Planetoid designation marked

Astronomer beamed in from Dominion Astrophysical Observatory to make plaque presentation to Annapolis Royal officials

There’s a page on NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab website dedicated to Annapolis Royal.

But it’s not about the tiny town, it’s about the tiny planetoid.

The asteroid, about a kilometre across, was discovered by Canadian astronomer David Balam on Dec. 12, 2006, and named for the tiny Nova Scotia town in 2018.

An official plaque commemorating the connection was presented in Annapolis Royal on May 28, 2023.

Balam took part virtually from Victoria, B.C., but seconded colleague Daniel Majaess from Saint Mary’s University to present the plaque to Jeff Hafting, who heads up the Annapolis Innovation Lab Society.

Balam, who was at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory with the Plaskett telescope in the background, explained the discovery and why he decided to name the planetoid after Annapolis Royal. The hour-long talk included a tour of the universe, complete with photos of the cosmos, exploding stars, asteroids, and charts detailing every aspect of (5165600) Annapolisroyal (2006 XL67).

The idea of a public event to herald the planetoid designation came from former Annapolis Royal mayor Bill MacDonald and retired teacher Gary Walsh. Both have lifelong interests in the stars, and Balam is a friend of MacDonald.

Walsh, who is on the Western Nova Scotia Starlight Committee’s board of directors, introduced robotics to Annapolis Royal students and later was head of robotics at Acadia University. The idea of MacDonald privately introducing Walsh to Balam over an interest in astronomy morphed into the idea of publically presenting the plaque to Hafting.

INSPIRATIONAL

“It’s a great thing to have a scientist speak in a small town like this,” Hafting said after the presentation. “We had a few kids in the audience, students, and they can see what it takes. … This is a scientist that’s at the top of his game, but at some point, he was a 13-year-old boy that was getting excited about the night sky, right?” he added. “Every scientist has that same sort of story. They’re turned on when they’re kids, and they find what they like, and they pursue that. And they can make a career of it.”

Balam had recounted getting a toy telescope when he was four years old, focusing in on the moon one cold winter night through his open bedroom window, and his life changing forever. He went on to grind the glass for a 10-inch telescope that he fit into a cardboard sono tube, recorded night sky observations and sent them to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory – and was invited to the facility. He was 13. He’s been discovering exploding stars and near-Earth objects ever since.

‘IT’S JUST COOL’

And what about having a planetoid named after your community?

“Well, it’s just cool, isn’t it?” said Hafting. “I mean, how many places have a planet that is named after them? And today they learned where it is, how big it is, how fast it’s going around the sun.”

Hafting said a lot of times it’s just an idea that doesn’t seem real.

“When you see the guy who’s discovered it and he’s got the connection with Bill, and then he names it because there’s a personal connection to somebody that he knows in the town, it’s just great.”

INNOVATION LAB

MacDonald said a lot of things happened to prevent Balam from being in Annapolis Royal for the presentation, but he was glad Balam could attend virtually.

“Dave and I agreed that the best home for the plaque is in the Innovation Lab, not sitting in a cabinet at town hall or on a wall somewhere where the public wouldn’t see it, but here to inspire. Because that’s what the Innovation Lab is all about is inspiration of minds to think about visional, expansive things, and the cosmos is the perfect model for that.”

MacDonald said he thinks Balam is celebrated because he is so well known and he’s played such an important role in astronomy.

“No one could have imagined that for this 13-year-old kid that first kind of pressed himself into service at the Dominion Observatory,” MacDonald said. “But we’re all the beneficiaries of it – being exposed to opportunity, being exposed to the vision of ideas.”

OPPORTUNITY

Walsh said it is sometimes hard to comprehend how big things are.

“But when the kids see something like this, they know they can be involved in some sort of program that deals with space and what happens in space, which is inevitably what determines what’s going to happen to

us here on Earth,” he said. “They can build careers out of it. We have robotics here at the lab and at the school. We have the rocket group that does launches, etc. A lot of it deals with space. Seeing the plaques, reading the presentations and seeing them in the newspaper and things like that, it gives the kids the opportunity to say, ‘Where can I learn some of this stuff.’”

WHY ANNAPOLIS ROYAL?

Why did Balam name a planetoid after Annapolis Royal? The plaque’s inscription answered that question.

“The Town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, is recognized as the cradle of the Canadian nation for its prominent role in the country’s early origins and remains influential as a leader in heritage stewardship and preservation.”