Rainwater Observatory E-News 6/17/10
MSU RADIO CLUB FIELD DAY JUNE 26-27
Mississippi Sate University’s radio club will hold a field day at Rainwater from 1:00 mp Saturday June 26 until 1:00 pm June 27. This event is meant to acquaint the public with ”ham” radio and how radio amateurs serve the public. Come Saturday afternoon and see how radio amateurs keep in contact with others around the world during emergencies. You can even try your hand at contacting people. Solar telescopes will be set up to view the Sun during the day. Saturday night you can see the radio activities as well as look through some of the observatory’s telescopes to view Saturn, Venus, and the Moon.
If you plan to bring a group, please contact the msu radio club at msu.w5yd@gmail.com
UPDATED “REFLECTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE” FEATURED AT JULY 9 PROGRAM
Artist Edwin Faughn will present a newly updated version of his “Reflections of the Universe” program for our Friday July 9 program meeting. This program will feature beautiful images from the world’s great telescopes along with his own astronomical art. He wants people to appreciate that these views are not just pretty images, but real places. The program begins at 7:00 pm.
As always, weather permitting, we will go to the telescopes after the talk to view Venus, Saturn, and other objects.
CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS Contact us to schedule a program or field trip
June 18: St. Paul Presbyterian Church, Jackson
June 18: Greenwood family group
June 19: Royal Rangers, Columbus
June 20-26: Astronomy Camp
June 24: at Caledonia Library, 1:00 pm
July 6: New Haven Baptist Church
July 7-10: Bryce Canyon National Park Astro-Fest (Jim will welcome you if you get to south Utah)
July 9: “Reflections of the Universe” Rainwater program meeting.
ASTRONOMY EDUCATION CEU WORKSHOPS FOR THE COMING YEAR
We have been included in the Mississippi NASA Space Grant budget for the coming year and are planning on hosting two weekend teacher workshops at Rainwater and several “away” one day science workshops at sites around the state. We are currently scheduling the away workshops which will be focused on hands-on astronomy activities for elementary and middle school science standards. The weekend workshops will be:
November 5-6, 2010, Using Constellations to Teach Astronomy, Dr. Chris Sirola of USM.
January 28-29, 2011, Implementing and Enhancing High School Astronomy Classes, Dr. Larry Krumenaker, founder of “To Teach the Stars”.
Contact us if you’d like a one day workshop in your area or school district.
FALL “BACKYARD ASTRONOMY”
We’re having the programs on Saturdays this October to avoid conflict with football. Talks will be on fall constellations, Jupiter, “Death from the Skies”, and the life and death of stars. If you have other suggestions, like black holes or cosmology, we’d like to try to schedule them for the spring 2011 series. The online registration is on the web site.
SUPPORT THE RAA BY BECOMING A MEMBER OR WITH A DONATION
Rainwater Astronomical Association membership is $15. (Just $10.00 for the rest of the year.) This allows a discounted subscription to Sky & Telescope magazine if you wish. Send a separate check for $32.95 made out to Sky & Telescope if you want to have this. Be sure to take advantage of our facility. Let us know if we can be of service.
NEWS FROM THE HILL
A wheel broke on the dome of the 6” D&Gmail.com refractor, so it is out of operation until we can fix it and roll the slit open. The 6” AstroPhysics has a new occupant. A bluebird has taken up residence and laid 4 eggs. She isn’t happy about our using the scope, but we’re trying to be careful and good neighbors.
A reminder that Mr. Hill will be out working with the National Park Service at Bryce Canyon during July, but he will still be taking care of business by email. jhill@rainwaterobservatory.org Edwin Faughn will be in charge in his absence. Contact him at 901-674-2609 or edwinfaughn@gmail.com
ASTRO NEWS: If you have info or links you’d like to share please email it to us.
The Sun’s strange lack of activity has scientists asking questions. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar-cycle-results-aas216-100614.html
Two mysteries about Jupiter are investigated by Hubble. http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/16/hubble-delves-in-to-solve-two-recent-jupiter-mysteries/
Kuiper Belt objects measured by occulting stars. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10333601.stm
More news on extrasolar planets from Kepler and Corot. http://www.nasa.gov/kepler and http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/14/weird-collection-of-worlds-in-the-latest-cache-of-corot-expoplanets/
See the oil spill in the gulf at http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/14/latest-satellite-views-of-oil-leak-plus-dramatic-video-of-where-the-oil-may-end-up/
Did Mars have giant oceans in the past? http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/14/vast-oceans-likely-covered-one-third-of-mars/
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