This is a call for telescopes for Friday evening April 23 before dark for an outreach event at:
Summerour Middle School
585 Mitchell Road
Norcross, GA 30071

We will do a presentation inside the school followed with observing on the field next to the school. The school expects about 150 students and parents. Call me when you get there and don’t see where to setup. For directions click here.
Thanks for participating.
Theo

Because of the weather forecast, the outreach program for tomorrow has been moved to Wednesday April 21st. The solar session will be held at the Dining Hall building. (In the circle behind the visitors center). We will setup in the parking lot after 11:00 A.M. The night observing session will start at Jon Woods Field at dark.
Clear skies,
Theo Ramakers

Charlie Elliott’s Outdoor Discovery School has requested our participation in their first TODS event of the year. We will have a solar event starting at 11:00 A.M on Tuesday April 20 at the Discovery Building and also an evening event at Jon Wood’s Observing field at dark. So if you have time to come out and let the kids enjoy the sun or night sky, send me an email that you’re coming and bring your scope.
Thanks for your consideration.
Clear Skies
Theo Ramakers

The website has been updated with the information about the outreach program at Hightower Trail and the Meeting/Observing from yesterday as well as the dates and program for the mext meeting. All available presentations so far can be viewed by clicking on the blue links. Please note that next month is election month and all Chapter officer positions are open and available. So please send me an email indicating your willingness to run for one of these offices. We have a great Chapter and you can be instrumental in bringing it to the next level. It does not matter if you are an oldtimer or you just joined the group!!
Clear Skies
Theo Ramakers

The Charlie Elliott Chapter of the AAc was fortunate again to participate in Hightower Trail’s Space Camp. This was the 6th Space Camp for the school. The forecast was clear, so we did not participate with the inside activities, but setup 4 telescopes on the playground and let the students experience the views of Saturn with its moon Dione, M42, some double stars, and the moon. We discussed some constelations. Because the clouds kept moving in and out, only a few studens got to see the galaxy M65. But the students loved what they saw and a very rewarding evening for our participating members. Click here for some pictures of the event. HTS is teaming up with NASA for some real exciting activities. Click here for more details.

This is a reminder for this Saturday’s meeting and observing. We will have four mini presentations this month all related to astronomy from how to build your own scope to polar align your EQ mount without seeing Polaris to a quick rundown of using PhD Guiding for astro pohotography. This will be a very interactive meeting. Following th meeting we will continue some of the activities onto the observing field such as capturing the data for some planet images. In addition, this will be the last time Jim Soboleski will be at the meeting before he goes off to Afghanistan, so come on out and wish him good luck and a safe return!
Clear Skies,
Theo Ramakers

Space Camp is scheduled for Friday April 16th to start at 6:00pm. This must be our 5th SpaceCamp with Hightower Trail Elemetary School in Conyers. Last year, Jon Wood and I did some in class presentations because of the weather, but for this year we have clear skies in the forecast. So come out with your scope and help even if it is later, by letting these kids look at the night sky. Because of the late date this year and the late sunset, we also will do some inside activities to bridge the gap between light and dark. Please send me an email, if you can participate with your scope!
Thanks,
Theo Ramakers

This is an early notification for outreach events for April 2010.
April 16 – Space Camp, Hightower Trail Elementary school in Conyers
April 23 – Astronomy Night , Summermour Elementary School, in Norcross
April 20 – The Outdoor Discovery School at Charlie Elliott. Solar observing and night program
April 27 – The Outdoor Discovery School at Charlie Elliott. Solar observing and night program

Details can be found at the calendar on our website or the NSN website. Please let me know if you can participate in one or more of these events.

In addition this year’s month of astronomy is april and the week of astronomy runs from April 19th through the 25th. So we might add more events as we get closer.
Thanks
Theo Ramakers

We have been requested by Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center to come and host events on 4 days in addition to the Summer day Camps in June and July. The new events are a Solar event around noon (lunch will be provided) and the Astronomy program at 7:00pm followed by Stargazing at Jon Wood Field. We have been requested to do this on the following dates: April 20, April 27, May 5, and May 11th. April 20 and 27 have a backup date of one day later if the weather does not cooperate. This is an advance notice. The events are listed on our Charlie Elliott Chapter calendar and i will send a reminder when we get closer to the dates.
Clear skies,
Theo Ramakers

Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 25th telecon, with Dr. Chris Lintott, introducing Moon Zoo. Principal investigator of the Galaxy Zoo (www.galaxyzoo.org), Dr. Lintott has been responsible for focusing the efforts of more than 250,000 citizen science volunteers into classifying over a million galaxies. (http://www.galaxyzoo.org/story)
Dr. Lintott will introduce us to Moon Zoo, the Zooniverse’s newest citizen science project – scheduled to launch in just a few weeks.

To join the Teleconference on Thursday, March 25th at 6:00 pm PDT (9:00 pm Eastern) call the toll-free conference call line:
1-888-455-9236
Call anytime after 5:45 pm the evening of the telecon. An operator will answer and:
- You will be asked for the passcode: NIGHT SKY NETWORK
- You will be asked to give your NAME and the CLUB you belong to, and number of people listening with you.

The PowerPoint to accompany Dr. Lintott’s talk will be available here by March 23rd:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=442
Clear Skies
Theo Ramakers