<<< Return to Newsletter Archives list August eNewsletter from the MN Planetarium Society In this issue from the Minnesota Planetarium Society: NASA Astronaut visits the Twin Cities NASA Hall of Fame Astronaut Visits the Twin Cities NASA Hall of Fame astronaut and Minneapolis native Colonel Robert D. Cabana will return to the Twin Cities on Monday and Tuesday, August 11-12, 2008. For more information about Col. Cabana visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cabana.html. Cabana’s Schedule for August 11-12: August 11, 7:10 p.m. Metrodome August 12, 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Central Library Minneapolis August 12, 10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Central Library Minneapolis The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak before dawn on Tuesday, August 12. Though the meteors are left over bits of debris from the passing of Comet Swift-Tuttle, the shower owes its name to the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to originate, Perseus. You will not need any special equipment to view this shower, only your eyes and a clear, dark sky. A lawn chair or blanket and pillow will give you comfort as you lie down, look toward the northeast, and search for the expected 1-2 meteors per minute. The best window of time to observe the shower is after the Moon sets at 1:30 a.m., until dawn on August 12, though you can spot Perseids in the few days before and after the peak. Try http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/22jul_perseiddawn.htm?list881605 for more information.
Perseids, Comets, and Collisions Comet Swift-Tuttle, whose debris brings us the Perseid meteor showers when they collide with the Earth's atmosphere, has been seen for at least two thousand years. It returns to the neighborhood of the Earth and Sun every 133 years, with its next appearance in 2126. Because Swift-Tuttle's elliptical orbit crosses the orbit of the Earth, at some point in the far future we are likely to have a collision with the comet. Although the laws of gravity allow us to calculate and predict orbits with extraordinary accuracy, comet orbits have an extra, unpredictable complication. When comets near the Sun, the heating releases gases trapped in their frozen cores. These jets of material then subtly change the comets' orbits, and can make a near miss into a collision, or vice versa. Collisions that could cause widespread destruction on Earth occur every 1-2 million years, but at present our searches have turned up no likely impactors for the near future. As long as you are meteor gazing at 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, look east about 30 degrees above the horizon to find the Pleiades, that little open cluster of stars also known as the Seven Sisters. The bright star 35 degrees left of the Pleiades is Capella. Locate Perseus, shaped like an upside down y, about half way between Capella and the Pleiades and about 50 degrees above the horizon. The streaks of Perseid meteors trace back near the top of Perseus, not far from Cassiopeia who lies above Perseus on her throne (looks like a wacky M or W) about 70 degrees above the NE horizon. By this time you need a sky map so go to www.heavens-above.com and enter the time you want to gaze. That will also help you find the Great Square of Pegasus and the Andromeda Galaxy, a treat the first time you see it in binoculars. Watch a Total Solar Eclipse on the internet, Friday August 1. If you aren't in northern Canada, the tip of Greenland, or parts of Russia, China and Mongolia, but you would still like to observe this Friday's solar eclipse, you can turn to the internet! The eclipse takes place from 5:09 a.m. to 7:04 a.m., with totality at 6:09 a.m., lasting for 2 minutes 27 seconds. Listed times are CDT. Volunteer Orientation Open House Learn about the history of the Minnesota Planetarium Society, our volunteer needs and opportunities, and the next steps to becoming an official volunteer. And as a special treat: Tour the Universe inside the ExploraDome! RSVP by Sunday, August 3 The ExploraDome: exciting, educational, expanding
Since it began in October 2006, over 31,000 Minnesotans have experienced the heavens, thanks to the Minnesota Planetarium Society’s portable ExploraDome. During the 2007-08 school year alone, 16,390 students and 5,253 adults toured the universe through the MNPS outreach programs. This represents seven percent of all K-12 students in Minnesota, and this number will continue to grow. The Minnesota Planetarium Society is also recruiting other planetariums across the five state region to join it in developing and sharing content and creating regional STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) centers of excellence. The planetariums at Como Elementary in St. Paul, Rochester-Mayo High School and Mankato East High School have signed on and several others are anticipated to join. An extended network spans the entire world, and ExploraDome live shows are even broadcast as far away as Africa.
We are seeing significant progress on the road to a new planetarium. The Hennepin County Board has appointed a group to address issues related to the location, costs and operations of the new planetarium with a report due on August 15. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Planetarium Society is gaining in recognition and support through its highly successful first full school year of the ExploraDome Immersive Learning Program. Sponsorships have doubled in 2008 compared to 2007, and the feedback we’ve received from teachers, funders and friends has been extraordinary. Marketing for Fall 2008 has already begun, using the beautiful brochure the Fallon agency developed for the Planetarium. The Planetarium staff is developing a region-wide network of planetariums to help address STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) issues. To cap off the month’s events, the StarTribune ran a wonderful editorial supporting construction of a new planetarium. In case you missed it, here’s the link: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/19411574.html?page=2&c=y |
