EAS ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER

Sunday, March 8, 2009, 5:45pm at the Chabot Space & Science Center

Speaker: Dr. David Morrison
Senior Scientist for Astrobiology
NASA/Ames

Helen Pillans Awardee:
Dave Barosso

Purchase tickets online via PayPal!
(Please note: If you purchase 2 or more tickets using PayPal, please also email us the names of the other attendees, so we can make name tags for them, too. Thank you.)

The EAS Schedule of events for 2009 has been updated (finally), including the Annual Awards Dinner (March 8), and all the general meetings, board meetings, and MOVNs (Member Only View Nights).

Sorry for the late notice on the Dinner! Please sign up for it immediately, as we only have about four weeks from NOW before we need to let the caterer know how many dinners to provide for. (Click here for attendance form.)

The International Year of Astronomy celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations of the heavens with his telescope. Celebrations are planned worldwide, and UC Berkeley is taking part too. World-renowned astronomers such as Geoff Marcy, Alex Filippenko, Paul Kalas, and others, are bringing science to the public through a series of lectures. On the third Saturday of each month, on the UC Berkeley campus, these researchers will describe the excitement and the challenges of cutting-edge astronomical research. From the search for planets around other stars, to huge black holes at the centers of galaxies; from the explosive deaths of massive stars to the mysteries of dark energy; and from volcanoes on the moons of Jupiter to the historical impact of those first observations by Galileo, Cal astronomers will bring deep space down to earth. Talks are suitable for a general audience - no science background required. More details can be found at http://astro.berkeley.edu/iya.

Each month during 2009 we'll be celebrating International Year of Astronomy in the 2-minute What's Up podcasts. We'll focus on night sky wonders you can see, related NASA missions, and space science discoveries.

January 2009 is all about Venus, the featured NASA IYA Celestial object.

Here is where you can find the podcast in 640 x 360, HD1280x720, Standard 640 x480, and HD Podcast 1280 x 720. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm

It is also available on You Tube in 2 fotmats: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=JPLnews&p=r&page=1
Here is the NASA IYA website: http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/observe.htm (What's Up isn't there quite yet)

Don't forget to have a look at Saturn on New Years Eve! That is the December 2008 topic!

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@jpl.nasa.gov
Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html

The EAS Club Holiday Potluck Party is going to be a doozy, this year, with decorations, an interactive planetarium show, live music, games, food, desserts, door prizes, and maybe even a little telescope viewing, if weather and time permits. For details, see the Schedule.

There's a new service available to us folks with our heads in the stars (but with feet firmly planted on terra firma): the CelestialClassifieds.com. Here's their opening blurb: If you're like most folks, it's no small task finding a dedicated astronomy audience when you have stuff to sell. While there are a couple of big auction and classified sites out there, they deal with an extremely broad audience. Because of this, the overwhelming majority of the people who see your ads have absolutely no interest in astronomy stuff. And of course, in some cases you even have to post your ad over and over again, once in every city in the country, to reach even a slightly national market. We thought there just had to be a better way.

I don't know if they're aware of AstroMart or not, but check 'em out - they're just starting, and it's of interest to us.

It's MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME! Yes, time once again to send us your money, so you can get all the benefits of membership, which include (but are not limited to): Newsletter delivery, monthly meetings with fascinating speakers on all kinds of space science-related subjects, MOVN (Members Only View Night at Chabot's large telescopes), yearly events like the Annual Awards Dinner and the Barcroft High Altitude Star Party, participation in advanced interest groups, such as astrophotography, or extra-solar planet research, discounted subscriptions to Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines, and more! Plus, just the warm fuzzy feeling that you're helping us to promote astronomy to the publics of the East Bay. So, join or re-join, today - we'll be glad you did (and so will you)!

Oh, speaking of the newsletter: I'm looking for someone to replace me as editor and webmaster for a little more than half a year (about 6 - 8 months). If you're interested, please let me know - thank you! -Don Saito

CSSC/EAS Library RE-OPENS!
Practically since its inception, the Eastbay Astronomical Society and Chabot Observatory (now known as the Chabot Space and Science Center) have combined their library resources to form a unique and valuable collection of reference materials available to their respective members. Its taken a long time since the chaos of our move from Old Chabot to the new facility, but the Library is back, and available again! Here's a document that describes the current access protocols, which are admittedly somewhat limited, but we hope to improve that in the future. In the meantime, go take a look! There are vast tracks of hidden treasures between all those covers, awaiting your personal discovery.

The Chabot 125 Year Gala Event is tomorrow! After being an institution for the education and advancement to the people of the East Bay for 125 years, Chabot has decided to kick up its heels a bit and celebrate their mission and their survival through thick and thin over the last 1.25 centuries. For more information, go to their website at http://www.chabotspace.org/ and click on the 125th Anniversary Gala link.

We're famous! Check out NASA's Night Sky Network web page at: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Kenneth Frank, President of the AANC (Astronomical Association of Northern California), used Carter's picture of the March 2006 total solar eclipse for an article about, you guessed it: total solar eclipses.

I posted an updated What's Up for the month of July, the first one since March! Sorry about that - Life has been very intrusive for me this year, and I wasn't able to get around to it until now. Take a peek, and then go outside and take another peek. A favorable Perseid meteor shower is happening this year on August 12. Don't miss it!

Announcement:
Chabot Volunteer Enrichment series Tuesday evening, 6-9pm, July 15th

Title: This Galactic Life: Neighborhood Watch
(Similar but different talk from the same speakers who will present at our EAS monthly meeting on Saturday, July 12th.)

Speakers: Josh Peek, Katie Peek and Karin Sandstrom

Abstract: What does our Galaxy look like from the outside, and how
do astronomers know, when we're buried deep within it? This lecture
will examine the structure and geography of the Milky Way in three
presentations by three different astronomers. The first part will
explore the overall structure of our Galaxy, in particular, it's
spiral arms. What are spiral arms and how do we know the Milky Way
has them? Then, we'll ponder how we know how far away astronomical
objects are. Distance is a question that perpetually plagues
astronomers, who look up at a sky that appears two-dimensional and
must somehow deduce how to separate objects along the third
dimension. Finally, we'll investigate the Galactic center: what
lives at the heart of our galaxy, and how do we know anything about
it? Join us for an excursion through the observable Milky Way.

This email from: Bob & Brenda Havner <bhavner@sbcglobal.net> of SJAA

Independence Planetarium is being closed at the end of this school year by June 30,2008. The rumor is East Side Union High School District MAY make it part of the East Side Union High School District Foundation.
The foundation has just been established and there is much for ESUHSD foundation organizers to do yet to get it more established. You can make your voice count and encourage the district to move quickly in this direction to keep the planetarium open for the 2008-2009 school year.
Otherwise, the taxpayer paid multi-million dollar building closes and the electronics will just sit.

It is in wonderful shape right now. It would be a shame to have it deteriorate over the next year. The false economy of closing it against the cost of a person to run it seems obvious. To close the planetarium denies thousands of school children the opportunity to be in this "dynamic lab" where, in the dark, the universe, night sky, constellations, stars, moon and sun surround them. Instead of looking at the meridian, latitude, coordinates ecliptic on a flat computer screen, students can see everything, large, overhead and all around them. This shared common experience provides a powerful educational motivational connection to their education and to their lives. It is a catalyst for children to process the data and information, to wonder and to be curious about the universe and our place in it. It is the hope of the children, teachers, parents and community that Independence Planetarium stay open.
We hope you will be able to write, attend the Board meeting, June 19th (gather 5:30-5:55--meeting at 6 p.m.) or come to the planetarium one last time before it closes. June 9-13 Monday-Thursday next week

Free programs for the public. Visit the planetarium one last time!
Programs will be on the hour: 9,10,11,12,1,2,3 other times are by appointment. There will be a FINAL program at 10:30 am June 19th on the day of the Board meeting. Please call to confirm your attendance and the number of people you'll bring with you. All ages are welcome. (408)928-9604 24 hour line/voicemail Call now to make an appointment for you or your group. Thanks for any help you can offer to keep this "jewel of the East Side" open.

Gail Chaid
Independence Planetarium
1776 Educational Park Drive
San Jose CA 95133
(408)928-9604
gchaid@gmail.com

PASADENA, Calif. NASAs Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars today to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the landers robotic arm.

Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light.

The signal confirming that Phoenix had survived touchdown was relayed via Mars Odyssey and received on Earth at the Goldstone, Calif., antenna station of NASAs Deep Space Network.

You can read more, see first images, follow the blogs and more on the JPL website: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Next press conference - the post-landing briefing, occurs on NASA TV (and on the internet) in less than an hour. (9 p.m. Pacific time)
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

I know you all join me in congratulating the Phoenix team on a successful soft landing on Mars!

Jane Houston Jones
Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program
JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205
Pasadena, CA 91109
Phone - 818-393-6435
Fax - 818-393-4495
jane.h.jones@jpl.nasa.gov
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov

Mars Phoenix Lander Mission
Live Webcast at the Exploratorium
May 28 (1pm) and June 27 (1:30pm), 2008
http://www.explo.tv

On Sunday, May 25, NASA's latest Mars explorer touches down on the Red Planet. The Exploratorium will present two live webcasts about this new mission. Exploratorium senior scientist Paul Doherty will explain this latest expedition, and show some of the new photographs from Mars (if all goes well). Both webcasts are included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium.

Go to: http://www.exploratorium.edu/pr/documents/08-5.html

--------
Raphael Rosen
Public Information Department
The Exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
www.exploratorium.edu
Phone Contact: Leslie Patterson / lesliep@exploratorium.edu, (415) 561-0377

Carter Worth Roberts, 1947 - 2008

Our friend and club president, Carter Roberts, died on April 24, 2008, 20 minutes past midnight, at Summit Medical Center in Oakland, CA of complications resulting from colon cancer. A memorial in his honor will be held:

Monday, May 19, 7:30pm
Ask Jeeves Planetarium
Chabot Space & Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd.
Oakland, CA
N37º 49' 12" W122º 10' 52"

Anyone wishing to give a presentation at the memorial should contact Dave Rodrigues at (510) 483-9191, or Don Saito at (510) 482-2913. Please leave a short message with your name and phone number, and we will contact you. Carter has no surviving family, but anyone wishing to make donations in remembrance of him are asked to make them to the Chabot Space & Science Center. The CSSC was Carter's greatest cause and mission in life, and it's high quality and survival through the years are due in no small part to his efforts.

Bye, Carter! We're missing you, already... :'-(

EAS ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER A SUCCESS!
The EAS Annual Awards Dinner last Sunday was spectacularly successful! We had a full house, Paul Hoy received his well-earned Helen Pilans Award, the food, dessert, and Peet's coffee was terrific, and Alex Filippenko was simply amazing. No wonder he's such a popular lecturer at one of the finest educational institutions in the world. More details in the next newsletter!

SKY & TELESCOPE WRITING CONTEST FOR AGES 5 - 18
If you're 5 to 18 and can write a short astronomy essay, you can send it in for a shot at prizes ranging from $50 to $200. [More]

The What's Up and Schedule web pages on this site are now up-to-date as much as they can be, for now. Check 'em out!

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Eastbay Astronomical Society proudly presents Alexei V. Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, as our Keynote Speaker for this year's Annual Awards Dinner, to be held Sunday, February 24, 2008. Look for more details and signup forms in the near future!

Happy New Year! <fweet!> SOLAR CYCLE 24 STARTS The first indicator that we are coming out of solar minimum appeared today in the form of a pole-reversed sunspot. It will still be a few more years before solar maxiumum happens, but it's on its way. Read more about it at SpaceWeather.com (check the archives for Jan 5, 2008 if this article is no longer on the home page).