- OTEvents - Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers

What's Up? Rain and clouds tonight
by Morris Jones 01 May '09

01 May '09

No sidewalk astronomy tonight in Pasadena, due to clouds and the threat of rain. I'll hold off on tomorrow 'til we get closer. BUT while there might not be much sun today, you can learn about observing the sun on Jane's May "What's Up" podcast: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Cheers, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la

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Busy astronomy weekend
by Morris Jones 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Jane and everyone at JPL are busily scurrying around getting everything ready for the annual JPL Open House this weekend. She may have a followup when she comes up for air! Meanwhile there's information at JPL's web site: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/open-house.cfm Jane will be with volunteers manning solar telescopes, and offering views, if there is sun! Also look for your favorite Old Town Astronomers in the Int'l Year of Astronomy film being shown in the auditorium. They have huge crowds, and it's good to be there early if you can. I don't think one day is much better than the other. It's also our sidewalk astronomy weekend, Friday and Saturday. Right now the weather forecast is not looking promising for either night, but I'll send an update tomorrow. Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la

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Mojave National Preserve dark sky astronomy
by Morris Jones 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Last weekend was an adventurous one for several of us who spent two nights in the Mojave National Preserve. While Friday was a bit harrowing with high winds, Saturday was a great day for exploring the park, and observing galaxies in the dark sky at night. I have an article here about the trip: http://mojo.whiteoaks.com/2009/04/26/snakes-tortoises-and-stars/ and a photo album with some cool tortoise video shot by Jane here: http://photo.whiteoaks.com/2009-04-25-mojave/ We had such a good time that we're contemplating doing it again next month. If you've never had much opportunity to get out from under the L.A. light dome, you might consider joining us. From Monrovia it's about 215 miles of easy drive. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, let me know as soon as you can. The new moon weekend in May is May 23-24. If there are enough interested parties, we can reserve the same group camping area. I'll follow this message with information about this coming weekend. Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la

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Helpful Herping Hints ;-) for the star party
by Jane H Jones 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

Here are some final facts and tidbits. Print it out and tuck into your car. Be sure you print out a map too, if you need one. Forward to new attendees. Location and directions: Latitude and Longitude (altitude 4400 feet) 35.043333, -115.395833? +35° 2' 36.00", -115° 23' 45.00" Get Google directions from here http://is.gd/tKhT Here are several maps: http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/maps.htm We are staying Black Canyon Group Campsite adjacent to Hole-in the Wall campground. You can see this on all the maps. Group campsite: Vault toilets, trash receptacles, potable water, fire ring, grill, picnic shelter with tables. Fees $25 per group per night. (Fri night paid by Jane, Sat night paid by Hanna) More directions: http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/directions.htm Mojave National Preserve is located east of Barstow, Calif., between I-15 and I-40. From I-15: Exit Kelbaker Road at Baker, Calif., or Zyzyx Road, Cima Road, or Nipton Road. From I-40: Exit Kelbaker Road, Essex Road, or Goffs Road. Directions to Hole-in-the-Wall and Mitchell Caverns From I-40: Exit Essex Road and drive north 10 miles to the junction with Black Canyon Road. Mitchell Caverns is 6 miles northwest of this junction on Essex Road. Hole-in-the-Wall is 10 miles north on Black Canyon Road. Attendees: Jane and Mojo will arrive Friday afternoon. Hanna Strauss, Bill Read +1, Mike Cipra (NPCA), Dave Lanfrom (Mojave National Preserve superintendent), Carolina +3 from JPL, Gary + 1 from JPL arrive Friday. Gay + 3 from JPL maybe Friday. Saturday: Some of the above - I think Mike and Dave are Fri night only. Add Todd, probably not Caroline (hope your dad is better, C). Becky, Angela +3. Possibly a few more late invitees. Lots of room in the campground. So it's ok to invite a few others. It's a fun event, don't worry if at the last minute you can't make it. Those things happen. It's not work! ;-) Weather: http://is.gd/tKfB (check back in the next few days for updates) Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Astronomy Weather (forecast partly cloudy for weekend at the moment, check back Thursday) http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/HlWllCpCAkey.html?1 Herping outings: (notes from Hanna) "The desert still won't be too hot; in fact it would be ideal to do some day herping to see various lizards (including chuckwallas), desert tortoises, and diurnal snakes. It should be warm enough in the early evening for the nocturnal species to come out to hunt and thermoregulate on asphalt warmed by the sun during the day. You can also do lantern walking at night around the campground and road to look for stuff. At night you are more likely to find interesting stuff: shovelnose snakes, leafnose snakes, glossy snakes, longnose snakes, rosy boas, banded geckos, sidewinders, scorpions, tarantulas,kangaroo rats. pocket mice, solpugids, bats,desert cottontails, nighthawks, kit foxes, coyotes and jack rabbits. Roadcruising for Herps (with a driver and a few passengers will be arranged with Hanna) A good pocket guide is Western Reptiles And Amphibians by Robert C. Stebbins. It is published by Houghton Mifflin What to bring: Layers - it will be in the 80's in the daytime, 40's-50's at night, so prepare for all these temperatures with layers Shoes - hiking boots, ankle support to walk among the rocks. Remember there are cacti and desert dwellers afoot. Those going on herping walks will want proper foot covering, for sure. Sun - Sunscreen and hats and plenty of drinking water Food - (closest store is probably Barstow - not a quick drive to/from the campsite): Let's help Hanna (she may be the only herpetologist) with a fun Saturday potluck and Sunday breakfast - bring some side-dish - fruit-etc things to share if you want for Sat night and main meal (aka meat/whatever) for yourself. There will be a couple camp stoves. Easy on desserts - if everyone brings some to share there will be way too many desserts - keep it simple for desserts warns Hanna. Bring some drinks (OJ, milk, etc, for breakfast). Hanna is bringing coffee, and offered pancakes, but if she is the only herpetologist this may be too much for her - I'll send an email about food tomorrow - everyone send me some food ideas if they have them, so everyone doesn't being the same thing......If you are not bringing a stove, share what you can prepare without a stove (except for you meat or whatever) We are bringing simple stuff like mac 'n cheese +tuna. I'll bring tea bags, hot chocolate, coffee to share, too. :-) Cutting or collecting any wood, including downed wood, is prohibited. All firewood must be brought into the preserve. Astronomy Etiquette (aka keep white lights away from telescopes) Safety is first, but white flashlights damage everyone's dark adaption. Bring flashlights to get from here to there. Always point flashlights at ground not at peoples eyes. Cup your palm around the light to diffuse it. If you want to use smaller flashlights near the telescopes I have red tape to put over the light. And extra red flashlights to share. I'll have the red tape at the telescopes and at my tent. Big lanterns are ok in your tent and out walking at night away from the telescopes, but not at the telescopes. You'll want to walk around looking for critters, do that away from the telescopes. :-) Car lights There will be cars coming and going to take people "roadcruising" down the road at night. It's a way to see more herps by covering more territory. It would be a good idea to leave the cars away from the telescopes/dining pavilion at night. It is impossible to get all interior car lights off, so at night if you are going to get in and out of your cars, it would be good to park away from the telecopes. Shouldn't be a problem. :-) Camping Rules and Leave No Trace Guidlines from NPS http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/camping-regs.htm -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html

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Great class : Basics of Interplanetary Space Flight
by Jane Houston Jones 16 Apr '09

16 Apr '09

My good friend Dave Doody is teaching his awesome space class again at Art Center College of Design beginning May 14. His class is really great and gives a good overview of everything from the environment in the solar system to reference systems to get around the solar system, on to gravity, spacecraft trajectories, flight missions and operations. Everyone is 6 degrees from a JPL flight mission. You are either working on one, or you know someone on a mission or you'd like to work on one someday. Dave's class is a great start for the enthusiast to the advocate! Dave's class takes place on seven Thursday evenings beginning May 14. It's a great way for everyone to get a good overview about space flight: You night see me there! Course: Basics of Interplanetary Flight Starts: May 14. Registration opens April 8, 2009 Venue: Art Center College of Design Public Programs Meets: 7 Thurs evenings 7-10pm, South Campus, Pasadena Space: 12 participants total ($315 tuition, some discounts available) Instructor: Dave Doody, Caltech/JPL senior flight operations engineer Visit: http://people.artcenter.edu/doody -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org My JPL What's Up podcast: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn

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One more IYA event - today is Sun Day!
by Jane Houston Jones 05 Apr '09

05 Apr '09

It's IYA Sun Day! Join me this afternoon from 1:30 until 3 p.m. Myrtle and Lime Streets Monrovia CA for the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers fourth and final "100 Hours of Astronomy" observing celebration. Here is what the sun looks like today http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html I'll be out at Monrovia's Library Park with two telescopes - one is my homemade (in John Dobson's telescope makring class) safe solar telescope. And the other is a small reftactor fitted with a special h-Alpha filter. The homemade telescope shows the sun in white light - this is how the sun looks to the unaided eye. The viewer sees the photosphere, or the apparent surface of the sun, which has a temperature of 6,000 Celsius. You can say this is the sun you can "see" or what you see through a projection onto a piece of paper. The other is a telescope fitted with an h-Alpha filter, which shows just one wavelength of light -the red light of hydrogen (wavelength of 656.3 nanometers). With this we see the next highest layer of the sun - the chromosphere (temperature between 6,000 and 20,000 C.) We need a filter to see this layer because the brighter photosphere layer below washes out the fainter chromosphere, just like a bright streetlight would wash out the light of a flashlight. What you see through an h-Alpha filter are ribbony dark colored filaments against the disk and prominences on the edge, many times longer than the diameter of the Earth! I took these definitions from my writeup for the SOHO outreach website :-) http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/outreach/past/Sidewalk/ For those who venture out to Myrtle and Lime, you'll be rewarded, not only with some great solar views, but I am bringing an AMAZING collection of educational handouts. While they last, get 3-d images of the sun in H-alpha, courtesy of the SOHO - Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, some more from STEREO ( two space-based observatories, one ahead of Earth, the other trailing behind. I also have lots of NASA lithographs of the sun. And just a very few additional 3-d cards from the SOHO/TRACE missions. And plenty of IYA bookmarks. First come, first get! See you in a half hour! Jane PS the Sun will be the subject of my May What's Up podcast! -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org My JPL What's Up podcast: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn

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100 hours of Astronomy is underway
by Jones, Jane H 03 Apr '09

03 Apr '09

Today's IYA theme is "Around the world in 80 Telescopes"! Since it's impossible to watch online for 24 hours (at least it is for me), this IYA website breaks down the telescope segments so you can watch one or a few any time. Sort of like Astro TIVO. :-) It's on the 100 Hours of Astronomy website, and as each segment finishes it's shown as a link. http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/ For those who want to geek out in real time, it's on Ustream TV live, where you can join 3,000 others and chat realtime while watching the video. Careful, or you'll get hooked! Speaking of telescopes, my April 2009 What's Up podcast features four of most famous telescopes: Hubble, Spitzer, Chandra and Galex as they image the Whirlpool Galaxy. Before and after the big eyes, spy the Whirlpool you'll see some lovely small images of galaxies including the whirlpool galaxy. Mojo took those images out at our desert observing spot this past year. :-) Here are the best places to get the video: On YouTube - which is easy to load http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=JPLnews&view=videos NEW: A new archive of all What's Ups https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Itunes http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/whatsup_index.html The weather is looking great for our two sidewalk astronomy events this weekend. 7-9 p.m. both nights. One warning for those who might want to bring a telescope for the first time to Monrovia Saturday night. There is landscaping going on in the gorgeous new Library grounds. The construction fences are down but there is a lot of planting going on, and there is a smaller space of pavement for telescopes and lots of redwood mulch where we may have put a telescope or two or three in the past. Stop by and say hello tonight or Saturday! Jane Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Saturnobs http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/Education/saturnobservation/ NEW!!What's Up for April: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm

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Sidewalk Astronomy this weekend
by Jones, Jane H 31 Mar '09

31 Mar '09

This weekend is a big one for stargazers! Not only has all of 2009 been deemed "International Year of Astronomy" by UNESCO and the IAU, but April 2-5 is one of the main -- or cornerstone events -- called 100 hours of Astronomy - a special observing event celebrated around the world. Here is a website that is chock full of really interesting events and video content: http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/ . All the events that are webcast can be accessed on this website. One special event is called "Around the world in 80 telescopes", a live 24-hour webcast from astronomical observatories. This event is organised by ESO, the European Southern Observatory, from its HQ in Garching, Germany Date: 3 April 2009, 09:00 UT (Universal Time/GMT) to 4 April 2009, 09:00 UT (Universal Time/GMT). Next comes the 24-hour Global Star Party organized by the Sidewalk Astronomers. Saturday is also International Sidewalk Astronomy Night on 4 April 2009 starting at sunset worldwide. Finally Sunday April 5 is, "Sun" day! Either get up early to view the sunrise, go for a walk on the afternoon or enjoy a wonderful sunset. Friday April 3rd, Colorado Blvd between Fair Oaks and Pasadena in Old Town Pasadena 7-9:30 p.m. Saturday April 4th, Myrtle and Lime, Monrovia in Old Monrovia Sunday (possibly) April 5th Solar Sun Day in the Park - Myrtle and Lime, Monrovia 1:00 p.m. To 3:00 p.m. With solar safe telescope. We'll send out a special announcement with the actual hours if we really have the energy to do this event on Sunday. :-) Jane Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Saturnobs http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/Education/saturnobservation/ What's Up for March: Saturn! http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=821

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Today is Super Science Sunday in Thousand Oaks
by Jane Houston Jones 22 Mar '09

22 Mar '09

In case anyone was planning to attend Super Science Sunday in Thousands Oaks today it is clear, and COLD - the rain has moved on! My talk is on at 5:30 p.m. but there are other talks as well. Here is the speaker lineup: *Astronaut, Marsha Ivins*, A veteran of five space flights “Space Exploration: Then, Now and in The Future”; Ms. Ivins will sign autographs *Jane Houston Jones*, JPL Sr. Outreach Specialist, “Exploring Saturn, The Cassini Program” *Stephen J. Edberg,* Astrophotographer, “Seeing the Sky, from Galileo to Hubble” *Robert Piccioni*, Physicist and educator, * *“Einstein Made Easy” *Ian McLean*, Astrophysicist, Professor, & author, “Discovering our Place in the Cosmos”* * http://www.discoverycntr.org/pages/events/sss.htm - Note that there is an entrance fee...Afterwards I'll be aiming my telescope at (hopfully) Saturn. :-) Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org What's Up podcast: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=818 Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones

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Saturn videos, Saturn images, Saturn viewing!
by Jones, Jane H 17 Mar '09

17 Mar '09

My March 2009 What's Up Podcast is about Saturn. It's about Galileo's first views of Saturn 400 years ago, about other historical observations, and then it ends with Cassini @ Saturn right now! Here it is: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=821 Also today, the Hubble Telescope released gorgeous images of Saturn taken just a few weeks ago, while 4 of Saturn's moons crossed in front of the planet. Here is the Hubble news release: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-051 Finally, if you haven't seen Saturn yet, we'll be featuring Saturn at our next few public Star Parties.Here is my Viewing Saturn ion 2009 viewing guide: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/Education/saturnobservation/viewing2009/ Happy Saturn viewing, watching, listening, and enjoying, everyone! Jane Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Saturnobs http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/Education/saturnobservation/ What's Up for March: Saturn! http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=821

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