CSM
Astronomy website
In the Mail and In
the eMail
JPL and NASA News
The electronic version of the July Event Horizon is now available for your
access at the following link:
http://www.smcas.
com/file.
cfm?content=
50&pageId=
15
The mailed version is in the process of being prepared and should reach you
by the end of the week.
This month we do not have a meeting but we have two major scheduled events:
1. The Joint SMCAS – Peninsula Astronomical Society Star-B-Que on July 12.
2. The Annual Installation of Officers Banquet on July 26.
Check the Event Horizon or our website at http://www.SMCAS.
com for details.
We believe that the electronic version is a superior product both because it
is in color and because the internet links are directly accessible by
clicking on them. If you haven’t tried it, please take a look.
Opening the newsletter requires the Adobe Reader which can be downloaded for
free from http://www.adobe.
com/ Just ignore the products and click on the
button that says “Get ADOBE reader”
Ed Pieret
EPieret at_ Comcast.
net
Table of Contents
Directions to College of
San Mateo
Star Parties at
Crestview Park and CSM.
No SAMCAS General Meeting at CSM in
July or August.
Events and Club News
Other Astronomy Events in Our Area
SMCAS Monthly Calendar
Club Websites, Membership Application
SMCAS Yahoo Groups Policy
SMCAS patches on sale
Update, July 27, 2008
Final entry for July Newsletter
Crestview Star
Parties
Number of people in attendance
subject to weather.
Crestview 2005/7 Sun Chart
Scobee Star Chart
Scobee
Planetarium
The Solar System Live
Expected Crestview star party dates:
- July 8
- August 2
- August 23
- August 30
Come out and see
how many different things you can
identify
in the night sky!
Bring
your binoculars, telescopes, star guides, and lounge chairs for some informal
star gazing at Crestview Park. Dress warmly, wear a hat. Cars should arrive before dark so that headlights don't affect people's dark
adaptation. Bring small flashlights only, with the lens covered with red
cellophane or red balloon. Please don't touch a telescope without permission.
And parents, please watch your children.
Directions to Crestview Park: Take Hwy 101 or El Camino to Brittan Avenue in
San Carlos, and turn west (right from El Camino). From El Camino, follow Brittan
about 2.3 miles to the intersection with Crestview Drive. From Alameda, go about
1.4 miles to Crestview. Turn right on Crestview. A small sign saying "Crestview
Park" is a half-block ahead on the right.
Look to the left for the park entry road, a small street between houses #998 and 1000.
If after dark, please park on Crestview to avoid disturbing the observing with
headlight glare.
From Highway 280 to Edgewood Road. Go east toward the Bay about 0.8 miles. Left on
Crestview Drive. Go 0.5 miles uphill to the intersection with Brittan Avenue. Go one
short block to the park entrance on the left.
Generally the first star party is around the 3/4
moon and the second party is a week later (around the new moon). Our
experience is that 4 or 5 days after the full moon the moon rises late
enough that it won't bother observing. Some months the calendar and the and
the moon phases give us a star party with a new moon or at least less than a
quarter moon. This is OK because we all like to do a little moon observing
once in a while. Sometimes we even call it a moon party.
Leroy Amen
Crestview
Park is at W122° 17', N37° 29'
|
==================================================================
ADVERTISEMENT - REACH FOR THE STARS AT CSM!
With its planetarium, variety of astronomy courses, top-notch faculty,
and special events such as Star Parties, when the College partners with the
San Mateo County Astronomical Society...or with CSM's many A.A., A.S., and
certificate programs, its scenic and historic campus, the ease with which
you can sign up for classes online as a first-time or returning student...
The possibilities are astronomical.
COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO. Visit us on the web at http://gocsm.net
=================================================================
Astronomy Events in Our Area
( Edited for July )
From:
Juliana
G
Subject:
Ask
a Scientist [July 9]: Native American Science
TOPIC: Topic:
Native American Science
Next
Wednesday night, Berkeley astronomer Isabel Hawkins and the Native
American Academy's Rose von Thater Braan will join forces to discuss
the topic of Native science. Isabel will talk with us about Native
American astronomy from a western perpective, and Rose will address
how Indigenous learning processes differ from the western scientific
method that most of us are probably used to. You may already know that
among the ancient world's top astronomers were Native Americans. For
example, Mayan measurements of the known planets' synodic periods were
every bit as accurate as Ptolemy's, and their calendar was so precise
that it could predict the occurrence of eclipses to an error of one
day in 6,000 years. But despite the concurrence of Mayan and
Greco-Roman observations, the methods and goals of western vs. Native
science contrast with one another in some thought-provoking ways.
Discover how these two world views differ, what they share, and how
bringing them together holds the potential for a paradigmatic shift
and the emergence of a whole new kind of science.
SPEAKERS: Isabel Hawkins, Research Astronomer at UC
Berkeley. Rose von Thater Braan, cofounder of the Native American
Academy.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 9th, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Axis
Cafe, 1201 8th Street (btw. 16th & Irwin) 94107
For those of you who don't know, Axis Cafe serves much more than just
coffee. Bring your appetites and enjoy a very reasonably priced
gourmet dinner, plus wine and beer:
http://axis-cafe.com/AXISCAFE/menu.html
And finally, anyone who's not ready to go home at 9pm can plan to grab
a nightcap at either Connecticut Yankee or Thee Parkside (TBD) after
the talk.
Toodles,
Juliana
Ask a Scientist
/////////////////////////
Dear Astronomy Education Colleague:
The nice people at the SETI Institute have asked me to send this
invitation out. Could I ask you to forward it to people and especially
families who might be interested in attending?
Thanks,
Andy Fraknoi
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friend of Astronomy:
The public is invited to the SETI (Search for Extra- Terrestrial
Intelligence) Institute on Saturday, July 19, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., for
a celebration of science and the imagination! "Celebrating Science
2008" is an interactive science fair for the entire family. Meet SETI
Institute scientists and learn about the Institute's pioneering
exploration for life, both in our solar system and beyond.
Fun, interactive activities for youth aged 8-15 will be set up. Come
sign up on a first-come, first-serve basis for such activities as "Night
and Day," "Oil Spill," and "Time Shadows." There
will also be a few
activities for younger kids. And adults can enjoy virtual tours of the
new Allen Telescope (that is searching for intelligent signals from
civilizations among the stars) and the Cassini exploration of the
amazing Saturn system.
Meet the father of SETI and author of the Drake Equation, Dr. Frank
Drake. Visit the gift shop for a Drake Equation t-shirt and ask Dr.
Drake himself to sign it! Other scientists from the Institute will also
be available to talk with visitors.
Hear California Professor of the Year and SETI Board member Andrew
Fraknoi speak at 1:30 p.m. about "What Really Happened with Pluto"
(including the latest news on the new category of
plutoids!) Fraknoi will be available between 1:45 - 2:30 to autograph
his latest book, Disney's Wonderful World of Space, also available in
the gift shop.
Admission is free, but reservations are available on a first come first
served basis only. For more information and to register now and reserve
your spot, visit:
http://www.seti.org/celebratingscience2008
For directions to the Institute, see:
http://www.seti.org/about-us/directions-to-institute.php
The Staff of the SETI Institute
////////////////////////
Hello All,
We have 12 excellent lectures from the Silicon Valley Astronomy Series and an
Eclipse party.
Don't forget to sign up for Yosemite with your AANC member club:
http://aanc-astronomy.org/yosemite.html
Fall Astronomy Day for us here in the Bay Area is October 4th. Let us know
what you're up to.
Happy Summer Solstice,
Ken Frank
AANC VP
+++
On behalf of Raphael Rosen:
Total Solar Eclipse 2008 From Xinjiang Province in Northwestern China
An Exploratorium and NASA Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum Event
Overnight Eclipse Viewing Party at Exploratorium Begins July 31, 2008 at 9pm And
Continues
Through Friday, August 1 in the Wee Hours
Over 100 Museums Internationally Also Participating Live Webcast Begins at
3:30am (PDT),
and Totality at 4:09am (PDT)
Spend the Night at the Exploratorium!
See the eclipse in person live at the Exploratorium. Pack your sleeping bag and
camp out
on the museum floor for an overnight eclipse party.
This event will capture and actively observe the full eclipse, and investigate
space
weather and the sun as a power source.
It is both a celebration and party, a look at Chinese culture, and pure
Sun-Earth
Connection science. The celebration begins with astronomers, food, music,
and of course,
tea/caffeine, to keep you alert for the big event. Doors open at 9pm,
Thursday July 31.
Films and solar science activities, like spectroscope
making, will be held, as well as the sorts of traditional Chinese performances
that mark
special occasions, and in the name of science, roving
astronomers to answer questions. General admission will be open from
9pm-midnight.
Museum capacity is limited; we may sell out early.
We strongly encourage advance reservations through www.ticketweb.com.
As the date nears, please check for more details.
www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/2008
For full press release:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/pr/documents/08-7Total.html
_______________________________________________
Contacts mailing list
Contacts@aanc-astronomy.org
http://mail.aanc-astronomy.org/mailman/listinfo/contacts
/////////////////////////////
It's not to early to plan for the FPOA/AANC Star-B-Q Saturday, August
2nd.
Meet friends, crash into our Moon, exercise your brain with the ever
popular Astronomical Trivia Quiz and eat your way through the
Astronomical-Gastronomical Contest.
To reserve your place at the eyepiece of the 30 inch Challenger or seat
on a picnic table
contact:
webmaster@fpoa.net
SLAC Physics
Lecture Series at Stanford
University and Stanford Linear Accelerator
http://www.slac.
stanford.
edu/welcome/
location.
html (how to get to SLAC)
Dean
Lectures
California
Academy of Sciences, at their temporary home.
The Academy is closed until Fall.
Grand Reopening:
Sept. 27, 2008
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco
|
Silicon
Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
Foothill College
Los Altos Hills, CA
Podcast audio recordings of twelve public lectures recorded at Foothill College
in the
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series by noted astronomers
are now available as free MP3 downloads at the web site of the nonprofit
Astronomical
Society of the Pacific (ASP):
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html
and are made available to the public through the kind support of a donor with a
strong
interest in education who wishes to remain anonymous. Each hour-long lecture on
some
exciting development in our study of the universe is followed by an extensive
question and
answer period, in which the speaker gives further details and personal glimpses
about the
topics under discussion.
A sample of the talks now available are:
* Dr. Jill Tarter (SETI Institute): "Better Searches for Signals from
Extra-terrestrial
Civilizations"
* Dr. Geoff Marcy (U. of California, Berkeley): "Hunting for Earth-like
Planets Among the
Stars"
These lectures are co-sponsored by:
NASA's Ames Research Center, The SETI Institute, The Foothill College Astronomy
Program
and The Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Andrew Fraknoi, Chair, Astronomy Program, Foothill College
fraknoiandrew at fhda.edu
UC Berkeley's Lawrence
Hall of Science
http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org
Lick Observatory
 |
|
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Mt Tam
Enthusiasts-
Mt Tam , website: mttam.net
The season listing can be found on the MTIA website:
http://www.mttam.net/Default.aspx?tabid=843
If you would like to help distribute brochures (being printed) send a
return
email with your mail address and how many you want to Tinka Ross <tinkaross
at comcast.net>
A word document for now can be found here: http://www.planitarium.net/aanc/08season-tam.doc
If the weather is questionable on program dates, check with the hotline
415-455-5370. The
message is changed if there is a change around 3:00pm.
Clouds and fog can cancel observing but programs are only cancelled for
rain, extra wet
conditions or fire danger. And remember that often when it
is foggy the fog line stays below our observing site and actually
improves our viewing by
blocking out the city lights. So donąt give up too easily!
Remember to dress appropriately and bring a flashlight. Help spread the
word about our
programs and bring along your friends. See you on the
mountain!
2008 ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS
OUR TWENTIETH SEASON ON THE MOUNTAIN
"The microwave background is a cosmic time machine" according
to Dr.
Adrian Lee of UC Berkeley. Come and hear how researchers are
probing
the universe using telescopes in stratospheric balloons, at the South
Pole and in the high Andes to map the faint cosmic background
radiation giving a baby picture of the universe just after the Big Bang.
SAT JULY 12, 8:30pm at
the Mt Theatre, Mt Tam
Telescope viewing with the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers in the
Rock Spring Parking Lot following the talk. All programs are FREE
and
open to the general public. Students and youth encouraged to
attend. Dress warmly, bring a flashlight and car pool if
possible.
More information on our web site:
www.mttam.net
8/9 8:30pm Dr. Margaret S. Race - SETI Institute
"Astrobiology, Planetary Protection and the Search for ET
Life"
A down to Earth view of preparations for space missions-- it takes
more than just rocket scientists!
9/6 8:00pm Dr. Raymond Hall – CSU Fresno
“Demarcation: Is There a Sharp Line Between Science and
Pseudoscience?”
A look at ways to discern the difference between astronomy and
astrology, and the application of these distinctions in the areas of
law, public policy, and education policy.
10/4 7:30pm Dr. Joel Primack
& Nancy Abrams - UC Santa Cruz
“The View From the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our
Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos”
A progress report and philosophical reflection on modern views of our
place in the cosmos and how ideas of the universe have widespread
cultural implications.
Exploratorium in San Francisco
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
7/8/2008 Dear Sir
or Madam,
I wanted to update you. The Exploratorium's Total Solar Eclipse,
live from
China on July 31-August 1, will also be streamed live into the Second
Life
virtual world. More information is below, and images are
available, as is a
link to the full press kit on the Eclipse, public sleepovers around the
United States and the world to watch the Exploratorium feed, and events
at
the Exploratorium itself.
Press Release: http://www.exploratorium.edu/pr/documents/08-6Total.html
Press Kit:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cgi-bin/pr/pr_date.cgi?presskit=Eclipse
--------
Raphael Rosen
Public Information Department
The Exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
www.exploratorium.edu
Phone Contact: Leslie Patterson / lesliep at_ exploratorium.edu,
561-0377
The Tech Museum, downtown
San Jose
Western
Amateur Astronomers
OTHER CLUBS & EVENTS - For regularly-updated information on other
astronomical organizations and events, we refer you to the website of the
Astronomical Association of Northern California; www.aanc-astronomy.org
2008
Golden
State Star Party
Jane H J on your I-Pod,
http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html
For those of you with an interest in Java Programs and/or
extra-solar planet search see:
http://oklo.org/?page_id=86
This is a forum run by students and instructors at
Lick Observatory concerning the reduction of extra-solar
radial velocity data. Update at: http://www.oklo.org/
|
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
ASP Website
10 Podcasts of Nontechnical Astronomy Talks Available
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audio recordings of ten
public lectures by noted
astronomers are now available as free MP3 downloads
at the web site of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of
the Pacific (ASP):
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html
These talks were
recorded at Foothill College in
the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. They are made
available through a kind donation to the ASP by a
donor with a strong interest in education who wishes to remain
anonymous. Each hour-long lecture on some exciting development
in our study of the universe is followed by an extensive
question and answer period, in which the speaker gives
further details and personal glimpses about the topics under
discussion.
Among the talks available so far are:
* Dr. David Morrison (NASA Ames Research Center): "Taking a Hit:
Asteroid Impacts and Evolution"
* Dr. David Grinspoon (Denver Museum of Nature & Science):
"Comparing
Worlds: Climate Catastrophes in the Solar System"
* Dr. Bruce Margon (University of California, Santa Cruz):
"Glimpsing
the Edge of the Universe: Results from the Hubble Space Telescope"
* Dr. Dale Cruikshank (NASA Ames): "The Planet Pluto: Maligned but
Not Forgotten"
* Dr. Alex Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley): "Dark
Energy and the Runaway Universe"
* Dr. Frank Drake (SETI Institute): "Estimating the Chances of Life
Out There"
* Dr. Nathalie Cabrol (SETI Institute): "The Mars Exploration Rover
Mission"
A few talks are also available as video files (instructions can be found
on the same page.)
NASA Ames Research Center
The NASA Exploration Center is open to the public free of charge. For information about the Exploration Center, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/exploration.html
To learn about other events hosted by NASA Ames, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/events/index.html
Dates set for Hubble repair mission.
Standardized solid state gyro sets
developed for space.
Briefing on the James
Webb Space Telescope
from Vacuum and Coating
Technology, August
2007. |
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page 53 |
page 54 |
page 55 |
page 56 |
page 57 |
Multimedia review of some major space telescope projects since 1990.
http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/telescopetech/
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Astronomy at College of San Mateo
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about 3 1/2 inches.
