Due to high winds on Friday 3/14 N. Mt Park V.c. and Clouds and high winds on Sat, Telescope Training Session we are canceling both star parties for this weekend. Please have a great weekend and we will see you at the next PAS event.
NASA Space Place
As some of you know, PAS has been working with NASA Space Place
to bring science to Kids. Nancy, my contact there, sends me all sorts
of really cool things that we use for prizes for our events. Well, they also
update their site often and send me that info as well. Below is a current
message from Nancy about a new addition to their site. We appreciate all Nancy has done and will do for PAS through the NASA Space Place program. Enjoy!
Thought you might want to check out the photos I just uploaded from the Sally Ride Festival we just did. I'm sorry there are only 2 photos available because we were so busy, I didn't have time to even walk around and talk to any of the other displays. It was a good, fast event this year. So, I'm lacking photos, but if anyone took any they wish to put into this album (with credits) I'd appreciate adding their photos to my photos to make it more interesting to look at. The link is: Sally Ride 2008 Photos
Enjoy!
Good day to all!!!
My contact, Allyson, wrote me this email this morning and I felt it was important to share it with the volunteers who are attending Friday night's star party at N. Mt. Park V.C.
Original email:
I left a message on your phone, but I thought I'd shoot you an email as well.
Yes, the middle circle sidewalk is perfect. I will cone off a few parking spots just in case for your vehicles.
We will have the outside lights turned off for the star gazing tomorrow, and the other 2 star parties.
I will have refreshments available for everyone that is coming to the program.
I will have signs up for the entrance - since that turn into the park can be missed at times.
have a great day!
I have told Allyson we have 5 telescopes RSVP'd thus far for the star party, but I also mentioned to her that the clouds and wind may be an issue. Watch the weather and if you can assist, let me know.
Thanks and have a super Thursday!
Terri
Good afternoon,
Chet has sent me a reminder to remind all of those who are thinking of being helpful this weekend at one or another star party, that we have the WOW star party at the Phoenix Zoo this Friday from 6pm to 9pm. Chet needs assistance and has asked that you RSVP your help with him ASAP. His contact info is: 480-272-4545 or chetsch@cox.net. Your help is needed and appreciated. The kids will love looking through your telescope. Remember, this star party is NOT PUBLIC, and the help requested is for telescope operators only. Tell Chet you wish to assist, right now. : ) It is a very rewarding experience!
The weather does not look very promising. We must be having a storm or something heading our way.
For Friday, I see in the prediction 16mph winds and 80% cloud cover during our star party. Friday is a public event and we usually have handouts that will be blown away by this much wind. Friday I will be monitoring the weather from my computer and can email anyone who wishes to know the status, or just go to your favorite weather site and track it, as well.
For Saturday, the winds are stronger, but the sky will be more clear, with only 50% cloud cover. The wind won't bother us that much during this class, however, if the newbie wishes to see anything good, the winds shouldn't be over 10mph. Saturday I will not have the chance to monitor the weather and will have to rely on Rod and don to give me an update around 4pm as to if we are doing the star party or not.
Before you rush out to the star parties, please confirm with Rod, Don, or myself that the sky is clear enough to have the star party. Watch the weather and check with Rod, Don or Terri for an update throughout the day. We may get lucky and still be able to hold the star parties. Won't know until the day/time gets closer.
Have a super Thursday!
Friday 3/14 is our first of 3 North Mountain Park star parties. Set up is 5pm, public is due shortly after, and we go until 9:30pm.
I currently have Don, Rod, Sam, Mike and Terri attending with telescopes.
We also have 10+ RSVP's from the public. Your help is needed and appreciated.
If you can make it, drop me an email by Thursday to let me know. Thanks. ALL size scopes are welcome.
Sat 3/15 is our second Telescope Training Workshop at PV Park, 40th Street and Union Hills. This outing does not require a telescope. If you know anything about telescopes, please assist. We meet at the park at 6pm and stay until our class members (the public) wishes to depart or 10pm. Remember, the idea behind this class is to assist the public with their new scope in learning to use it where there IS LIGHT, such as PV Park and a 1st quarter Moon. So, it is NOT an observing session for the PAS Membership, it is a class to help those in need. PAS Members are urged to attend as teachers, or bring your scope and learn some more about it at this event. It is open to the public and we have 2 telescopes due to show up at this event so far. Weather permitting, we will have it. RSVP is with me, by Friday at Noon, if you wish to help. This way I have a little time to gather names of those helping and those attending, just in case we have to cancel. Right now, we are doing it, unless bad weather gets in the way. See you there. RSVP of PAS members so far is Rod and Terri. If you aren't on this list and wish to be, please let me know.
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thought you might want to check out this cool link.
It has info that may be a useful.
http://www.classicalastronomy.com/The_Sky_This_Month.asp
Enjoy!
The deadline for submissions to the April newsletter is Monday March 17.
We have 3 awesome, weather permitting, North Mountain Park Visitor Center events coming up very soon. Please RSVP with Terri to attend or help out: Events@pasaz.org.
Mar 14: 5pm to 9:30pm - Star Party!!!
Apr 26: 5pm to 9:30pm - Lecture begins at 6pm, lecture will happen, rain or shine.
May 9: 5pm to 9:30pm - Star Party !!!
Volunteers are needed & public is welcome.
Currently we have 10 RSVP's from the public for this event.
Top map shows close up view of parking area.
We will be setting up in circular walk way in front of the V.C.
Please see 2 attached maps to find your way there.
The entrance is at Cactus just off 7th Street.
Pull into the area where the Visitor Center is, and
there is a circular area
where we will be setting up the telescopes.
Volunteers please arrive early enough to be able to park your vehicles
near the viewing location.
The parking lot has plenty of parking.
We hope to see you there!
Received this link from William.
http://science.slashdot.org/science/08/03/07/2340230.shtml
This may be of interest to you. Received it from a friend.
The Clear Sky Chart (formerly called the
Clear Sky Clock) site has
light pollution maps extracted from the
atlas you refer to. Start here:
http://cleardarksky.com/csk/prov/
Arizona_charts.html
Here is a list of all 98 Clear Sky Chart
locations in Arizona. Click
on one such as Gilbert Rotary Centennial
Observatory, and then click on
the link beneath the chart for "Light
Pollution." This map should look
familiar to you. Each of those crosses
mark Clear Sky Chart
locations, and if you first click on the
button above that reads, "Find Charts,"
it will go to that location. But you
should be able to estimate your
sky brightness by looking at the color
contours, and the scale shown
below them.
IMHO, sky brightness in magnitudes per
arcsecond are more useful than
the more subjective Bortle scale. And
for $120, you can buy a Sky
Quality Meter that will give you that
reading at any site you want to visit.
http://www.unihedron.com/projects/
darksky/index.php
Check out our Links Section.
I've started a section of links for Kids.
If you have a moment to review the links, it would be awesome to have your assistance in correcting errors, taking out duplicates, etc. and ADDING MORE KID FRIENDLY LINKS.
Also, visit the PAS site's Kid friendly links, www.pasaz.org KIDS CORNER where you can find more really cool things for kids to do.
The other link section I'd like to add, is a collection of favorite links from PAS Members. If you have a favorite link for astronomy, send it my way. I will get it posted so we can share and enjoy everyone's links. These links, as long as they have to do with Astronomy, are very welcome. Do you have a web page you'd like listed in this section, send it my way. It can be a personal page, like Rod's astronomy page, or a favorite place to purchase your astronomy gear.
