ASTRONOMY UPDATE (12 July 2009)

[Dennis Mammana]

I write this as I sit in the airport waiting for my flight to China for the total solar eclipse next week.  For those of you who are unable to join me on this great cosmic adventure, you can still enjoy the eclipse online (although it won’t be nearly as spectacular).  On E-Day my group will be at or near Wuhan (weather permitting, of course), and there’s even a webcast from that location as well.  For more information, see 3) below.   And to learn about upcoming journeys, see 12) through 17) below.

 

 

Cool stuff to check out in the sky:

01)   Space Station (& Space Shuttle?) appears at dusk next week

Join Dennis for a fun program in August:
02)   Magnificent Milky Way at Borrego Springs Resort (August 15)

Astronomy & Space online and on TV:
03)   Total solar eclipse webcast (July 21-22)
04)   NASA’s Interactive Moon Walk
05)   See Buzz like never before!
06)   Solve this cosmic puzzle

Become involved in astronomy:
07)   Can you photograph LCROSS?
08)   SEED grants available for astronomy and astronomy education
09)   Project Astro San Diego needs you
10)   Help solve the mystery of Epsilon Aurigae
11)  2009 Weightless Flights of Discovery Program

Join Dennis for some exciting Cosmic Adventures:
12)   Norway Northern Lights cruise (Nov 9-17, 2009)  
13)   African cosmic safari & annular eclipse (Jan 8-19, 2010)
14)   Total solar eclipse cruise… to Paradise!  (Jun 28 - Jul 12, 2010)

And journey with other terrific lecturers:
15)   Art, Astronomy & History in Paris (Sept. 17-24, 2009)
16)   Easter Island & the Grand Patagonia Sunset Total Eclipse (July 3-12, 2010)

17)   The Grand Patagonia Sunset Total Solar Eclipse (July 6-13, 2010)

 

 

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01)   Space Station (and Space Shuttle?) appears at dusk next week

The International Space Station (ISS) will make a bright series of flybys over Southern California beginning again around July 20.  And it may be accompanied by the Space Shuttle, if its launch goes as scheduled later today.    

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/or STS-127).  To learn more, visit:  http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/03jul_sightings.htm?list717892 
 

If seeing ISS at night is getting old, why not try looking for it 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)   Magnificent Milky Way at Borrego Springs Resort (August 15)

Few celestial sights are as stunning as an August desert sky.  On Saturday, August 15, stroll with us along the Milky Way—from the nearest of stars and glowing nebulae to the shattered remains of once mighty suns to our galaxy's most distant stellar clusters—and witness some of the most magnificent scenery anywhere!

This terrific package at the Borrego Springs Resort includes:  one night deluxe accommodations (08/15/2009), indoor slide program followed by naked-eye and telescope viewing (weather permitting, of course), buffet dinner, transportation to viewing site, mini-flashlights, celestial party refreshments, all tax and gratuity.  Non-hotel packages are also available.  

For more information, please visit:  http://www.dennismammana.com/events/lectures.htm or call 888.826.7734 for reservations.  It’s sure to fill up quickly, so don’t wait!   http://www.borregospringsresort.com/featuredpromotions.asp

And to read about our most recent popular 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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03)   Total solar eclipse webcast (July 21-22)

Enjoy the upcoming total solar eclipse from Asia by visiting http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2009/index.html for a number of webcast possibilities.  The eclipse occurs in the morning of July 22 from China, but in the evening of July 21 on the West Coast of the U.S.

And if you’ve never experienced one of these celestial spectacles, and wonder why some of us travel halfway around the world to stand for a few minutes within the shadow of the moon?  This recent article will give you some insight, and may even make you want to join me one day on one of our cosmic adventures!   http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/28/1t28xeclipsm205955/


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04)  NASA’s Interactive Moon Walk

Where were you on July 20, 1969?  If you don't remember or weren't born yet you can re-live the first walk on the moon with a new interactive feature on NASA’s website:  http://www.feedblitz.com/t.asp?/15163/148409/http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/apollo11_landing/index.html

Listen to the audio, pan and explore the landing site, and go inside the Eagle lunar lander (not a lot of room in there!).  Looking around Tranquility Base with the pan feature is a little counter-intuitive (opposite of what you do on Google Maps) but fun, nonetheless.  Look for lots of other fun ways to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 during the next couple of weeks. Google and NASA announced they will be unveiling something exciting on July 20, and word on the street is that it will be Google Moon in 3-D, made possible in part by the newly arrived Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

And, while you’re at it, learn just about all there is to know about the moon here:  http://www.feedblitz.com/t.asp?/15163/148409/http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/the-moon/

 
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05)  See Buzz like never before!

Buzz Aldrin was the second man to walk on the moon.  Now he’s rappin’ with the likes of Snoop Dogg!  Check his new music video out here:  http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0be5c681fc/buzz-aldrin-s-rocket-experience, and then see the “Making of Rocket Experience” here:  http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f7a26d7505/making-of-buzz-aldrin-s-rocket-experience-w-snoop-dogg-and-talib-kweli

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06)  Solve this cosmic puzzle

This cryptic image (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090712.html) is part of a longer message beamed into space a few years ago.  If you were the alien being who received it, could you decode it?  

 

 

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07)  Can you photograph LCROSS?

Amateur astronomers using fairly hefty telescopes have photographed NASA's LCROSS spacecraft en route to an October crash landing on the Moon. Observers say the spacecraft is surprisingly easy to photograph, and NASA hopes more amateurs will give it a try.  Check out the story here:  http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/09jul_lcross1.htm?list717892

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08)   SEED grants available for astronomy and astronomy education

Thanks to the support of the Planck and Herschel Missions, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific is offering SEED Grants for 2009 to active researchers in astronomy, astrophysics, or space science to engage in public outreach, K-14 formal education, or informal education programs or activities.

 

Maximum grants are $2,500; funds may be used to purchase equipment related to the proposed EPO activity, or to defray expenses associated with carrying out the activity. Given the nature of the Planck and Herschel Missions, SEED Grant proposals involving cosmology, galaxy studies, solar system investigations, and space science will be given special consideration.

 

Proposal submission deadline is July 31, 2009, with announcement of awards by September 15, 2009.

 

To learn more and to review the simple guidelines for proposals, go to:

http://www.astrosociety.org/education/grants/grants.html

 

 

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09)  Project Astro San Diego needs you

 

Whether you’re a professional, student, amateur astronomer or space enthusiast, you can become a visiting space scientist/astronomer in a San Diego County school.   Project ASTRO is a program of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) to create partnerships between 3rd-9th grade teachers and local astronomers and space scientists.  If you’ve ever wondered how you can share your enthusiasm for space and astronomy as well as help your local schools improve their science education, Project ASTRO is for you.  Project ASTRO will provide you with free training, materials, and a rewarding and fun way to share your passion with our local schoolchildren and teachers.  

 

For more information and an application form, please contact Dr. Philip Blanco (pbl...@sciences.sdsu.edu) or Dr. Ron Angione (ang...@sciences.sdsu.edu) at 619 594-6183.  Or visit the San Diego Project ASTRO website:  http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/projectastro/index.html

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10)  Help solve the mystery of Epsilon Aurigae

 

Epsilon Aurigae is a mystery. This variable star changes in brightness over time, and is thought to be an eclipsing binary—a pair of stars that eclipse each other.  But the way it fades and brightens is not fully understood by astronomers, even after over 175 years of study.   The star’s next eclipse is predicted to begin in August 2009, and you can help solve its mysteries.  

Citizen Sky has put together materials guide you through the process of how to observe Epsilon Aurigae, how to send in your observations, and then how to see your results, analyze them, and even publish them in a scientific journal.  No previous experience is required.  Because of its brightness, it can be observed by almost anyone regardless of background, training, or equipment. All you need are a good pair of eyes and know where to look.

To learn more and become involved, visit:  http://www.citizensky.org

 

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11)  2009 Weightless Flights of Discovery Program

The Northrop Grumman Foundation is accepting teacher applications for the 2009 Weightless Flights of Discovery. This annual professional development program allows teachers to prepare for and participate in micro- and zero-gravity flights to test Newton's Laws of Motion with the purpose of taking the experience back into their classrooms to energize their students in science and math subjects during the formative middle-school years.  

Middle-school math and science teachers are welcome to seek additional information and apply by visiting:   http://www.northropgrumman.com/teachers    An application is also available for students.

 

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12)   Norway Northern Lights cruise  (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 view 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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13)   African cosmic safari & annular eclipse  (Jan 8-19, 2010)

Join me and “Astronomy” magazine Editor David Eicher for an exciting trip into the bush of Africa, for a remarkable safari and an even more remarkable annular eclipse of the sun.   For more information on what is already becoming a very popular trip, call 877.707.7827 or 408.279.5589 (Pacific time), or visit:   http://www.melitatrips.com/africa/index.html  


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14)   Total solar eclipse cruise… to Paradise!  (Jun 28 - Jul 12, 2010)

Join me and “Astronomy” magazine Senior Editor Rich Talcott in the glorious South Pacific as we explore the magnificent Marquesas Islands and the Tuamotus on a state-of–the art freighter, the Aranui III.  In the balmy South Pacific evenings, we’ll turn your gaze skyward—toward the exquisite Southern Cross and the spectacular Southern Milky Way, and on July 11 toward the great total solar eclipse—the most remarkable sky show you’ve ever seen!  Space is VERY limited.  For more details on this rapidly booking trip, call 877.707.7827 or 408.279.5589 (Pacific time), or visit:  http://www.melitatrips.com/marquesas/index.html   


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15)  Art, Astronomy & History in Paris  (Sept.. 17-24, 2009)

Join astronomy historian Dr. William Sheehan—author of MARS: Lure of the Red Planet and In Search of Vulcan—for seven nights in Paris, and an incredible art, astronomy, and art history vacation.  In addition to visiting the historic Meudon Observatories during the week of the Société Astronomique de France and International Astronomical Union’s celebration of Mars observations, you’ll experience all things French:  food and wine, Gothic cathedrals, sun-dappled paths, vineyards and villages, art, history and science.  For more information and full itinerary, call 877.707. 7827 or 408.279.5589 (Pacific time), or visit:  http://www.melitatrips.com/france  


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16)  Easter Island & the Grand Patagonia Sunset Total Eclipse  (July 3-12, 2010)

From Easter Island's mysterious solitudes, where you’ll pass among heads frozen in time and forever as inscrutable as their long-vanished makers, you’ll journey in imagination to the star-studded entrails of the Southern Hemisphere sky.  Then to the Patagonian steppes, fjords, and soaring peaks, you’ll travel in the footsteps of Charles Darwin to view the remarkable total solar eclipse—at sunset!   For more information and full itinerary, call 877.707.7827 or 408.279.5589 (Pacific time), or visit:  http://www.melitatrips.com/easterisland/index.html


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17)  The Grand Patagonia Sunset Total Solar Eclipse (July 6-13, 2010)

Few places on Earth are more beautiful than Patagonia and Buenos Aires.  And tie that in with a spectacular sunset total solar eclipse from El Calafate, and the journey is one you’ll never forget.  For more information and full itinerary, call 877.707.7827 or 408.279.5589 (Pacific time), or visit:  http://www.melitatrips.com/patagonia/index.html


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____________________
DENNIS MAMMANA
www.DennisMammana.com
www.twanight.org