[AANC Contacts] IYA Events: 100 Hours, 365 Days of Astronomy, GaN & Messier Madness

[Kenneth Frank]

Hello all Greater Bay Area amateur astronomers,

What:
The 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project is a worldwide event consisting of a wide 
range of public outreach activities, live science center, research observatory webcasts 
and sidewalk astronomy events.One of the key goals of 100 Hours of Astronomy is to have as 
many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 
years ago.

When:
April 2-5 day or night, when the Moon goes from first quarter to gibbous, good phases for 
early evening observing. Saturn will be the other highlight of early evening observing events.

Where:
Pick any street corner, in front of your home or join other club members at some public 
spot. Just do it!

If you have a solar safe scope observe the Sun.

The important thing is: please participate. This is where your club can really shine and 
put on its public face.

Dust off that old, tired scope and do some sidewalk astronomy.
When you have your telescope pointed to Saturn or the Orion Nebula, while folks look in 
the eyepiece you might talk about dark sky awareness.
The next step is to log on to:
http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/

Here's an example you can send Alan Gould <adgould at comcast.net>  to be available on our 
AANC home page:

Foothill Fusion: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
Subject: Free April 4 Star Party at Foothill College Celebrates International Year of 
Astronomy

Foothill College teams up with the Peninsula Astronomical Society (PAS) to host a star 
party for area families Saturday, April 4, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Foothill College 
Observatory in Los Altos Hills, provided the sky is clear. Admission is free and the 
public is invited.

The college's 16-inch telescope will be open for viewing and PAS members will bring 
additional telescopes so everyone can gaze at celestial bodies such as the moon, planets, 
stars and other astronomical phenomenon.

Families should dress warmly and bring a small flashlight. If there are crowds, be 
prepared for a short wait to see through the telescope. There is no seating. Everyone, 
especially children, must be alert and careful of the traffic on the one-way road that 
surrounds the campus.

The event is part of the 100 Hours of Astronomy celebration being held around the world 
April 2–5. For 100 hours, observatories, museums, educational institutions and astronomy 
enthusiasts will present live and online events to commemorate the International Year of 
Astronomy—the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first turning telescope to the heavens. For 
more information, access www.100hoursofastronomy.org and www.astronomy2009.us.

The Foothill College Observatory is operated by the Peninsula Astronomical Society, one of 
the most active amateur astronomy clubs in the Bay Area. For more information about the 
Foothill College Astronomy Program, access www.foothill.edu/ast.

Foothill College is located on El Monte Road off Interstate 280 in Los Altos Hills. Lot 4 
provides best parking for the observatory. If Lot 4 is full, park in Lot 3 or Lot 5 and 
walk to the observatory. Purchase a required parking permit for $2 from dispensers in any 
parking lot. For observatory information, call (650) 949-7334.

*************
SCAS Does IYA
Here are some Sonoma County Astronomical Society (SCAS)offerings during IYA 2009 as well.
What about your club? Please let Alan  <adgould at comcast.net> know about it.

May 3: SCAS will be set up at Santa Rosa Junior College's "Day Under the Oaks" daytime 
event, with particular emphasis on IYA.
Details forthcoming as we get closer to the event. We'll be showing off the replica 
Galileo telescope in addition to viewing with
an indirect solar scope and lots more.

One of our own: Ted Judah,  Secretary of SCAS, will be contributing episodes to the 
International Year of Astronomy’s 365 days of Astronomy Podcast.
Read more about Ted and SCAS on page 8 here:
http://www.sonomaskies.org/Newsletter/Feb.09_SonomaSkies.pdf

His podcasts are scheduled for April 10 and June 23. You can hear all the podcasts at:
http://365daysofastronomy.org/

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

GaN or Globe at Night
Tonight's The Night. Get out and Observe the Night Sky. Last night to register your 
viewing of Orion here:
http://www.globe.gov/GaN/


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

Messier Madness
This evening from sunset to tomorrows sunrise (well, for some of us anyway) is the Messier 
Marathon:
http://aanc-astronomy.org/calendar/messiermarathon/index.html

On Mt. Tam, Monsieur Charles Messier will make his yearly apparition. Here's a review of 
the '07 Marathon:
http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/events/annual_messiermarathon2007/messiermarathon2007.php

The SJAA will be Marathoning at Coe
This is a reminder for those of you interested in the craziest and "funnest" observing 
challenge of the year - Messier Marathon.
The SJAA is hosting the event again this year on Saturday, March 28th, at Henry Coe State 
Park, in the overflow parking lot:
http://www.sjaa.net/directions.html#Henry_Coe

Get there before dark, if you're going to stay all night, park further down in the lot, if 
you're leaving early,
park closer to the gate and get some help driving out (without your headlights on) - ask 
someone to guide you out with a red flashlight.

If this is your first trip to a dark sky site, read this piece on star party etiquette:
http://www.sjaa.net/etiquette.html#away

Here is SEDS pages on the marathon:
2009: http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/mm2009.html

Main page including ordered lists: http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/marathon.html


See you in the dark and on the sidewalk,

Ken Frank