Rainwater E-News 6/22/08
SUMMER BACKYARD ASTRONOMY WRAPS UP THIS FRIDAY
“Here Comes the Giant” will be the topic of the public talk this Friday night at 7:15. Arthur Keith, a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, will tell us about the planet Jupiter. Jupiter is rising earlier each night in the southeast. We’ll hear about how this giant planet, which is 1,200 times the volume of Earth, had a part in revolutionizing our ideas of the universe. Galileo discovered that
Jupiter was the center of motion of some ”Medicean stars”, not the Earth as Aristotle had asserted. Come learn about this almost wandering star and stay for some telescope viewing. If you are bringing a group, please let us know in advance. As usual, if you want to come early and picnic, the pavilion will be available.
COMING GROUPS and EVENTS The web site calendar is now working
June 27: Summer Adventure Group for the Backyard Astronomy program
July 11: July Rainwater Astronomers program meeting
Fall Backyard Astronomy: Saturdays in October 4-25, 2008
Research Telescope Experience for Educators Workshop, October 31-Nov.1, 2008
Hands-On Astronomy Activities Workshop, Feb. 27-28, 2009
Spring Backyard Astronomy: Fridays in March 7-28, 2009
Mid-South Star Gaze: April 22-25, 2009
NEWS FROM THE HILL
We are hoping to have assistance at the observatory by fall. Since Mr. Hill is now full time at the observatory we also plan to offer more programs and have increased field trip groups and away programs. We want to start setting up the schedule for the school year during the summer. If you or some group you know needs a program or wants a field trip after school starts please contact us. Make you plans early.
Mr. Hill will be away in New Mexico at a volcanism workshop or at French Camp’s orientation from July 12 until August 1. If you need to contact the observatory, please be patient, we’ll respond as soon as possible.The August meeting will be on schedule August 8
ASTRO NEWS: If you have info or links you’d like to share, let us know.
Have the Laws of the Universe changed over time. One of the arguments against the standard model of cosmology, the Big Bang” theory, says they might have. A new study confirms that at least some of the constants have not change in the last 6 billion years. http://www.universetoday.com:80/2008/06/20/are-the-laws-of-nature-the-same-everywhere-in-the-universe/
Water ice proven to exist on Mars by Phoenix http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/20/phoenix-press-conference-update-proof-of-water-ice/ Watch the ice sublimate in a time lapse image.
http://www.universetoday.com:80/2008/06/20/phoenix-it-must-be-ice/
Mysterious Dark Matter around the Milky Way weighed: Earlier estimates of the mass of the dark matter halo of our galaxy gave a number of 2 trillion solar masses. New studies cut the number to about 1 trillion solar masses. http://www.universetoday.com:80/2008/06/18/just-in-time-for-summer-the-milky-way-loses-weight/
Eye Candy: check out this image of a super nova remnant: http://www.universetoday.com:80/2008/06/16/simeis-147-by-davide-de-martin/
One of the meteorite specimens we have in our collection was known to have amino acids in it. Now a new study shows the meteorite has a multitude of organic precursor molecules for life. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080613-meteorite-life.html
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