Global Astronomy Month 2012

IFAS clubs have been really good with this the lase few years , so how about a bit of public outreach? Keep it local , keep it simple , bring a smile to people in this difficult time

Go for it !!
Its good for your club , good for families , good for schools


10 Ways to Get Involved in GAM 2012


With the approach of Global Astronomy Month 2012 (GAM 2012) in April, astronomers around the globe are organizing events for the world’s largest celebration of astronomy in all its forms. Join Astronomers Without Borders in sharing the Universe with others under the motto, One People, One Sky.

Here are 10 ways to get involved in GAM 2012:

1. Kick off GAM2012 with both the Sun and the Moon. SunDay (April 1) and Lunar Week (April 1-7) both return this year, just as the month-long celebration begins. Hold a solar event during the day and continue with our closest neighbor in space after dark.

2. Take part with an event of your own. Register your event on the GAM website so others near you can join in, and others around the world can share in your plans. If you are part of an astronomy club, planetarium or public observatory, bring your local community into this international program.

3. Explore the Universe from home. GAM offers two ways to enjoy remote online observing. Follow along as an astronomer navigates the skies for you live, or try your hand at controlling a telescope yourself.

4. If you’re a teacher, get your students involved. Learn and teach the importance of dark, starry skies. Inspire their creativity in the Astropoetry Contest. Students are fascinated by the wonders of the night sky. Be sure to pay attention so you can answer their questions!

5. Plan a family night out for Lyrid Watch (April 21/22) marking the return of this annual meteor shower. Bundle up on your own porch or drive to darker skies to watch as space wanderers drop in on Earth, burning up in our atmosphere as “shooting stars.”

6. See stars of the celestial kind at the world’s biggest star party – the Global Star Party on April 28. Find an event near you, or organize your own and invite the neighbors. Meet the stars: Saturn, the Moon, and more.

7. Keep in touch. Follow the GAM blog, with a different astronomy blogger every day throughout April. Join the conversation on Twitter using #GAM2012, share your pictures on Flickr or be our friend on Facebook. Follow the GAM website for news and updates.

8. If you’re a journalist or blogger, tell your readers how they can join the GAM celebration with events near them and online throughout April.

9. Sponsor this international outreach and peace-building campaign. Sponsorships opportunities are available for the month and for select, targeted programs. Download the GAM 2012 Sponsorship Package or contact AWB President Mike Simmons.

10. Astronomy is for everyone and so is GAM. Browse our resources for People with Disabilities, a new and growing movement in astronomy highlighted in GAM.

There are GAM programs for everyone. Star parties, solar observing, remote observing sessions, cosmic concerts, programs for planetariums and people with disabilities, competitions, art events and more.

Join the celebration in April 2012 as Global Astronomy Month brings together thousands of people and hundreds of organizations worldwide to share their passion for astronomy in innovative new ways, connecting people by sharing the Universe!

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More information:

Web: www.gam-awb.org/
News Updates: www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/news/n...tters/subscribe.html
Email: info@gam-awb.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gam.awb
Twitter: twitter.com/GAM_AWB (#GAM2012)
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/globalastronomymonth
Flickr: www.flickr.com/groups/gam/


Astronomers Without Borders:

Astronomers Without Borders is dedicated to fostering understanding and goodwill across national and cultural boundaries by creating relationships through the universal appeal of astronomy. Astronomers Without Borders projects promote sharing, all through a common interest in something basic and universal—sharing the sky.

Deirdre Kelleghan
AWB Ireland

Hehe. Just saw this post now, just after coming in from a little impromptu solo outreach outside our shop here in Bray.

Was in the front yard looking at Werners cross on the Moon (its only visible a few hours once a month) @ 81x with my 3.7sx Ethos in my Stellarvue F80 Finderscope mounted on the Celestron goto tripod I bought from Martin(Nerro) a fortnight ago. Then I thought to myself, I've 2 hours before my next shift in the shop, so why don't I lift the scope over the wall and setup on the footpath outside the shop instead and show the moon to some passersby.

The moon looked marvellous and fit with room to spare in the 110º AFOV. Real lunar orbiter porthole view. In the 2 hours between 7pm and 9pm about 25 people were wowed by the moon in the little scope. The best if not most embaressing moment was how happy a Sri Lankan man was who looked through the scope and came back with his daughter. Grabbed my hand and kissed it and prostrated himself and touched both my shoes!! I didn't know what to do or say!! At any rate, I think it meant a lot to him :blush:

I think I said something along the lines of, "Dude you have raised a wonderful daughter and son(customers in the shop) and provided for them, you're a far better man than I..." The language barrier probably means he didn't really understand what I was trying to say.

Brill that is exactly the spirit , just open the door , put out the scope and show something to someone passing by. If you have a green area near your house that works great, show random passers by or drop notes in the neighbourhood. Low carbon emission astronomy , nobody needs to get in their cars , walking down the road is the only thing they need to do.

The Venus Jupiter conjunction is a perfect treat for sharing this week
GO for it

Deirdre Kelleghan
@skysketche

Hi to all from the UNAWE talks in Leiden Univesity :-)where I am also meeting AWB folks.
I hope you are all plannig some good public outreach community events for Global Astronomy Month

Deirdre Kelleghan
@skysketcher

Just in from another little impromptu solo jobbie outside the shop. Same as last time, having a look at the moon from the yard and decided to lift the scope over onto the other side of the wall onto the public footpath ouside our shop.

Showed about 20-25 people the moon in about 90 minutes. No pickaboo moon tonight unlike the last time thankfully. Crystal clear sky from horizon to horizon. Beautiful night out there.

People amazed what can be seen on the moon with such a small scope (80mm Achro(actually my finderscope)) Had a grandad and grandson for ages. Both were loving it. The first time ever to look through a telescope for the grandad and the second for the grandson. He has Deirdres fine work with the local schools to thank for the first. When I described Deirdre he said Yep, that was the telescope lady

The one thing I am finding though is that the size of this scope means I am hidden behind parked cars outside the shop to all but the foot traffic on the same side of the road passing the shop. With the 12" Dob back in 2009 it caught a lot more attention from people coming from other directions, from way down the road, from passing cars. At one point that night in 2009 I had 2 Police cars pull over and park up after seeing the big scope as they drove past and had 5 Guards gathered around the scope looking at Saturn and the Moon.

As a result I really hope I'll have time to complete modifications to my 16" dob this Summer and get it back in action. They are some pretty cool mods if I say so myself and amazingly they will make the 16" dob quicker and easier to setup than the 80mm on the nexstar tripod!! I'll be reducing rockerbox width and weight and fitting Pnuematic tyres in a hand-truck configuration, so I'll be able to whell the big scope down the steps and out the gate quicker than I can lift the 80mm over the wall. I am converting the trusses to a collapsible (telescopic) 3 strut with cable tensioning system. So rather than having to carry the scope out in pieces and put it back together on the footpath, I just wheel the whole lot out ready assembled but collapsed and simply grab the UTA and extend the telescopic struts. A quick 1 minute collimation with my laser and a simple 2 star align and I am Goto and tracking enabled. This is a far cry from the infernal nexstar system which requires input of time, date, timezone, daylight savings, Long/Lat before one even gets to the star align. I estimate that if it takes me 15 minutes to set up the little 80mm on the nexstar, I'll have the big 16 incher setup and collimated in about 5 minutes. Now that bad boy will catch peoples attention

Where is the shop in Bray if you don't mind me asking?