[AANC Contacts] LCROSS/LRO Star Party & Don Machholz "Exploring the Night Sky" plus Planet Viewing & MMM

[Kenneth Frank]

Hello All,

A reminder for:

What: "Return to the Moon" Family Night is in need of telescopes
Where: NASA Ames
Why:  To inform the public of the upcoming Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and its 
attendant Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission
     which will help obtain vital data necessary for the return of humans to the Moon and 
any successful long term presence on the moon.
When: Saturday 6 September 2008 starting at 3:00 to 10 :00 PM

Download a map here:
http://www.planitarium.net/aanc/events/famly_night.pdf

The orange areas are where the day's events will take place.
The star party will take place on the green center lawn between N. & S. Akron.

If you're interested in attending with a telescope, please notify jimw_parsons at yahoo.com

#########

And from the Mother Lode:

Don Machholz is teaching a  non-credited astronomy class entitled "Exploring the Night 
Sky" at Sierra College, Grass Valley Campus,
on Thursday nights starting September 18th for six weeks. Cost is $82. The course consists 
of an hour of lecture and an hour of observing.
You may register at (http://www.sccommed.org)

On Saturday, August 30, local  residents will have the opportunity to view the planets 
Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune, stars, clusters, and nebulae through
telescopes provided  by amateur astronomers at the Sugar Pine Reservoir Boat Launch 
Parking Lot, near  Foresthill.  The viewing is free and  dependent upon
the weather.  We will  be there from 8:30 to 10:00  PM.
To get to the Sugar Pine Reservoir Boat  Launch parking lot, take Foresthill Road through 
Foresthill and continue another  9 miles to the Sugar Pine
Reservoir turnoff, which is to the left.  Follow that for 5.7 miles to the Boat Launch 
parking lot, which is on your right.  Enter the area and turn right into
the  large lower parking lot.  The  telescopes will be set up on the upper parking lot. 
Please park in the lower  lot.
For further info call Don  Machholz (530) 346-8963 or 320-8204.

See you in the dark,
  (or maybe at Lake Sonoma this Friday for the Mini-Messier-Marathon)
on page 6 of ATF:  http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/newsletter/pdfs/2008-08.pdf

Ken