Sun-Earth Day 2007 presents: Living in the Atmosphere of the Sun
Local Happenings: Pacific Region
ALASKA
Fairbanks
Viewing EventNovember 8
The Fairbanks Astronomical Unit will be hosting a viewing event for the transit of Mercury at the Noel Wien Library in Fairbanks, Alaska on Nov 8th. We have invited all schools within the Fairbanks North Star Borough to observe the event from 10 AM to 3 PM, AST outside in the parking lot. Several telescopes will be setup outside with solar filters for safe viewing.
We expect over 300 students and the public to attend the event. The forecast for Fairbanks on Wednesday is cloudy with snow possible. We will also have a live feed projected onto a screen at the library auditorium from Kitt Peak Observatory if it is cloudy.
Contact: Martin Gutoski [mardeb@gci.net]
California
Pasadena
Viewing EventNovember 8
The Voyager, Ulysses and Genesis Projects will sponsor ~100 fourth, fifth and sixth grade students from Arroyo Elementary School, Simi Valley, CA. at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the mornings events these students will participate in an introductory presentation about the NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Forum, the Sun and it's affect on our Earth. Dr. Richard Shope will instruct the students in a kinesthetic exercise drawing from various solar missions, to create better understanding of the Sun's environment and physical process. We will have a short presentation from Mr. Donald Sweetnam (Genisis)
We have four make and take activities for the students, UV Beads, Nature "Sun" Print Paper, Sun Dial and an Edible Model of the Sun. We will also take the students out to view the Sun Safely through the telescope, The Voyager/Ulysses Project will provide 12 guides/activity coordinators to lead students in groups of 10.
Contact Information: Andrea Angrum
Contact: Martin Gutoski [mardeb@gci.net]
HAWAII
Haleakala and Mauna Kea
Mercury Transit Hawaiian Style WebcastNovember 8
On the morning of November 8, the planet Mercury will pass directly in front of the sun. This rare event, called a "transit," will start at 9:12 a.m. HST and last about five hours. University of Hawaii astronomers will use special telescopes at the summits of Haleakala and Mauna Kea to transmit live images of the transit over the Internet as a "Mercury Transit Hawaiian Style" webcast.
The webcast will include real-time images of the transit from professional and amateur astronomers in a variety of wavelengths of light, including white light, hydrogen-alpha, and calcium-K. Sets of images will also be compiled into time-lapse movies of the transit and will be updated every half hour.
The webcast is a collaboration among the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA), University of Hawaii at Hilo Physics and Astronomy Department, and the Haleakala Amateur Astronomers.
The images of the transit will be supplemented on the webcast by interviews with scientists at the IfA Manoa campus, at the Haleakala High Altitude Observatory Site and the IfA Waiakoa facility on Maui, and at the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. Scientists will include IfA astronomers Robert McLaren (associate director), Jeffrey Kuhn (associate director, Haleakala Division), Stuart Jefferies, Shadia Habbal, Bobby Bus and J. D. Armstrong; Dave Blewett, the principal scientist of NovaSol; and Chris Peterson, manager of the NASA Data Center at UH Manoa. Members of the Haleakala Amateur Astronomers, staff of the Visitor Information Station and students of University of Hawaii at Hilo will also be interviewed.
Contact: Gary Fujihara (email), UH Institute for Astronomy, (808) 932-2328
OREGON
Eugene
North Eugene High School Astronomy Club hosts viewing opportunity!November 8
The North Eugene High School Astronomy Club is holding a daytime astronomy event to observe Mercury's progress across the face of the Sun. Telescopes fitted with special solar filters will be available to make viewing safe.
The North Eugene High School Astronomy Club is holding their Mercury Transit event at North Eugene High School at 200 Silver Lane in Eugene. Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Telescopes for public viewing will be set up just north of the new tennis courts which are located near the end of the east parking lot. Also, and especially useful if the weather does not cooperate, the public is invited to view a live video feed of the event in the school’s auditorium. If Eugene’s weather is clear, the video feed will come directly from one of the telescopes at North Eugene High School. In the event of bad weather in the Eugene area, the video feed will come from Kitt Peak National Observatory and no telescopes will be set up outside.
A limited number of commemorative certificates, suitable for framing, will be issued to guests who view the transit!
North Eugene High School Astronomy Club is one of over 200 amateur astronomy clubs in the U.S. that are members of NASA’s Night Sky Network, and many of these clubs will host Mercury Transit outreach events.
News and Events
UNITED STATES
INTERNATIONAL
Space Weather Fact
The largest, single, challenge for astronauts traveling to Mars will be to overcome exposure to solar storms and radiation.
