Rainwater Observatory E-News 4/13/09
MID-SOUTH STAR GAZE COMING UP FAST
Keep up to date on Mid-South news at the yahoo group MidSouthStargaze@yahoogroups.com
It’s easy to join if you’re not yet signed up. Get more info and register at http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org/stargaze/ It’s not too late
EDUCATOR WORKSHOP WILL BE PART OF THE MID-SOUTH ASTRONOMY CONFERENCE
John Frassinelli of the Lausanne School in Memphis will be sharing some great hands-on activities for those of you who do public outreach. Area teachers who would like to earn 1 CEU credit toward recertification can attend lectures and John’s sessions for a total of 10 hours to get the certificate. Contact Jim Hill at jhill@rainwaterobservatory.org or call 662-547-6377 for more information
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.
April 15: Miss. State Astronomy Club
April 16: Cottonlandia Museum, Greenwood 7 pm
April 16: Univ. of Miss. Honors Astronomy group at Rainwater
April 18-21: Early Star Gaze arrivals.
April 22-25, 2009: Mid-South Star Gaze http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org/stargaze/
April 28-29: Vicksburg 5th graders
April 30-May1: Long Beach astronomy class
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/
June21-27: Youth Astronomy Camp at Rainwater for 10-12 years olds. Call for information
NEWS FROM THE HILL
Thanks again got to Libby Montgomery and Virginia Scott. They saw a need (our messy cluttered classroom and “Fibber McGee” storage closets) and spent most of last Friday cleaning and organizing. A great help in these hectic pre-Star Gaze days. Our new storage shed will be getting shelving in the next few days. This will free up space in other sites. If the rain holds off we will be getting gravel behind the showers this week to make RVs more able to set up and not get stuck.
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE MATERIALS CENTER
We added 8 new books to the library. Several classics on sky lore and archeoastronomy from Dover reprints. Also a couple of George Gamov classics: “Gravity” and “The Creation of the Universe”. Jim Coker donated a classic issue of the New York Times from July 1969. A whole section is devoted to the Apollo 11 landing.
The Johannes Kepler Foundation sent us two boxes of CDs by the AstroCappella group singing “Shoulders of Giants: and other astronomy songs”. We will be distributing these to teachers and other astrophiles. Thanks John!
Finally, a book recommendation. “Seeing and Believing” by Richard Panek is a real gem. It is the story of how the telescope has opened our eyes and minds to the heavens. It is full of anecdotes about the history of astronomy and is hard to put down. It’s short and well written. Highly recommended.
ASTRONOMY CAMP AT RAINWATER ANTICIPATED FOR JUNE
Plans are being made to have a week long astronomy camp June 21-27. Campers aged 10-12 will get to learn how to use telescopes, and do hands-on activities during the mornings. After lunch there will be opportunities for swimming and other camp activities. After supper will be time for observing and learning constellations. If you’re interested in a child participating, contact us. We will have a flyer and registration information available shortly.
ASTRO NEWS: If you have info or links you’d like to share, let us know.
NASA has had a contest to name the new node for the International Space Station. If you’re a fan of the Colbert Report you know that his fans have hijacked the vote to have his name on it. A couple of astronauts will be on his show to reveal the official name on Tuesday night. Maybe NASA has a sense of humor after all.
Strange galaxies keep showing up in Hubble images. http://www.universetoday.com/2009/04/07/hubble-scores-a-ring/
The launch of the final Hubble servicing mission is scheduled to launch in less than a month and the new instruments will be even more spectacular. http://www.universetoday.com/2009/03/31/shuttle-takes-first-step-to-hubble-repair-mission/
The planet hunting Kepler spacecraft has successfully begun the process of readying itself for the full mission of finding Earth sized planets around other stars. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090408-kepler-update.html
With Saturn’s rings near edge on the Cassini spacecraft has imaged the shadows of boulders in the rings. Neat! http://www.universetoday.com/2009/04/12/cassinis-indirect-image-of-boulders-and-moonlets-in-saturns-rings/
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