Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Mauna Kea Observatories lead off "100 Hours of Astronomy"

As part of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, "100 Hours of Astronomy" is offering a 24-hour live webcast from the control rooms of 80 professional observatories around the world.

The live webcast will start off at 11pm Hawaii Standard Time [HST] on 2 April, with the Mauna Kea Observatories being the first to show the worldwide public a glimpse into the control room of a working observatory. All observatories will introduce themselves via a 5-minute video, followed by a 10-minute live conversation with the observers in the control room. During this time they will introduce a new image from each observatory that has not been publicly seen before.

Here are the scheduled times for the Mauna Kea Observatories.

Date. . . . HTS . . . . . . . Observatory
Apr 2 . . 11:00pm . . . . . . .Gemini Observatory
Apr 2 . . 11:20pm . . . . . . .Subaru Telescope, Nat'l Observ of Japan
Apr 2 . . 11:40pm . . . . . . United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT)
Apr 3 . . 00:00am [midnite] . .W.M. Keck Observatory
Apr 3 . . 00:20am . . . . . . .James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT)
Apr 3 . . 00:40am . . . . . . .Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT)
Apr 3 . . 01:00am . . . . . . .Smithsonian Submillimeter Array (SMA)
Apr 3 . . 01:20am . . . . . . .Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO)

View the webcast at "Around the World in 80 Telescopes".

For more information on the outreach activities of the Mauna Kea Observatories, please go to the MKOOC Website.

Paraphrased and quoted from press release issued by:
Inge Heyer
Chair, Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee
Email: outreach@jach.hawaii.edu
Tel: +1 808 969 6524

Friday, March 27, 2009

Sun 5 April: IfA Manoa Open House 2009

Join us for the events and activities scheduled for the IfA Manoa Open House 2009

University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
Sunday, April 5, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free admission and parking
UH Institute for Astronomy
2680 Woodlawn Drive, Mānoa

Monday, March 23, 2009

"Look Up!" Astronomy Night @ WCC on April 4, 7-9 p.m.

Get to know your universe at Windward Community College's "Look Up!" event on Saturday, April 4, from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Sponsored by WCC's Center for Aerospace Education, this fun astronomy event for all ages will include a variety of free or low-cost astronomy-related activities (see list below). Activities will be held on the WCC campus, in and around the Imaginarium, 'Imiloa building and Lanihuli Observatory (map: http://windward.hawaii.edu/About_WCC/Campus_Map.html). "Look Up!" will take place regardless of the weather. Food will be available at the Starlight Cafe.

"Look Up!" is part of the International Year of Astronomy's "100 Hours of Astronomy" cornerstone project. "100 Hours of Astronomy"is a worldwide event that seeks to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. For 100 hours during the weekend of April 2-5, someone somewhere in the world will be looking through a telescope. WCC's "Look Up!" event represents Hawaii in this global event for two of the 100 hours.


ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Imaginarium “Stargazing” Shows
A live star show held inside the Imaginarium that identifies the constellations, planets and moon phases visible in the night sky. Tickets available at the Imaginarium box office for $2/person. Showtimes: 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30 p.m.
Telescope Viewing with Hawaii Astronomical Society
Gaze at the moon and Saturn through the HAS members’ telescopes (weather permitting).
Storytelling with Emil Wolfgramm
Enjoy Polynesian stories of the stars by master storyteller Emil Wolfgramm. Showtime: 7:00-7:45 p.m.
Make-&-Take Telescope Workshop
Construct and use a working refracting telescope (similar to the one Galileo used 400 years ago) to take home with you. Cost: $2/telescope, while supplies last.
Lanihuli Observatory
Visit a working research and educational observatory that includes a radio telescope, heliostat (solar) telescope, cosmic ray telescope and 16-inch optical telescope. Optical telescope viewing, weather permitting.
Faulkes Telescope
Remotely operate UH Institute for Astronomy’s Faulkes Telescope, located on Haleakala, Maui (weather permitting).
NASA Flight Training Center AEL
Pilot NASA’s space shuttle with a virtual reality simulator and explore microgravity environments through interactive computer stations.
Aerospace Exploration Lab
Explore science concepts through hands-on activities designed especially for children in grades K-6.
Bishop Museum
Make a "Lahaina Noon" flip book to investigate the zenith passage of the sun in Hawaii.

Ironwood Observatory
An introduction to remote astro imaging using an off-grid, unattended Internet controlled observatory. Showtime: 8:15-9:00 p.m.
Film: Eyes on the Skies
Learn about the historical development of the telescope, its scientific importance, technological breakthroughs, and the people behind this ground-breaking invention.
Kids in Technology
Explore how astronauts blast off into space through bottle rocket demonstrations.
Starlight Café
Enjoy astronomically good food at this way-out café. Prices vary.

This invitation issued by Nancy Alima Ali, Imaginarium Manager, WCC