized filters, along with distant galaxies.

“But you can only keep observing the same targets so many times, and that’s how I eventually ventured into scientific research,” MacPhail remarked.

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MacPhail monitored 55 variable stars, which required substantial nighttime observation.

He would observe the same stars from month to month, documenting when they became brighter or fainter, and then submitted that data to the global database.

Due to the profound darkness of the night sky in the Almaguin Highlands, particularly in Armour and Emsdale, MacPhail was able to detect very faint stars.

“There were certain variable stars I was observing where perhaps only about half a dozen other individuals around the globe were also monitoring,” MacPhail stated.

This type of observation wouldn’t be feasible in larger or mid-sized communities that produce significant light pollution.

“So, my peers and I were accomplishing something meaningful,” he expressed.

“Our objective was to pinpoint specific stars, allowing professionals to follow up with superior equipment, like spectrographs and satellites, to investigate what’s happening.”

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MacPhail has observed long-term variable stars, which take between six to twelve months to complete one full cycle of brightening, dimming, and brightening again. He notes that these stars bear resemblance to our sun.

The distinction lies in the fact that they are considerably older and in the concluding phases of their lifecycle; in other words, it won’t be long before they undergo a supernova and explode.

The AAVSO provides its members with certificates recognizing their contributions. Over the years, MacPhail has submitted more than 1,000 observations.

He exclusively performed observations through his telescopes and did not photograph the celestial bodies because he insists that this is a “completely different endeavor and it requires a significant investment.”

Currently, MacPhail possesses just one small telescope and has ceased winter observations, expressing that as one ages, a preference for warmth develops.

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He claims the moon is the simplest celestial body to observe. “It’s the ideal first object for anyone to examine because of its proximity,” he remarked.

The optimal viewing periods occur when the moon is less than half full since that’s when it casts shadows, revealing intricate details. A full moon is excessively bright, obscuring fine features.

Following our moon is our solar system, inclusive of the sun.

Using special filters, MacPhail describes it as “astonishing to witness solar flares erupting from the sun’s edge, sunspots, and the texture of the sun.”

After examining the sun and planets, amateur astronomers often turn their gaze to the stars within the Milky Way, and then delve further into the cosmos at distant galaxies that manifest as white blurry patches akin to Q-tips.

Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Almaguin News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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