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Second Saturday Stars

October 8, 2011

Come visit us on Saturday, October 8th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM for our monthly Second Saturday Stars event. This month, our classroom presentation will be Bill Cloutier's talk about "What's New with the Moon"

The International Observe the Moon Night will take place on October 8, 2011. This is the second annual public outreach event dedicated to engaging the lunar science and education community, amateur astronomers, space enthusiasts, and the general public in annual lunar observation campaigns that share the excitement of lunar science and exploration. The event is being organized by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Education and Public Outreach team, operating out of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in collaboration with several other NASA, private and international astronomical organizations.

If we have clear skies for observing, we will be focusing on the Moon, Jupiter, Lyra, Bootes, Hercules, Cygnus, Pegasus, Andromeda, and other autumn constellations, the Milky Way, and other objects of interest. As usual, the large 16" observatory telescope will be used by our visitors, along with several volunteer telescopes and binoculars on the SkyDeck adjacent to the observatory building. In addition to the comfortable and handicapped (HC) accessible setting on the SkyDeck, we are now able to offer our visitors HC restroom accommodations.

New telescope users:  Bring your equipment and join us in the Newbie Help Corner on the SkyDeck, where one of our knowledgeable volunteers will assist in the set-up and use of your telescope.

The observatory is located on the grounds of New Milford High School on Rte. 7 in New Milford. Enter the high school grounds from Larson Rd., drive to the southwest corner and park in the lot in front of the observatory. Bring questions (and binoculars); we hope to see you there!

The Second Saturdays Stars programs have been recorded for the last three years and can now be seen weekly on Charter Communications channel 21.  They are also available at the New Milford Library.

Charter Cable is in the following towns:  Trumbull, Monroe, Newtown, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Sherman, Bridgewater, Roxbury, New Milford, Kent, Southbury, Woodbury, Bethlehem, and Washington.   http://www.communityvision21.com/

PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS:

November 12 -- Galileo's Garden & the Fischer Sundial
December 10 -- Dark Energy: The Real Universe
January 14  --  Messenger at Mercury
February 11 -- Orion - The Constellation That Has It All!
March 10 -- Terraforming: Fact and Fiction

McCarthy Observatory Scale Solar System Deployed Across New Milford

On November 15th 2009, the McCarthy Observatory Scale Solar System was installed at 12 locations across New Milford. This wonderful "true scale" system was dedicated on November 14th at the Observatory, with featured speaker Dr. Heidi Hammel, planetary scientist speaking and providing her insight on the outstanding value a model of this nature has to the educational experience. She explained that the only way to truly grasp the immensity and emptiness of space is to explore on your own.
>>PDF directions<<
This scale system offers the entire community, young and old, student, parent or anyone else, the opportunity to wander through the entire solar system, all the way out to very edge way beyond the planets, learing as they go, taking rubbings in their passport books (avaialble at the town library) from the 13 emblems in the book , doing creative things with the challenges contained in the book, and getting the passport stamped at the town library when completed.

We encourage groups to tour, take photos, enjoy seeing the bronze and brass objects, learn about the uniqueness of each object they encounter, and tell their friends about it. Think of the vast distances between objects, and think of what the real distances are amongst the wonderful objects in the place where earth lives. Remember as you travel that each object is the correct size, and correct distance from the sun based on the model sun being six feet in diameter.

Have fun - when you are experienced, invite groups of friends and you can be the "expert guide" through the solar system!

When you have completed your tour of the McCarthy Observatory Solar System, we very highly recommend that explorers continue their journey via a wonderful National Geographic tour, which includes great simulations and detailed tours of individual planets. This will help those who are doing the fun exercises in your Passport Book, and will show you many exciting new things in our place in the Universe. Just go to http://www.nationalgeographic.com and then search for solar system and click on the first video link.

Contact us at (860) 946-0312 or mccarthy.observatory@gmail.com for more information.

To make a donation, submit to JJMO at PO Box 1144, New Milford, CT 06776 attn: IYA.