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Dark Sky Observing on October 25 at Mojave National Preserve

by Morris Jones

First, sorry about the general request for fliers for Saturday night. I didn't mean for that message to go to everyone on the big list! It's all taken care of. I do have more information to share on a special dark sky observing night at Mojave National Preserve. The Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers will be providing expertise and top-notch equipment, and invite you to join us in beautiful Mojave National Preserve on Saturday, October 25. Come with us out from under the L.A. light dome and discover or rediscover the night sky. The official even web page is here: http://www.npca.org/take_action/upcoming_events/celebrate-the-skies-of-moja… They offer "Cocktails and dinner to begin at 5:00 p.m. Astronomy presentation following dinner." Reservations are requested, by email to mcipra(a)npca.org. You can also telephone (760) 799-5911. 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, 11 months

literature for tomorrow

by Morris Jones

As I mentioned before, Jane and I are involved in a wedding tomorrow night, so we won't be joining you at Library Park. (In fact, if no one else is planning to be there, let me know so I can send a note to that effect. No obligations!) BUT if some of you ARE going to be there, I could put together a box of fliers and JPL handouts for you, and leave it by our doorstep. Let me know! And thank you! 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, 11 months

No sidewalk tonight, but tomorrow in Monrovia

by Morris Jones

Unfortunately tonight, work is going to keep Jane and me from setting up telescopes in Pasadena tonight. Saturday evening we hope to have clear skies and some great views of the Moon and Jupiter in Monrovia. For those interested in seeing some truly dark skies, we're working on a program for October 25th at the Mojave National Preserve. More details to come soon! 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, 11 months

Call for Lunar Images Supporting NASA's LCROSS Mission

by Jane Houston Jones

Hi Old Town Astronomers - I thought you all would find this interesting! Jane NASA Astronomer Diane Wooden is about to begin an observing session using the IRTF at Mauna Kea in support of next year's LCROSS lunar impactor mission. The phase and libration this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (October 8-10) could be a good match for those of one of our favored impact scenarios next year. This will provide an opportunity for detailed planning and observations of potential target lunar terrain. Diane would like to supplement her observations with images of the lunar south polar region acquired with a range of amateur telescopes over the same evenings. Diane's observations will be in the IR, and amateur white-light observations could provide valuable additional data for these lighting conditions. Faustini crater, one of the potential impact sites will be on the limb on the night of Oct 10 UT (Oct 9 PDT). Comparison of IRTF and amateur observations now will also help determine how amateur observations can best be used during the impact and provide valuable information to participating amateurs in planning their imaging procedures for next year. Images from telescopes of all sizes are welcome. If you are able to participate and acquire images during these selected evenings, please send the following information to me at Brian.H.Day(a)nasa.gov: Name of observer Email address of observer Aperture of telescope Focal length of telescope Type of camera used Camera detector dimensions Exposure information Time and date of exposure Location from which exposure was taken Please do not send your actual image file along with this information! Once I receive the above information from you, I will contact you and work out a way to receive your file in a way that will not overwhelm our mail server here. A map of the extreme south polar region of the Moon can be found at: http://www.lpod.org/?m=20070512 Note that Faustini is labeled as R3 on these maps (next to the crater Amundsen). The crater Cabaeus is also of interest as a possible impact site. Three additional images identifying south polar features are included in this message. NASA's LCROSS mission is scheduled to fly in 2009. It is co-manifested with LRO; both missions will launch together aboard an Atlas V out of Cape Canaveral, Fla. LCROSS will use the Centaur upper stage of the launch vehicle as a kinetic impactor directed at 2.5 km/s into one of the permanently-shadowed craters at the Moon's pole. The LCROSS spacecraft will fly directly through the resulting plume of debris, analyzing it for signs of water ice that may have accumulated within the crater. The debris plume will also be studied by space-based assets (such as LRO, and HST), ground-based observatories, and amateur telescopes. Researchers believe that the LCROSS impact plume may well be observable in amateur telescopes, and that amateurs may be able to take on a valuable role in this exciting mission. Please share this information with your colleagues. I am looking forward to working with you as members of the amateur community become key participants in the LCROSS mission. --------- Any opinions expressed in this message are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect those of NASA, its contracting agencies, or any other life form in the Universe. Please note my new email address Brian H. Day AETT Technical Lead LCROSS E/PO Lead Planners Collaborative Mailstop 226-4 NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 (650) 604-2605 Brian.H.Day(a)nasa.gov -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

16 years, 11 months

Today's CASSINI Charm telecon

by Jane H Jones

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

16 years, 11 months

Starry Nights Festival in Yucca Valley this weekend

by Jane H Jones

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

16 years, 11 months

Sidewalk Astronomy tonight in Monrovia

by Morris Jones

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

17 years

Nice view Wednesday night, sidewalk soon

by Jane H Jones

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

17 years

Mars in August hoax email

by Jane H Jones

Hi everyone, That darn "Mars will be bigger than the moon" email is circulating again this month. Grrrr. Every year I update my Mars in August web page in case people google around for help determining if it is fact or fallacy. http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/ note the angry red font. ;-) Yesterday our web server stats went astronomical - lots of people were looking at my Mars page. Lo and behold, I discovered that my page was linked to an MNSBC article, titled Mars Hoax Lasts Five Years. Here's the article - it is a really well written one: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/26/1294160.aspx If anyone asks you about Mars, you can refer them to the article. Our next Sidewalk Astronomy events will be September 5th in Pasadena and 6th in Monrovia. This weekend we'll be doing our dark sky observing at Lake Sonoma in Sonoma County most likely, while visiting family in the North Bay. For any of you hankering for some dark sky nights, I can recommend the public star party in Joshua Tree National Park, Hidden Valley picnic area. It's open to the public, starts at 7:30 p.m. with a star talk and video projection, and then lights out, and stars and milky way galore! Here is the local Yucca Valley Astronomy club's website. http://www.andromedasociety.org/ You'll find the picnic area near the Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree entrance to the park. There are nearby campsites at Hidden Valley campgrounds, probably first come first serve. It's a quarter mile walk to the picnic area. See you in a couple weeks out on the sidewalk! 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

17 years

Sidewalk Astronomy this weekend, and Intl Space Station on Saturday

by Morris Jones

I'm delighted to see that our recent monsoon moisture is drying out a little, and conditions should be warm but less humid than earlier this week. Tonight we plan to be in Old Town Pasadena, on Colorado Blvd. near Delacey from about 7:30 'til 10:00. We should have great views of the first quarter moon and Jupiter tonight. Jane's most recent "What's Up" video from JPL is all about Jupiter this month, and a great preview to help interpret what you can see in a telescope: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/whatsup/whatsup20080808/ Tomorrow night (Saturday) should have similar weather, and we'll be at our usual spot in Old Town Monrovia. Saturday evening features a nice nearly overhead pass of the International Space Station at about 8:10 p.m., just about 25 minutes after sunset. The ISS is so big and bright now, it should be easily visible even in the evening twilight, though almost no stars will be visible that early. The station will appear at about 8:10 above the northwest horizon, well to the right of the glow of the sunset. Venus may still be visible just above the horizon, setting due west. The ISS will pass almost overhead by 8:12, passing the bright orange star Arcturus, and will disappear in the southeast, passing bright Jupiter, by about 8:15. Hope you can join us this weekend! Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years

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