Group Owners / Managers / Group Questions

[Rick Baldridge]

 

BRIAN DAY of NASA/Ames is the group owner.  Brian is currently drumming up further professional observation commitments for the LCROSS Impact.  He has several interesting prospects which will formally be announced soon.  He is quite busy with an extensive travel schedule.

 

PAUL MORTFIELD has recently been added as a Group Manager.  Paul is an advanced amateur astronomer.  Check out his awesome website at:

http://www.backyardastronomer.com/

He has recently discovered to asteroids, (2008US1 and 2008WQ60), is an accomplished astrophotographer.  See Astronomy Picture of the Day for:

Veil Nebula --  http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081101.html

M33 Galaxy -- http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080913.html

NGC-7008 -- http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080825.html

 

I have been active in amateur astronomy since my high school days (1976), operating primarily out of Foothill College Observatory in Los Altos Hills, CA - home to the Peninsula Astronomical Society, serving as a past President.  I am active with IOTA (occultations), and enjoy satellite watching, rocket launches and just looking through a telescope.  My most famous (or infamous) contribution to this "hobby" was being one of the many photographers and videographers of the Columbia tragedy and providing NASA CAIB with photos, video tapes and tapes of previous re-entries over California.  I have a few APOD credits as well.

 

As for QUESTIONS ---  Jim Mosher's FAQ page is marvelous.  Excellent job!

Feel free to post questions ON THIS SITE.  There are quite a few principal players for the LCROSS Mission already on this list.  They most certainly will answer what can be publicly stated.  I cannot say that I have any particular "in" to the scientists and planners for the mission, but will try to help field questions as best I can.  My main goal is to begin contacting potential amateur observers, mostly in California, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona that have not yet expressed interest in observing the LCROSS impact.  I am quite skilled with low-light video equipment, so my expertise might be of some use to the amateur community.

 

 

 

 

Rick Baldridge