SpaceNight
Links to web resources [edit section]
Here are some interesting links:- http://skytonight.com/observing/ataglance
- http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/astropubs/htm_events.html
- http://www.astrosociety.org/education/family.html
- http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/index.html - Astronomy for Kids
- http://www.athropolis.com/links/const.htm - Constellation links for Kids
Here are some star charting sites:
- http://www.mystarslive.com/
- http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/#Telescope - virtual telescope
- http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/ - yoursky (hard to use, always defaults to "now")
Free Star Charts software:
- http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/ - Cartes du Ciel (open source, for windows)
- http://edu.kde.org/kstars - KStars (KDE planetarium software)
- http://www.stellarium.org/ - Stellarium (planetarium software)
- http://www.shatters.net/celestia/gallery.html - Celestia (touring software)
Handouts:
- http://www.taas.org/education/sspsched.html - some nice handouts
Session Ideas [edit section]
Session ideas:- how does a telescope work?
- planet intro - slide show
- space craft - making a solar system model (hangar, string, and colored paper)
- learning constellations - constellation search
- observing
- tips - preserving night vision
- what to look for (stars, nebulae, galaxies, planets, moon, sun)
- how to find stuff (star charts, constellations, naked eye, binoculars, telescopes)
- free planetarium software
What to prepare:
- materials for planet mobiles
- scripts for lecture sessions and games
- observation list for users
- red plastic wrap and rubber bands
- observation list for telescopes
- star charts for Jan 25
What users should bring:
- warm clothes
- flashlight
- binoculars or own telescope
- USB stick?
Make your own Constellation viewer:
- materials = file folder, black construction paper, constellation patterns, tape, flashlight
- instructions
- recognizing constellations -
Committee [edit section]
- Tim Bird - observation
- Nadine Bird - computer lab, promotion
- Nasrin Shamloo - 408-224-3116, nbiglari (at) sbcglobal.net greeter
- Ed Macalolooy - Tasco 375 telescope with 114 mm reflector and equatorial mount - will come at 6:30 and help with sky observation
- contact info: 408-226 1087, or edward.macalolooy (at) gmail.com
- Mr. Ecter - 226-0587 or 226-0591
- Susan Paxton - 408-281 1661, jcasepaxton (at) comcast.net
- Genvieve Dorsey - 408-927 7933 , instaswmr (at) aol.com
Stations [edit section]
- Crafts: Mr. Ecter
- Star Charts
- Star Projector
- Planetarium/Solar System Tour
- Astronomy Quiz
- Taylor Observatory
Telescopes [edit section]
- Carlene Wallace - ??
- Barbara Bailey - 3-inch refractor, U mount - Moon
- Tim Bird - 3 inch reflector, camera mount (bad) - Moon
- Ed Macalolooy - ??
- Greg Shepherd - 8 inch relfector (Meade) - great nebula
- Dale Smith - ? inch reflector (Celestron) - Pleiades
Materials Checklist [edit section]
- solar system mural
- foam stuff
- white poster board (for rings)
- paint
- white paint
- black paper
- greeter table
- table
- handout
- treats
- space crafts:
- instruction sheet for star projector
- instruction sheet for star chart
- constellation posters??
- award stars
- astronomy quiz:
- quiz handouts
- launch web page
- award stars
- observatory:
- table for observatory
- extension cord
- fact sheet for observatory
- laser pointer
- award stars
- planetarium
- planetarium
- laser pointer
- script - what constellations to show?
- star tour
- demo script
- laptop
- narrator script
- projector
- award stars
Night checklist [edit section]
- 6:15 - help Greg Shepherd get telescope to Taylor
- 6:30 - get power cord for observatory
- 6:45 - help observatory volunteers site objects
- 6:45 - set up greeter, observatory tables
- 6:30 - put up station signs
- 6:30 - put up mural
- 6:45 - test projector and planetarium
- 6:45 - set up astronomy books in library
- 6:50 - everyone at stations