In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the San Jose Public Library will be one of only two locations in the bay area, and 150 around the country, to display a new mural-sized image of the Milky Way’s galactic center.

2009 was declared an International Year of Astronomy by the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO, to promote understanding of the importance of astronomy and other basic science in daily life. IYA2009 commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first telescopic observations in 1609.

The mural display was developed by NASA to celebrate IYA2009. The images are created by combining images from three of NASA’s “Great Observatories”, each of which views the sky in a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The source images include a near-infrared view from the Hubble Space Telescope, infrared from the Spitzer Space Telescope, and X-ray images from the Chandra Deep Sky Observatory. The combined image shows “the unique science each observatory conducts, [and] also how far astronomy has come since Galileo.”

The mural will be unveiled in a ceremony at noon on Tuesday, November 17, in the Fourth Street lobby of the main library. On Saturday, November 21, the library will host a follow-up day of activities, including lectures, films, educational activities, and night sky viewing. The November 21 activities last from Noon until 7 pm. The mural will remain on display through the end of 2010.

On Sunday July 19, NASA Ames will host Moonfest 2009 a celebration of all things related to the moon; including the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonwalks and NASA’s Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission.

The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. In 1969 on July 20, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, while Michael Collins orbited above.

The event will have a variety of hands-on activities and presentations by NASA and space industry experts. Some of the Moonfest exhibits and activities include:

Ask a Lunar Scientist
Ask NASA experts about their jobs. This will be a chance to informally interact with lunar/ space experts about their work, career paths, or other topics.

Small Spacecraft Division, NASA Ames Research Center
Visitors will get an overview of current and future Ames’ satellite missions, build their own little satellite, and have the chance to talk to people directly involved in those missions.

Moon Rocks
The real deal.

Model Rockets
Scale models of the Apollo Saturn V, scale models of other spacecraft from the Apollo era will be launched between noon and 2:00 pm at the airfield (shuttle buses will be available).

MoonPies
The Planetary Society allegedly will be handing out mini MoonPies.

Kids’ Activities for preschool through middle school will include puzzles, coloring contests, and quiz games.

There will be speakers from various backgrounds throughout the day (click name for time and topic): Lawrence Krauss, Anthony Colaprete, Susan Hackwood, Diane Wooden, and Donald Pettit.

Astronaut Donald Pettit is veteran of two spaceflights and lived aboard the Space Station for 5-1/2 months. Recently, he was aboard the STS-126 Endeavour Shuttle/Station assembly mission.

The event organized by the NASA Lunar Science Institute, a new organization that supplements and extends existing NASA lunar science programs and LCROSS. Follow them on Twitter.

Moonfest 2009
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, 94035

Sunday, July 19, 2009
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Admission: Free
Free parking, limited public transportation is available.

One of the best festivals in the Bay Area is the Maker Faire (World’s Largest DIY Festival) and it’s happening next weekend, May 30 and 31st.

Now in it’s fourth year, Maker Faire has grown not only in size (it now spans the entire San Mateo County fairgrounds now) but also in popularity. The first two years it was rather easy to park at the main parking lot outside the East entrance to the fairgrounds. Last year traffic was backed up for MILES on the freeway just getting to the place. Not to mention, once you were there, you had to drive a bit farther to dedicated parking lots/garages elsewhere and ride an old school bus (free) to the fairgrounds. I think it’s awesome that this service is provided and goes to show just how wonderful this event truly is.

If you’re a Maker Faire virgin, what should you expect? Team Maker Faire boils it down to the categories of: Arts & Crafts, Science & Engineering, Robotics & Rockets, Sustainability, Fun For Kids, and Music & Fire. There is something for everyone. Bring Mom and Dad, bring your college buddies, meet up with your coworkers, or just come by yourself. Regardless, everyone will have something up their alley to watch, listen, or participate in.

Throughout the two days, special guests will be performing or speaking. One that will be no doubt popular – Adam Savage of Mythbusters will be speaking on Saturday (2pm, MAKE Main Stage 2) on “Colossal Failures”.

In the Arts & Crafts world at Maker Faire, if you’re into that sort of thing, there will be plenty at hand. Bazaar Bizarre (a fave of mine) will have a selection of indie designer and crafters on hand selling their wares. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is returning so if you’re into sewing be sure to bring a bag of unwanted clothes and your creativity. Donate the clothes and pick out some new ones and create a new outfit on-site. I checked it out the first year and noticed there were several sewing machines, screen printing machines, and all sorts of other resources (including fellow crafters) there for all your hand-making needs.

Sculptures, working-machines, fire-breathing iron contraptions — the festival showcases so many amazing creations.

The details:
Maker Faire 2009
San Mateo County Expo Center
Saturday: 10a-8p, Sunday: 10a-6p

Weekend and Day-Pass tickets are available. Note that while discounted tickets are no longer available via the website, there are over 75 locations in the Bay Area that offer discounted tickets. Don’t hesitate to check them out!

For more details and a program you can download, visit MakerFaire.com

Megan McArthur

Megan McArthur, a Silicon Valley native who graduated from St. Francis High School in Mountain View in 1989, will be making her first spaceflight She is one of seven astronauts picked to fly in an 11-day mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis (STS-125) Hubble Servicing Mission scheduled to launch Monday May 11 at 11:01 am.

McArthur’s parents currently live in San Jose, and she considers California her home state, although she was born in Hawaii. She has a doctorate in oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.

For the Hubble mission she will be responsible for the robotic arm operations during the capture and release of Hubble, as well as during the spacewalks and Atlantis’ heat shield inspections. She also will serve as the flight engineer, assisting on the flight deck during ascent and landing.

Atlantis’ 11-day mission will include five spacewalks to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments, expanding the telescope’s capabilities and extending its lifetime through at least 2014.

Refurbishing and restoring will include installing new Battery Module Units, new Rate Sensor Units, New Outer Blanket Layer material, an upgraded Fine Guidance Sensor, Advanced Camera for Surveys, Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, along with upgrading the Wide Field Camera and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Now you know.

Identifying the Spacewalkers:
John Grunsfeld – Solid red stripes
Drew Feustel – No markings (solid white suit)
Mike Massimino – Broken horizontal red stripes
Michael Good – Diagonal red stripes (barber pole)

Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4 – STS-125
Launch: May 11 – 11:01 am PDT
Landing: May 22 – 8:41 am PDT

Follow the mission on NASA TV, Twitter, and other Social Networking Sites

Charles Darwin

A new NASA Ames Research Center lecture series on the Evolution of Science and Technology and its impacts on our society begin this Thursday, March 12 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

The first lecture given by Dr. James Strick, an Associate Professor at the Franklin and Marshall College, science historian and author, will cover Charles Darwin and his thoughts on the origins of life. He will also draw connections to modern origin of life research supported by NASA.

Dr. Strick has studied how scientists have attempted to define life and explain its origin. He has also examined the debate that has taken place among Darwin’s supporters. “We expect a story about the new evolutionary science to include much heated objection from religious quarters,” he said. “But a look at how divisive the issue was among the Darwinians themselves is an even more complex and enlightening story.”

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street
Mountain View, 94041

Thursday, March 12
7:00 pm
Admission: Free

photo: Gabriela Hasbun/Make Magazine

San Jose Northsider Rick Shertle’s article “Compressed Air Rocket”, originally published a few months ago in Make: Magazine Volume 15, just appeared on the Make Blog, where anyone can read it. Shertle gives plans and instructions to build a launcher and rocket that can fly 200 to 300 feet, using paper, pvc pipe, and a few other parts you can get at the hardware store.

The only note of caution from some of the commenters: after the launcher is used a few times, the pvc pipe can become weaker, and eventually it might fail explosively. Be sure to wrap the pipe in duct tape as instructed in the article.

The Cassini spacecraft has just entered its fifth year exploring the planet Saturn, its rings, and its large family of moons, including Titan.

This Wednesday astronomer Mark Showalter of the SETI Institute will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on Saturn’s Restless Rings: Latest Results from the Cassini Mission.

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft launched on October 15, 1997 began its 7-year journey to Saturn arriving on July 1, 2004.

The Cassini-Huygens program is an international cooperative effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian space agency, as well as several separate European academic and industrial contributors.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is the first to explore the Saturn system of rings and moons from orbit. The European Space Agency’s Huygens Probe landed on Titan in January 2005. Instruments on both spacecraft are providing scientists with vital data and the best views ever.

Cassini has been making numerous orbits of Saturn, flybys of Titan along with flybys of some of the other moons.

Saturn’s rings, believed to be made of pieces of shattered moons, comets and asteroids, are the most extensive and complex ring system in our solar system, extending hundreds of thousands of miles from the planet.

Dr. Mark Showalter, whose research focuses primarily on ring-moon systems, will share some of the pictures from Saturn and take a close-up look at the “lord of the rings.”

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to locate parking.
Parking lots 1, 7 and 8 provide stair and no-stair access to the Smithwick theatre.

Smithwick Theater, Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills

Wednesday, November 12
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Admission: Free
Parking: $2.00

650-949-7888

nasa.gov

This Wednesday physicist Leonard Susskind of Stanford University will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on The Black Hole Wars: My Battle with Stephen Hawking. No background in science will be required for this talk or having seen Disney’s The Black Hole.

For two decades, physicist Susskind battled cosmologist Stephen Hawking over the behavior of black holes.

Hawking’s theory is that when information falls into a black hole it is permanently lost to the outside; also, that black holes evaporate. It happens very slowly but the black hole does emit particles, and eventually disappears.

Susskind’s theory is that the horizon of a black hole (a two dimensional surface like a film) somehow stores all the information that ever fell into the hole. He also theorizes the photons and other particles carry away every bit of information during evaporation of the black hole.

Stephen Hawking now agrees that the information is not lost when a black hole evaporates.

This is a non-technical talk but how can you not be excited about particle physics, event horizons, quantum mechanics, and holographic principles?

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to locate parking.
Parking lots 1, 7 and 8 provide stair and no-stair access to the Smithwick theatre.

Smithwick Theater, Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills

Wednesday, October 1
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Admission: Free
Parking: $2.00

650-949-7888

The Smithsonian Magazine is hosting a Free Museum Day across the nation this Saturday, Sept. 27. And plenty of Bay Area museums are participating, like:

• Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education in San Mateo
• Peninsula Museum of Art in Belmont
• The Exploratorium in San Francisco
• Berkeley Art Center in Berkeley
  
• Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek
• Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos
• Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek

All you have to do is fill out this card for your free admission.

I confess, I didn’t know half of these museums existed until just now, so if the Smithsonian’s sole goal is to expose the public to museums, it already worked.

There’s more on this California list of participating museums, including some heavy-hitters like the J. Paul Getty Museum in L.A. and Mission San Juan Capistrano. Or you can find other museums nationwide that are participating, including (obviously) all the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.

It’s unfortunate to not see any San Jose city museums participating, but such is life. I know of at least one SJ museum that will be very busy this weekend.

Credit: NASA

On Saturday, September 06, NASA Ames will host another “Return to the Moon Family Night” at their Research Center.

The event will highlight the roles of NASA and Ames Research Center in conducting robotic missions slated for launch in 2009 that include the identification of water on the moon and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission is designed to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon’s South Pole.

Activities and exhibits include:

• animated videos
• moon rocks display
• robotic rover demonstrations
• kids activities
• telescope viewing of the lunar surface
• presentations by LCROSS experts and scientists

NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Boulevard, Moffett Field

Saturday, September 06
3:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Free admission

In addition, remember the upcoming Sally Ride Science Festival for 5th to 8th grade girls.