Hi everyone! This Saturday, September 18th will be our regular Old Town
Sidewalk Astronomers viewing event in Monrovia, but it is also
International Observe the Moon Night, and there will be many lunar
viewing events around the world. Ours, at Library Park, corner of
Myrtle and Lime in Monrovia will go from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. To see where
other events are happening, check this map:
http://observethemoonnight.org/ or look at this list:
http://observethemoonnight.org/getInvolved/eDescriptions.cfm
We will have a few special handouts - a gorgeous lunar map made just for
this night and some little red flashlights. I don't have a lot of the
flashlights (combo keychain, flashlight and whistle) , so they will be
distributed to the first 75 or so attendees. When they are gone, they
are gone. ;-)
There are other events that day and night which our little band of
sidewalk astronomers will be supporting. Some of us will be at Griffith
Observatory for their all-day and night event, which also serves as a
95th birthday party for Sidewalk Astronomers founder John Dobson. Mojo
and I will be there in the afternoon for the cake and candles. John and
friends will build a 12-inch sidewalk telescope in the daytime and use
it in the evening to view the moon. If you want to go to that event I
wouldn't blame you, and won't be mad or anything. ;-) There are events
at Monrovia High School, the Huntington Library, and the aforementioned
Griffith Park event - all for your viewing pleasure. Attend one or
many! Or host your own event at home or on your sidewalk.
I will bring my beloved homemade 10-inch Dobsonian telescope Saturday
night. I made it in John's telescope making class in 1988, and it gives
gorgeous moon views. John taught the class and was old back then! :-)
Today, September 14th is John's actual 95th birthday. Happy birthday
John! Thanks, for igniting a fire within me, and starting me on the
path to become an astronomy educator and public service science
advocate. It's all John's fault! :-)
**********
Here's the volunteer opportunity I put in the subject line. If you have
questions, please contact the DPS volunteer coordinator, Dr. Bidushi
Bhattacharya (bhattach(a)ipac.caltech.edu)
Dear Amateur Astronomer,
The upcoming Division of Planetary Sciences (DPS) Meeting, American
Astronomical Society, is in need of volunteers. We need individuals to
support various tasks in the DPS cyber cafe, press office, speaker ready
room, and at the registration desk. The meeting will be held in
Pasadena, October 3-8, 2010 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Volunteers will have their meeting registration fees waived if they
work a minimum of 16 hours. You will also receive a free t-shirt, making
you part of a select and fashionable group!!
This is a good opportunity to learn more about solar system (and
exoplanet) astronomy at a professional meeting, become familiar with
recent research results, and network with potential advisors/employers.
Full details regarding the conference, including a list of talks and
posters, can be found at: http://dps.aas.org/meetings/2010/index.shtml
The volunteer form can be accessed at:
http://aas.org/meetings/dps/volunteerform
If you have questions, please contact the DPS volunteer coordinator,
Dr. Bidushi Bhattacharya (bhattach(a)ipac.caltech.edu)
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/http://twitter.com/jhjones
What's Up for September? Observe the Moon Night http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/news/index.cfm
Getaway weekend suggestion! Come up to Yosemite's Glacier Point! Mojo
and I are heading up to Glacier Point with the San Jose Astronomical
Association this labor day weekend . Jupiter should be magnificent. The
only moon we expect to see is early in the morning when a slender
crescent rises above Half Dome as seen from the Glacier Point
amphitheatre.This magic happens from July through Labor Day.
But speaking of the moon, the countdown is on! International Observe
the Moon Night is September 18th! There is a fantastic website here:
http://observethemoonnight.org/downloads/. I linked to the page with the
awesome moon map handout. :-)
Anyways, my September 2010 What's Up Podcast is all about this moon -
check it out here!
Many versions and a link to iTunes
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup-view.cfm?WUID=564
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=JPLnews#p/u/0/wq0XfghpHH0
If you want some NASA lunar lithographs handouts for your club's
September 18th International Observe the Moon Night event, send me a
note with mailing address and telephone number at that address and I
will send out a nice handout -I can handle 50-100 handouts. Request
before the 10th and my package should arrive in time. Now back to your
regular programming! :-)
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
My What's Up Podcast: Sept 2010:
NASA http://is.gd/eSMhz Youtube http://is.gd/eSMnh
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones /CassiniSaturn /otastro
Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/
