ASTRONOMY UPDATE (24 September 2009)

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Dennis Mammana

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Sep 24, 2009, 1:07:43 PM9/24/09

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After a long (hot!) summer of preparations, my full 2009-2010 public schedule is now online. You can check it out here (http://www.dennismammana.com/presentations.htm). Many exciting things are coming up, and I hope you make plans to enjoy some of them with me. In the meantime, here are some terrific things coming up soon.

Cool stuff to check out in the sky:

01) ISS passes over Southern California this week at dusk

Join me for some fun programs this month:
02)    Night Sky Photography class at Joshua Tree National Park (Saturday, Sept. 26)
03)    Celestial Overnight in the Anza-Borrego Desert (Sat/Sun., October 10/11)
04)    A Celestial Time Machine at Borrego Springs Resort (Thursday, October 15)

An exciting Cosmic Adventure:
05) See the Northern Lights… from Norway! (Nov 9-17, 2009)

Astronomy on the Web:
06) GigaGalaxy… WOWWW!!

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01) ISS passes over Southern California this week at dusk

The International Space Station (ISS) will make a bright series of flybys over Southern California—and many other locations—this week.

To find exact times and directions for your location in the world, visit: http://www.heavens-above.com. I recommend free registration so you can visit from time to time and keep your location on file. Here you can select your town from a database or add your own latitude and longitude. Once in the site, scroll down to "Satellites" and then click "ISS". And, for a challenge, why not try looking for ISS in broad daylight: http://www.feedblitz.com/t.asp?/15163/148409/http://www.universetoday.com/2009/06/17/iss-now-visible-in-daytime/

Fans of ISS might also be interested in this site: http://www.issfanclub.com/

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02) Night Sky Photography class at Joshua Tree National Park (Saturday, September 26, 2009, 1:00 – 9:00 p.m.)

If you enjoy photography and are fascinated by the desert night sky, this full-day, hands-on course is for you! During the daytime, you’ll learn how your camera can create stunning celestial portraits and, as darkness falls, we'll shoot a variety of celestial phenomena (weather permitting) from under the dark skies of the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park. Advance registration is highly advised.

To learn more about this fun course or to register, call 760.367.5535 or visit: http://desertinstitute.homestead.com/classes/art/nightphoto.html

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03)    Overnight Campout in the Anza-Borrego Desert (Sat/Sun., October 10/11)

With the desert weather at its most spectacular, this is a great time to gaze deeply into a clear, dark desert sky and reach up to capture the stars. If this is something you’ve always wanted to do, here's an event you won't want to miss!  Join me on a fun overnight campout and a fascinating tour of the heavens with eye and telescope. And photography buffs will enjoy trying their hand at creating beautiful nighttime sky portraits with only camera and tripod. (http://www.californiaoverland.com/celestial-popup.html)

Weekend includes exciting excursion into the Borrego Badlands with an expert guide and storyteller, all camping gear, gourmet chuck wagon dinner and full hot breakfast the next morning. All you need to bring is your curiosity and sense of adventure!

Advanced reservations are required. For more information or reservations, call Joe Raffetto toll-free at 866.6.EXPLORE or 760.767.1232, or visit online at California Overland Desert Excursions (http://www.californiaoverland.com/) for all their overnight excursions (http://www.californiaoverland.com/overnight.html).

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04) A Celestial Time Machine at Borrego Springs Resort (August 15)

Nothing in the heavens appears as it is now. All is an illusion―a vision of ages long past. Join us for a truly inspiring voyage of discovery―to other places and other times―some so distant that the light we see began its journey long before humans walked the face of planet Earth. This is a journey you won't soon forget! http://www.dennismammana.com/presentations/lectures.htm#COSMIC_TIME_MACHINE

This terrific package at the Borrego Springs Resort includes: one night's deluxe accommodations (10-15-2009), indoor slide program followed by naked-eye and telescope viewing with expert amateur astronomers (weather permitting), buffet dinner, transportation to viewing site, celestial party refreshments, all tax and gratuity. Non-hotel packages are also available.

For more information, please visit: http://www.borregospringsresort.com/featuredpromotions.asp or call 888.826.7734 for reservations. These programs are popular, so don’t wait!

And to read about a recent sky event there, check out this recent article by one of the participants: http://www.sandiegoinsidertours.com/blog/index.php/category/desert-life/

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05) See the Northern Lights… from Norway! (Nov 9-17, 2009)

Cross the Arctic Circle with me as our ship, the MS Midnatsol, weaves along the richest archipelago in Norway—up to latitude 69°N. During our remarkable journey from Kirkenes to Bergen we'll check out the heavens each night to seek out and photograph the mystical dancing colors of the aurora borealis—the northern lights. This is sure to be ONE POPULAR TRIP! For more information and full itinerary, call 877.707.7827 or 408.279.5589 (Pacific time), or visit: http://www.melitatrips.com/norway/

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06) GigaGalaxy… WOWWW!!

Stéphane Guisard and Serge Brunier, both colleagues of mine in TWAN (http://www.twanight.org) have produced a stunning new 800-million-pixel panorama of the entire sky. GigaGalaxy Zoom is a project for the International Year of Astronomy (http://www.astronomy2009.org/) and it allows users to dive right into the Milky Way Galaxy, and learn more about our celestial neighborhood. The project allows stargazers to explore and experience the universe as it is seen with the unaided eye from the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) observing sites in Chile, one of the darkest and best viewing locations in the world. Check it out here (http://www.gigagalaxyzoom.org)... and prepare to be amazed!

For more of their stunning work, visit: http://astrosurf.com/sguisard/ and http://www.sergebrunier.com/gallerie/pleinciel/index-eng.html

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