Our own Sidewalk Astronomer member, Dr. Scott Edgington is one of the
distinguished speakers at todays Cassini CHARM telecon. CHARM is the
clever acronym for Cassini-Huygens Analysis and Results of the
Mission. Each month Cassini offers a 1-2 hour telecon discussing a
current exciting Cassini science or engineering topic. These
telecons are offered to JPL's volunteer networks (JPL Museum
Alliance, Solar System Ambassadors, my 400 strong amateur astronomy
volunteer community called the Cassini Saturn Observation Campaign,
Cassini flight team and some members of the public and to members of
the public who might be interested.
This month's talk is about CIRS: The Cassini Composite Infrared
Spectrometer: Instrument, Operations and Science. Three Cassini CIRS
instrument team members are part of todays presentation.
You can download the PDF here
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/doclib/CHARM/index.cfm , and see the
previous telecon topics. You'll see the awesome three-part 4th year
Anniversary presentation which will bring you up to speed about
Cassini, If you're interested.
PPT versions are available on a separate website for the volunteers
to use in subsequent presentations of their own. Audio and written
transcripts will be on the link above in a few days after todays
telecon.
Let me know if you have any questions or are interested in
participating in the telecons or getting the PPT versions for
educational or community presentations.
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
Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html
This is a reminder that the Yucca Valley Starry Nights Festival is
this weekend at the High Desert Museum in Yucca Valley. It's a
really nice free astronomy event.
Unfortunately, I'll have to miss the event this year. I'll be at the
International Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN over the
weekend (I have to go there for work! :-) ), but if I were in town
this weekend, I'd definitely be at the Starry Nights Festival, in
fact I'd be one of the speakers this year. I hope they'll ask me to
speak next year. If you picked only one day/night, I'd pick Saturday
so you could hear David Levy give a talk at 5:30 p.m. It's about a 2
hour 110 mile drive to Yucca Valley from Monrovia. There are several
reasonable priced motels in Yucca Valley, and the Joshua Tree
National Park is right there too, for a nice drive or hike on your
way home Sunday.
Remember this is a free event thanks to the local astronomy club, the
Andromeda Society and the wonderful Hi-Desert Nature Museum
Dates: October 3-4, 2008 Friday 6 p.m. talk, 7:30 -10 observing,
Saturday 1:30 - 6:00 p.m. talks, reception 6:30, observing 7:30 - 10
p.m.
Place: Hi-Desert Nature Museum, 57116 Twentynine Palms Highway, Town
of Yucca Valley, Yucca Valley, CA, 92284 (760) 369-7212
Evening Stargazing (shuttle busses for attendees, astronomer can
drive themselves)
Place: Machris Park, Santa Barbara Drive, Yucca Valley, California
http://www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org/pdf/StarryNights.pdf
--
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
Should be a beautiful warm night in Old Town Monrovia tonight. We'll be
giving out views of the crescent moon along with Jupiter, from about
7:30 'til 9:30.
Look for the telescopes at the corner of Myrtle and Lime.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la
You'll need a low to the western horizon view to see it, but try not
to miss tomorrow's view of moon and planets. Tomorrow is Wednesday
the 3rd.
Look for the crescent moon and to the right of it, bright Venus.
You'll need a low western horizon to see the slender lunar crescent
and the planet tomorrow night. What lurks near Venus are two other
planets, but it will be challenge to see them.Try with binoculars,
but if you don't see them, at least you know they are there.
Read all about it here:
http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=2216
We made a slight change to our sidewalk astronomy schedule for
September. Monrovia Saturday Sept 6th, and Pasadena has been changed
from Sept 5 to Sept 12.
Now that school is back in session, moon and planet viewing nights in
Monrovia are a perfect setting for the family or the classroom.
Schedule here: http://www.otastro.org/
Jane and Mojo, writing from Northern California today
--
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
