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by Morris Jones

A couple of our brave sidewalk astronomers are planning to try setting up in Monrovia this evening, on the corner of Myrtle & Lime. It will likely be a small contingent, and I'm encouraging them to pack up early if the air quality gets worse. Don't make a special trip to visit, but we should have some decent views of the moon and later Jupiter. Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la

16 years, 5 months

No sidewalk astronomy tonight in fire smoke

by Morris Jones

The smoke from the Station fire in La Canada isn't likely to obscure the moon and Jupiter tonight, but it's not looking like a good night to spend two or three hours breathing the fire smoke in the heat. We're going to take a pass on Old Town Pasadena tonight. I'll send an update tomorrow about Monrovia when we've had a chance to check the conditions better. Just as every year now since 2003 (when it was partly true), we've had a big spike in web traffic as the "Mars in August Spectacular" email virus makes its rounds again. Hopefully if you had friends or family who forwarded this now-bogus email to you, you've had a chance to set them straight. :) Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la

16 years, 5 months

Perseids and Mars this month

by Jane Houston Jones

Hi everyone! This is the week of the Perseid meteor shower and the month of the "Mars Spectacular" email hoax and I have something to say about both of them! The Perseids are the topic of my August What's Up Podcast from JPL. Here it is in a couple easy formats; * YouTube is a fast download for a lot of people - my parents like this format to get their JPL podcasts . :-) http://is.gd/2bg2K * Here is the main archive: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm The Mars email hoax is out there again this year, even though Mars is not big or bright right now - I know some of you have received it because you've asked us about it! I was asked to write a blog for JPL about both the hoax and how you CAN see Mars this month! http://blogs.jpl.nasa.gov/?p=51. I also have updated a Mars Hoax website since 2005, which is full of facts, images and more: http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/ Finally, welcome to all of our new followers! We've had more people join us after last weeks sidewalk astronomy than usual! Our next sidewalk dates are Pasadena Friday August 28 and Monrovia Saturday August 29th. If you are interested in seeing the Milky Way this summer/fall, our small group usually goes someplace dark on the new moon weekends. Where we go is almost always at least a 150 mile one way drive to a dark site. We'll be happy to tell you how to join us, or to suggest other public friendly (and sometime closer) dark sky star parties. Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA Website: www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org My NASA JPL What's Up podcast: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/

16 years, 5 months

Apollo 11 + 40 years web product, view the moon too!

by Jones, Jane H (1862)

Hi everyone, there is a lot of coverage about the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing (July 20th) in the press, TV and online. The JFK Presidential Library has a remarkable site that is streaming realtime coverage of Apollo 11 plus 40 years. They have a great website (supposedly idealized for Firefox but I¹ve got it up on Safari and IE) that has a graphic showing what the spacecraft are doing and the audio of air-to-ground including the commentary. There is a background audio track (sort of rumbling) but that can be turned off. It does require an up to date flash player - I had to download it myself. It's pretty cool and it¹s going to be running for the next week (until Neil, Buzz and Mike splash down). http://wechoosethemoon.com/ The most frequent question we get out on the sidewalk when aiming at the moon is "Can I see the Apollo 11 landing site area" or "can I see the flag" and "can I see the footprints" (Answers: yes, no, no) You can take a look at the moon and see the general area where Apollo 11 landed. Even with the unaided eye, you can make out the Sea of Tranquility, and through binoculars, see the edge of the sea. The landing site is on the south-western edge of Mare Tranquillitatis, the Sea of Tranquility. Best seen at or after first quarter (which is July 28th) until the week after full moon. On the 27th this area is right on the terminator! Here is a map: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/Moon_Landings.jpg Our sidewalk astronomy dates this month are July 31 Pasadena and August 1 Monrovia. We'll be sure to point this area out to you, and I'll even bring some lunar landing site moon maps to hand out both nights- while supplies last, that is! Keep looking up! 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 What's Up for July: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup-archive.cfm

16 years, 6 months

Harry Potter astronomy, dark sky stargazing coming up

by Jane Houston Jones

Hi astronomy enthusiasts, in honor of the new Harry Potter movie coming out next week some of your intrepid Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers got together and compiled "The Harry Potter Objects" - a literary astronomical project connecting characters in . K. Rowling's books to their astronomical counterparts. We read the books and made a list of the astronomy names, like Sirius Black and Draco Malfoy. Then we researched both the astronomical objects and the Potter characters. Next we took our telescopes, binoculars, star charts and green laser pointers out of the city to our dark sky observing spots over many months and located the objects. It was a ton of fun and finally we wrote it up for you to enjoy! Here it is: http://tr.im/HPsky Also, we're inviting you to join us at a dark sky outing next weekend. On July 17th and 18th some of us are taking our telescopes to the Warner Springs Ranch. http://www.warnersprings.com/ Each month the ranch offers a free star party to their guests and local folks. They usually just have one or two astronomers ,and one of them is a colleague of mine at JPL. she thought we might like to try it out. It is a one third shorter drive than to our usual desert spots.You don't have to stay at the ranch to stargaze with us, but we are staying there for the Saturday night public star party (a few of us will be there Friday night also). There are camping areas neaby - Oak Knoll Campground is about 15 miles away on Palomar Mountain, I am told. http://www.warnersprings.com/ Astronomy is weather permitting, of course. The 4 of us who worked on the Harry Potter Observing Project will all be there Saturday night, and we'll be happy to point out the summer objects from the project list. :-) The Milky Way, subject of my July 2009 Whats Up podcast will be beautiful from Warner Springs. Hope to see some of you there! Email me if you have questions, but contact the ranch for logistics and/or reservations. Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA Website: www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org My NASA JPL What's Up podcast: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/

16 years, 6 months

What's Up for July? ISS from the city, Milky Way away from city lights

by Jones, Jane H

Hi astronomy enthusiasts! Mojo and I have been away for a couple weeks on a family cruise to Alaska, but we are home and now our eyes are once again turned upwards to enjoy the local night sky. You can still view Saturn lower in the west and look for Jupiter rising in the east! For SoCal residents there are some pretty good evening passes of the International Space Station this week. Look in the Southwest (Saturn will be bright and low in the SW too) and the ISS will be traveling from the SW to the NE less than halfway to the horizon. Go to the Heavens Above web page and click on the date of the pass if you are interested more detail. You may see a small satellite following the ISS - that is the Progress Resupply Vehicle! Here's the local Heaven's Above page: http://is.gd/1qaTZ The good ISS passes are at: 7/7 9:35 P.M. (ISS passes near Saturn W to E) 7/8 8:24 P.M. (the best south to north) 7/9 8:49 P.M. (look closer to the horizon below Saturn) What else is up? The Milky Way is beautiful, and well worth a trip away from city lights - more on an outing we're planning soon. The Milky Way is the subject of my monthly podcast too. You can view it here in many formats: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup-archive.cfm And here http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/whatsup_index.html And here on Youtube with other JPL videos here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=JPLnews&view=videos That's all for now! 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 June: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/whatsup_index.html

16 years, 7 months

Cloudy tonight - no sidewalk astronomy in Monrovia

by Jane Houston Jones

It doesn't appear the clouds are going to clear for tonight's first quarter moon viewing in Monrovia, so this is the official cancellation. And since next month's first quarter moon falls on the fourth of July weekend we're cancelling those observing sessions, too. Monrovia has a wonderful fourth of July celebration, so for those local to our town, enjoy the fireworks and festivities along Myrtle Avenue on Saturday the 4th. And visit the new Monrovia Library at Myrtle between Palm and Lime Street - it's spectacular! Back to the moon - I just posted my very first astronomy article on my blog. It's called "A day in the life of the moon" and it got me started with astronomical writing , lunar observing and sketching nearly 20 years ago. It's here, along with some other musings and sketchings http://jane.whiteoaks.com/ Jane, Mojo and the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA Website: www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org My NASA JPL What's Up podcast: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones http://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/

16 years, 8 months

May Gray in Pasadena

by Morris Jones

This persistent marine layer makes it difficult to see the sky, even the bright moon tonight. So we're going to call off sidewalk astronomy in Pasadena tonight, and see if it's any better tomorrow in Monrovia. Cheers, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la

16 years, 8 months

Oops, sent telescope request to large email list, not astronomers

by Jones, Jane H

Sorry everyone, I hit the send button too soon! I meant to communicate with only our small group of telescope wranglers who do bring telescopes to support non-profit or public events like this one, when time (and skies) permits. But since I accidentally sent it out to everyone on our event list, the event I referred to is a wonderful play being offered this past weekend and next weekend May 22, 23, and 24th at Caltech. Check it out if you have the time! Details: The Theater Arts at Caltech (TACIT) presents five outdoor performances of Bertolt Brecht¹s Life of Galileo on campus at Gates Annex Patio beginning May 15. Presented by Caltech Performing and Visual Arts, the event is priced at $18; $9 for seniors and students; $5 for youth. Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and group discounts are available. TACIT presents Brecht¹s Life of Galileo on May 15, 16, 17 and 22, 23, 24. All performance times are at 8 p.m. except Sundays at 7 p.m. and the exception of May 16, which features a special alumni performance beginning at 6 p.m. TACIT¹s staging of Life of Galileo coincides with the International Year of Astronomy and celebrates the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the telescope. http://pasadenanow.com/main/2009/05/12/caltech-presents-brian-brophy-directe d-life-of-galileo/ 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 May: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm

16 years, 8 months

FW: would like to book you and your telescopes

by Jones, Jane H

I had already replied that the logistics of setup (hauling telescope from parking on street to lawn, then move cars, then repeat to take down) was not good for us. And I thought I put them in touch with Vahrun at Caltech. Notice she says Mars is up. Eek! 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 May: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm ------ Forwarded Message From: "Tanner, Angelle M" <angelle.m.tanner(a)jpl.nasa.gov> Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 23:29:54 -0700 To: "Jones, Jane H" <jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov> Conversation: would like to book you and your telescopes Subject: RE: would like to book you and your telescopes Hey, do you think you and the others might be interested in setting up telescopes for this weekend's Life of Galileo performance? We did not do the ren faire this weekend so there was no time. We have performances on Fri, Sat and Sun at 8, 8, and 7pm. Saturn is up and so is Mars. Steven Collins (JPL) is the lead and he is amazing! Ya'll should at least come to the show. Angelle ----------------------------------------------------------- Angelle Tanner SBAR/JPL 626-354-1296 -----------------------------------------------------------

16 years, 8 months

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OTEvents