From jaworskirob at yahoo.com Wed Sep 1 22:57:22 2010 From: jaworskirob at yahoo.com (Rob Jaworski) Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 21:57:22 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] Quick Recap: SJAA Meeting of 28 Aug 2010 Message-ID: <28334.1421.qm@web50406.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hello SJAA Members and Friends, I certainly hope that a lot of you were able to make last Saturday's General Meeting. We had a great turnout to see Dr Seth Shostak from the SETI institute speak about the search for extraterrestrial life. http://www.sjaa.net/meetings/Shostak2.jpg Two things that blew my mind? One, once we get a confirmed signal (that's a *when*, not *if*), it probably won't be biological life on the other end of the line. And two, Dr Shostak estimated, as a response to a question from the audience, that we may well pick up a signal within the next couple dozen years. Pretty incredible stuff, really engaging speaker. http://www.seti.org/shostak At the same meeting, before the feature speaker began, Greg Claytor, SJAA Vice President, presented this year's Dr. A. B. Gregory Award to Gary Mitchell, a long time contributor to the local astronomy community. Gary has been the treasurer of the SJAA for a good eight years and he is a fixture in the school star party scene. Congratulations, Gary, and thank you, again, for all your great work and ideas! http://www.sjaa.net/meetings/Gary1.jpg Here is some background about the Gregory Award, which also shows a list of previous recipients, to which Gary shall very soon be added. http://www.sjaa.net/ga.html A couple of final pieces of Club news: We learned *during* the Board meeting last weekend (talk about timing) that the City of San Jose has extended the SJAA's use permit of the Houge Park facilities for another five years. Good work by our liaisons to the City! And, the SJAA has been awarded a grant of $1000 by the City of San Jose for our work to bring science and astronomy to the citizens of San Jose. All great stuff that's going on with the SJAA these days. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me or any Board member any time. Thanks for reading! Rob Jaworski Publicity Chair San Jose Astronomical Association Note: Hat tip to Paul Kohlmiller for sharing photos from the meeting! From jaworskirob at yahoo.com Wed Sep 1 23:15:49 2010 From: jaworskirob at yahoo.com (Rob Jaworski) Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 22:15:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] Public Houge Night, Beginners Class Message-ID: <40112.44561.qm@web50403.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hello SJAA Members and Friends, The San Jose Astronomical Association will be holding a public star party this Friday, September 03 at Houge Park from about 8:30 to 11:30PM. Should be darker than usual, with no moon, but plenty of planets as we get into the late summer sky. Welcome, September! Friday night should be nice, mild. Here's what NOAA has to say: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?site=mtr&smap=1&textField1=37.25723333333&textField2=-121.94188 Also that same night, beginning at 7:30PM, there will be a beginners astronomy class at the Hall at Houge. Our topic will focus on the Fall Constellations: What are they, where are they, how to find them, and what's in them. Bring your friends, family and neighbors, it's fun and it's free! Directions to Houge Park are on the website, we set up near the tennis courts. http://www.sjaa.net/directions.shtml And just for fun, don't you wish, back in your grad school days, you could have been given an assignment to crash a NASA satellite? http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-09/undergrads-colorado-kick-school-week-crashing-satellite Have a nice long end-of-summer weekend, and see you in the dark! Rob Jaworski Publicity Chair San Jose Astronomical Association From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Fri Sep 10 18:36:56 2010 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:36:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] International Observe the Moon Night at Ames Saturday 9/18 Message-ID: <522556.58640.qm@web82704.mail.mud.yahoo.com> A Special night at NASA Ames ? Please join us at NASA Ames to celebrate the International Observe the Moon Night.? ? 34 other countries around the world are also participating! ? Spread the word!? Pass this on to friends, family, and neighbors. ? Come view the moon and other celestial objects through approximately 40 large telescopes alongside members of local Astronomical groups who are ready to guide you though the night sky. ? From 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm you will hear NASA Scientists talk about Water on the Moon, Citizen Science, the Moon Zoo, and the new NASA LADEE Mission to the Moon. ? Speakers include David Morrison, former NLSI director, Barry Blumberg, a Nobel laureate and former director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, and Greg Delory, LADEE mission deputy project scientist. ? Admission is free. ? WHEN: Saturday, September 18 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ? WHERE: NASA Ames Research Center.? Telescopes and presentations will be on the Parade Grounds. Just follow the signs once inside Moffett Field. ? For more information about International Observe the Moon Night, visit: http://observethemoonnight.org/ ? For more information, directions, and map to the event, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/events/2010/09.18.10.html ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Thu Sep 16 21:13:46 2010 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:13:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] Fw: [AANC Contacts] Fwd: An Invitation to a Stellar Event Message-ID: <241742.8833.qm@web82702.mail.mud.yahoo.com> You're Invited to a Stellar Event with Alex Filippenko "Exoplanets Galore: The Status of the Search for Other Earths" Sunday, September 26th / 5:30pm - 9:30pm ? This special event is a collaboration between the Bay Area Chapter of The Planetary Society, and the Chabot Space and Science Center, featuring an exciting evening that will begin with an Interactive Reception, where guests can explore exhibits and learn about other Astro Alliances, all while enjoying a selection of hors d'oeuvres and beverages from Italian Colors Restaurant. ?Dr. Alex Filippenko, Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at UC Berkeley, will share the latest discoveries in the field of extrasolar planets:? how we are looking, what has been found so far, and the prospects of discovering Earth-like exoplanets. There will be time for Q&A, and a Complimentary Raffle (everyone receives one free ticket). The evening concludes under the stars, as we look through Chabot's large telescopes and additional smaller scopes. ? 5:30pm? -??? 6:30pm?????????? Interactive Reception 6:30pm -??? 8:30pm?????????? Presentation, Q&A, Raffle 8:30pm? -??? 9:30pm?????????? Stargazing, Coffee & Dessert ? Only $20 for an "Infotaining" Event Exhibits, Food & Beverage, Presentation, Raffle & Stargazing ? Chabot Box Office???? 510.336.7373 Facebook??????? BayArea Planetary ? ? Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman founded The Planetary Society in 1980 to advance the exploration of the solar system and to continue the search for extraterrestrial life. With members in over 125 countries, the Society is the largest space interest group in the world. ? Chabot Space & Science Center inspires and educates all, about our Planet Earth and the Universe. Launching in November 2010 is the NEW Bill Nye Climate Lab (an Interactive Exhibit)?get ready to change the world. Bill Nye is also the new Executive Director of The Planetary Society. ? -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Contacts mailing list Contacts at aanc-astronomy.org http://mail.aanc-astronomy.org/mailman/listinfo/contacts -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jaworskirob at yahoo.com Fri Sep 17 10:51:58 2010 From: jaworskirob at yahoo.com (Rob Jaworski) Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:51:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] Houge Star Party Tonight - 9/17 Message-ID: <844390.79335.qm@web50402.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hi folks, Just a quick, if not late, reminder that the SJAA has a public star party scheduled for tonight at Houge Park in San Jose, from about 8PM to 11PM. Directions to the park: http://www.sjaa.net/directions.shtml We set up near the tennis courts. Email me with questions, otherwise, see you in the dark! Rob Jaworski San Jose Astronomical Association From jaworskirob at yahoo.com Fri Sep 17 12:48:03 2010 From: jaworskirob at yahoo.com (Rob Jaworski) Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:48:03 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] Houge Star Party Tonight - 9/17 Message-ID: <579484.6640.qm@web50401.mail.re2.yahoo.com> And one reminder is that tomorrow night, 18 September, is the International Observe the Moon Night. There is an event planned at NASA Ames. Here is the announcement previously sent to the SJAA Announce list, a bit choppy but readable: http://sjaa.net/pipermail/announce-sjaa_sjaa.net/2010-September/000195.html Here's the link to the Ames site: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/events/2010/09.18.10.html Rob Jaworski San Jose Astronomical Association ----- Original Message ---- From: Rob Jaworski To: SJAA Announce Sent: Fri, September 17, 2010 9:51:58 AM Subject: Houge Star Party Tonight - 9/17 Hi folks, Just a quick, if not late, reminder that the SJAA has a public star party scheduled for tonight at Houge Park in San Jose, from about 8PM to 11PM. Directions to the park: http://www.sjaa.net/directions.shtml We set up near the tennis courts. Email me with questions, otherwise, see you in the dark! Rob Jaworski San Jose Astronomical Association From bhavner at sbcglobal.net Tue Sep 21 15:43:44 2010 From: bhavner at sbcglobal.net (Bob & Brenda Havner) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:43:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] Fw: [AANC Contacts] For Newsletter Editors: Free Public Talk on the Ultimate Fate of the Solar System at Foothill College Oct. 20th Message-ID: <804967.87132.qm@web82706.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Nontechnical Talk Open to the Public ----------------------------------------------------- On Wednesday, Oct. 20th, 2010, at 7 pm, Astronomer Gregory Laughlin from the University of California, Santa Cruz, will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ultimate Fate of the Solar System (and the ????? Music of the Spheres) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ as part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information and driving directions. No background in science will be required for this talk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The long-term fate of the planets in our Solar System has intrigued astronomers and mathematicians for over 300 years. Although the planetary orbits are often held up as a model of clockwork regularity, the Solar System is in truth an extremely complex and chaotic system. Dr. Laughlin will explain how very recent advances in computing technology have finally given us a solution to the problem.? He will also show how the delicate gravitational interplay between the planets can be interpreted as a true "music of the spheres", and will audition for us the profoundly unsettling compositions that can result in the event that the planetary orbits go haywire in the extremely distant future. Greg Laughlin is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of California at Santa Cruz. From 199-2001 he worked as a planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center. He is a leader in the field of detecting planets around other stars and is also an expert on the long-term fate of the Earth, the Solar System, the Galaxy, and the Universe. He is co-author of the popular book "The Five Ages of the Universe: Inside the Physics of Eternity". The lecture is co-sponsored by: * NASA Ames Research Center * The Foothill College Astronomy Program * The SETI Institute * The Astronomical Society of the Pacific. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Past Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are now available in MP3 format at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html ================================ Andrew Fraknoi, Chair, Astronomy Program Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills, CA 94022, USA Telephone: (650) 949-7288 E-mail: fraknoiandrew at fhda.edu ================================ -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Contacts mailing list Contacts at aanc-astronomy.org http://mail.aanc-astronomy.org/mailman/listinfo/contacts -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jaworskirob at yahoo.com Wed Sep 22 14:59:46 2010 From: jaworskirob at yahoo.com (Rob Jaworski) Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:59:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] This Saturday - Slide and Equipment Night Message-ID: <257247.10047.qm@web50407.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hello SJAA Members and Friends, Every month, the San Jose Astronomical Association holds its General Meeting, usually around the full moon of the month. We typically have a professional scientist or astronomer come in to give a talk about their field or recent research. This month is different. We will be holding our Slide and Equipment Night, which is the SJAA's version of "Show and Tell", an opportunity for members and others to show off. If you have some cool gear you'd like to share, or astro prints of astro photos that are particularly interesting you'd like to show off, this event is it. At minimum, bring your curiosity, see what others are excited about, and ask questions! The General Meeting, the event, starts at 8PM. If you arrive early, you will probably catch the tail end of the Board of Directors meeting, which begins at 6:30PM. Both meetings are free of charge, both are open to the public. As usual, we'll be doing all this at the Hall at San Jose's Houge Park. Directions are available on the SJAA website. http://www.sjaa.net/directions.shtml (Note: The Hall at Houge is on the north end of the park, near the tennis and basketball courts, the building, and door, closest to the parking lot.) On another note... Remember: CalStar is only a couple weeks away! http://www.observers.org/CalStar/ Never been to a dark sky, multi-night star party, such as CalStar or GSSP, and have a series newbie questions? Come this Saturday and we'd be more than happy to talk about it and help solve any logistical problems you may be facing. BTW, if you something in mind to share this Saturday, and have questions about logistics, please drop me an email. We'll get you squared away. See you there! Rob Jaworski San Jose Astronomical Association From jaworskirob at yahoo.com Wed Sep 29 21:18:20 2010 From: jaworskirob at yahoo.com (Rob Jaworski) Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:18:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Announce-sjaa] This Friday: Astonomy Class and Houge Star Party Message-ID: <620538.5934.qm@web50408.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hello SJAA Members and Friends, The San Jose Astronomical Association will be holding a beginners astronomy class at 7:30PM this Friday, October 1 at the Hall at Houge Park. The topic of the class will be an introduction to the Fall Constellations. Appropriate, since we have been into the Fall season for a full week now. There will also be a public star party on the same night at Houge Park from about 7:45 to 10:45PM. Features of the late summer and early autumn sky will be featured. Weather is looking exceedingly nice according to our friends at NOAA. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?site=mtr&smap=1&textField1=37.25723333333&textField2=-121.9418 Bring your friends, family and neighbors, it's all fun and it's all free! Directions to Houge Park are on the website. The Hall at Houge is the first building nearest the parking lot, near the tennis courts. Set up for the star party is on the sidewalk nearest the tennis courts. http://www.sjaa.net/directions.shtml Should be a good night, hope you can make it, and see you in the dark! Rob Jaworski San Jose Astronomical Association