Rainwater Observatory E-News 2/18/09
“BACKYARD ASTRONOMY” IS COMING UP MARCH 6, 13, 20, 27
Mark you calendar for the four Fridays in March. The first program will be March 6 at 7pm. Tim Rich of Rust College will show us how to predict whether it will be clear for observing or not. If the weather permits we will get a chance to see the planet Venus as a crescent after the talk. Future programs in the series will focus on Saturn, the Giants of the History of Astronomy, Spring Constellations, and Auroras. Go to http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org/programs/backyard.html for information and an online registration form.
HANDS-ON ASTRONOMY ACTIVITIES EDUCATOR WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 27-28
A weekend workshop for teachers will be held the weekend of February 27-28. We have a full contingent of 40 registered, but a few nearby folks who don’t need housing could be possibly be accommodated. The workshop is targeted to folks who work with young people and use activities to teach science and astronomy is welcome to attend. Educators can receive 1 CEU credit. The clinician will be Dr. John Frassinelli of the Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis. Funding for this event comes from a grant from the Mississippi NASA Space Grant Consortium, A CEU it will cost $20.00.
Info and online registration are at http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org/programs/handson.html
COMING GROUPS AND EVENTS The web site calendar shows more events and programs. If you or some group you know needs a program or wants to set up a field trip, contact us.
February 20-22: Troop 341 Memphis
March 6-27, 2009: Spring Backyard Astronomy: Fridays in March http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org/programs/backyard.html
April 22-25, 2009: Mid-South Star Gaze http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org/stargaze/
June 7-12, 2009: Astronomy for Teachers Summer School class through Ole Miss for 3 semester hours credit. http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/summer/teacher_workshop/
AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY FOR RAINWATER OBSERVATORY
An amateur astronomer who can no longer use his instruments has offered the observatory the chance to acquire two remarkable telescopes. One of the telescopes is a 25” Obsession telescope with Servo Cat drive and Argo Navis Digital setting circles. The other scope is a Takahashi 6” fluorite refractor with field flattener, mount, and pier. Both are instruments of the highest quality and would make an enormous addition to the outreach potential of Rainwater. Their value is over $40,000. The observatory could acquire them for about half that amount. If you know anyone or any source that would like to see these instruments in Mississippi and could help, please let us know. Any donations will be tax deductible. More on this as things develop.
NEWS FROM THE HILL
Several years ago we were given a used copy machine and it has served well, but it is now on its last legs and the repair person told us not to bring it back to fix. If you know of a usable copier that is being replaced, please let us know if it could be donated for our use. Thanks.
We have acquired an extra copy of the ”NASA 5,000 Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses” (750 pages) by Espanak and Meeus. If you have use for it, you’re welcome to have it. Let us know.
Rex McDaniel, a long time friend of Rainwater and a vendor for many years at the Mid-South, has lost his son and his wife has serious health problems. He may not be able to make it to the Mid-south this year, but he is still in business. You can reach him to order things, but his web site is no longer AstroStuff, it has changed to www.telescopemart.com His phone is still 1-877-739-2787. Let him know your astronomical needs.
ASTRO NEWS: If you have info or links you’d like to share, let us know.
Comet Lulin is getting brighter. Find new images and info at http://spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_lulin_page8.htm
http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/16/galaxy-zoo-2-launches/
Launch the full version of Galaxy Zoo 2. By going to www.galaxyzoo.org and classifying galaxies - even if you only have time to do a few - you'll be contributing to a scientific project that has led to time on some of the world's largest and most famous telescopes (including the Hubble Space Telescope) and is changing the way we think about how galaxies form and evolve.
The University of Chicago is operating a new South Pole Telescope. http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/16/cosmologists-search-for-gravity-waves-to-prove-inflation-theory/ This unique location allows it to see microwaves in a way that can reveal new information about the big bang and the early universe.
A new computer simulation of the early universe predicts how “dark matter” caused clumping of normal matter into galaxies. http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/10/cosmologists-look-back-to-cosmic-dawn/
The smallest extra-solar planet yet discovered is only twice the mass of Earth. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7888
Google Earth now has an upgrade that allows you to roam on Mars as well. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7889
The chicken and egg question, which came first, has a cosmological side. Black holes or galaxies, which came first? It turns out they grow together. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7887
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