[AANC Contacts] SJAA Fall Swap Meet Nov 9, Mt. Tam Next Year, Journey Nov 10, and Ask a Scientist Nov 12

[Kenneth Frank]

Hello All,

Lots of upcoming events and things to do over the weekend and more.

Enjoy,

Ken


SJAA Swap Meet
****************Sunday 1 - 3 PM*********************
It's fall and time for the annual migration of astronomical paraphernalia from one garage 
to another!
The SJAA Swap Meet is a great opportunity for beginners to purchase their first telescope 
at a great price!
Telescopes, binoculars, eyepieces, mountings, mirrors, lenses, clock drives, books, camera 
equipment,
star charts, finders, tubes, diagonals, photographs, space art - everything you need to 
make your hobby more enjoyable.
You name it, it's likely to be there! Check your garage and closets for anything 
astronomical you would like to sell.
Anyone can buy and sell, it's fun and easy! Joe Sunseri of Earth and Sky Adventure 
Products will be there with
many fine new and used items such as eyepieces and other telescope accessories.

Doors open at 12:00 p.m. to allow sellers time to set up their table.
Sellers are encouraged to bring items that would interest the astronomical audience such 
as astronomical, science, computer, or tech items.
The SJAA reserves the right to turn away inappropriate items.
The swap will begin at 1 p.m. and will run as long as needed, but it is usually all over 
by 3 PM.

Directions to Hogue Park for the Swap Meet:
http://www.sjaa.net/directions.html#Houge_Park


Rob Hawley
SJAA President

****************************
 From Tinka Ross of MTIA:

MT TAM ASTRONOMY PROGRAM SUPPORTER:

Winter is on its way and our programs are over for the year. Feel free to offer your 
comments and advise on past and upcoming programs.
Any particular speakers or topics you want scheduled for next year?  Save the 2009 dates 
now: 5/2, 5/31, 6/27, 7/25, 8/22, 919 and 10/24.

The 2009 Astronomical Pocket Diary is now available for purchase.  Still at just $10 (plus 
$1 for postage and handling) this is a bargain.
There's more information than you can possible use, all the observing times and positions 
are calculated for Mt Tam (useful for the Greater Bay Area)
and the trivia is fun.  You can get a look at the little book at:
http://www.y23.com/apd/

It's great for keeping yourself organized, in planning observing dates and for holiday 
gift giving.  To get your copies just send a check payable to MTIA
to MT TAM Astronomy Programs, c/o Tinka Ross, 89 Dominican Drive, San Rafael, CA 9490.

Thanks for supporting our programs, survive the winter and see you on the Mountain next 
spring!
Tinka <tinkaross at comcast.net>

*******************************

The Journey to Palomar premieres Monday, November 10, 2008.

The Journey to Palomar traces the epic personal and professional quest of the Chicago-born 
astronomer to build the four largest telescopes of the 20th century,
culminating with the 20-year effort to build the million-pound telescope on Palomar 
Mountain, a project considered the "moon shot" of the 1930s and 1940s.

George Ellery Hale's vision opens the page to one of the most fascinating and spellbinding 
periods in American history
revealing the greatest discoveries since Galileo and Copernicus.

Contact your local PBS affiliate to find out local times and dates for airing.
http://www.pbs.org/thejourneytopalomar/airdates.html?edit_st=y

You may be interested in a  companion Teachers Guide, for Grades 6-12 developed by Cary 
Sneider, Ph.D. in collaboration with Mason Productions, Inc. and
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific:
http://www.pbs.org/thejourneytopalomar/teachersguide/TheJourneytoPalomarTeacherGuide.pdf


*******************************

 From Juliana Gallin of Ask A Scientist  http://askascientistSF.com

TOPIC: Surviving in Space
Long-range space travel brings a new set of challenges to the already formidable mission 
of sending humans out into space.
Now that the U.S. is ramping up plans to send astronauts back to the moon and eventually 
on to Mars, NASA scientists must figure out how to supply crews
with air, food, and water for stretches of months, and even years, at a time. The cost of 
shipping water into space, for example, will shut down a Tang party pretty quickly -- 
every pound of water consumed in orbit costs around $10,000. To meet such challenges, 
researchers like Sherwin Gormly and his colleagues are coming up with inventive ways to 
recycle in an enclosed space habitat. Arguably the most intriguing example is a 10-pound 
machine that turns urine into drinking water using processes that duplicate those that 
occur in nature. Pee-licious! Come find out what Sherwin has to tell us about all aspects 
of exploration life support, and how such innovations could impact real-world conservation 
efforts here at home.

SPEAKER: Sherwin Gormly, Water Process Research and Development Engineer at NASA Ames 
Research Center
WHEN: Wednesday, November 12th, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Axis Cafe, 1201 8th Street (btw. 16th & Irwin) San Francisco, 94107

And as usual, night owls can move it on over to either Connecticut Yankee or Thee Parkside 
(TBD) after the talk.

Juliana sometimes requests telescopes.  If you're interested contact her directly: 
julianagallin at gmail.com