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Feb 26
2013
A Visit to Mars—in Morocco
(Image credit: Katja Zanella Kux. Click here for a larger version) What place on Planet Earth most closely resembles Mars? It could well be the northern Sahara desert near Erfoud, Morocco. And while Hatim Madani, the new AWB National Coordinator for Morocco, has no immediate plans for travel from his home in Casablanca to Mars, on a weekend in February he and his colleagues did participate in a close analog of a visit to the Red Planet—the MARS2013 Mars Analog Field Simulation . Read More...
Feb 26
2013
AWB Google+ Page Reaches 10,000 Followers
Astronomers Without Borders has just reached a major milestone: as of mid-February, the AWB Google+ page passed the 10,000 followers mark. Google+ is a multilingual social networking and identity service. As of December 2012, it had a total of 500 million registered users, of whom 235 million are active on a monthly basis. The AWB Google+ page provides a highly convenient means for accessing and sharing your favorite highlights from AWB activities. To check out the AWB action on Google+ and to follow, click here . Read More...
Feb 22
2013
Bringing Public Astronomy to Argentina
In the Argentine coastal city of Mar del Plata—located some 250 miles south of Buenas Ares, at about the same latitude as Melbourne, Australia—the public is being treated to some outstanding stellar experiences this year. As reported by AWB National Coordinator (NC) Claudia C. Perez Ferrer, an illustrated lecture called “Stars of a Summer Night” (playing on the name of Shakespeare’s play) was the focus of an event that brought together more than 60 people. (In Argentina, by the way, a “summer night” comes in the months that Northern Hemisphere dwellers call “winter.”) Read More...
Feb 21
2013
April is Global Astronomy Month!
Mark your calendars for GLOBAL ASTRONOMY MONTH 2013 ! Every April, Astronomers without Borders coordinates GLOBAL ASTRONOMY MONTH (GAM), bringing together about 30 programs that are free to the worldwide public to share the excitement of astronomy. There’s something for everyone: watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower on April 20-22, do some online stargazing from the comfort of your home with one of our remote observing events, enjoy the online Cosmic Concert, write and read AstroPoetry, and shut off the lights on April 20 for the World Night in Defense of Starlight. Visit the GAM calendar , and spread the word... Read More...
Feb 21
2013
GAM welcomes new Project Manager
Jessica Santascoy is this year’s GAM project manager. Jessica comes to us with experience working on the NASA Night Sky Network administrative team. She served on the board of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers , and recently moved to New York City, where she can see Orion from her living room window. Read More...
Feb 15
2013
Watch 2012 DA14’s Earth Fly-By
Two AWB Affiliates, the Virtual Telescope and Bareket Observatory , will be streaming live coverage of the asteroid 2012 DA14 during it’s historic close encounter with Earth on February 15. Read More...
Feb 14
2013
Track Asteroid 2012 DA14 on Your Smartphone
On Friday, February 15th, a 45-meter wide asteroid named 2012 DA14 will pass within 17,200 miles of Earth – closer than our orbiting geosynchronous communication satellites. It’s an historic event that amateurs worldwide will be watching. AWB partner Southern Stars has released an update to its SkySafari Plus and Pro apps for iOS, Mac OS X, and Android that will allow real-time tracking of the asteroid during its close approach to Earth. It’s the only app that calculates the asteroid’s position dynamically, taking into account Earth's gravity as it passes. Developed with assistance from solar system dynamicists at NASA’s JPL,... Read More...
Feb 14
2013
Saving Hubble and the Hubble Roadshow
Saving Hubble , a new, independently-produced documentary, tells the inspirational story of the unprecedented grassroots effort that emerged to save the Hubble Space Telescope after its cancellation in 2004. Screened at venues ranging from public outreach events (as part of the Hubble Roadshow ) to scientific conferences, this dramatic retelling of the popular movement to preserve a scientific cultural icon has been enjoyed by thousands. Independent filmmaker David Gaynes, an avowed "Hubble Hugger", personally financed the making of Saving Hubble , as well as its distribution and screenings so far. Now David and Saving Hubble need the support of that... Read More...
Feb 08
2013
TWAN Feb. 2013 Newsletter Now Available
You won’t want to miss the February 2013 The World At Night (TWAN) Newsletter, now on view at www.twanight.org/z_newsletter/ . Read More...
Feb 07
2013
Uwingu Creates the Future
Someone once said that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. That certainly is true for Uwingu , a new organization that seeks to kick-start the future through a website that connects people to the sky via commercial products, and uses the profits to fund education. The company’s name, in case you’re wondering, means “sky” in Swahili. Uwingu, which became a sponsor of Astronomers Without Borders in December 2012 , aims to be a destination for teachers and parents interested in bringing space science to their children. The organization is made up of astronomers, planetary scientists,... Read More...
Feb 07
2013
Mike Simmons on The Cosmic Ray Show
Astronomers Without Borders president Mike Simmons was a featured guest on the January episode of The Cosmic Ray Show , and Mike’s interview—which was streamed live on January 23—is now available for your viewing on YouTube . Read More...
Feb 04
2013
Good Astronomy Products at AWB Shop
Good astronomy products for amateur astronomers, good prices, and a good cause! Thanks to AWB supporters Celestron , Televue , and Lunt Solar Systems , the AWB store has deals at discounted prices, with 100% of the sale price going to AWB programs. There are ED refractors, H-alpha telescopes, Nagler 6 NEAF blems discounted as much as 50% off retail prices. Shop at the AWB online store ! Read More...
Feb 04
2013
Mike Simmons at Seattle Astronomy
Seattle Astronomy , a website covering news and events in the largest city in the US Pacific Northwest, has published a report on AWB’s Mike Simmons keynote address at the Seattle Astronomical Society’s annual banquet in January. The AWB Founder and President found a very active astronomy community in the region despite its notoriously cloudy weather. Society members were engaged and enthusiastic about the message of One People, One Sky, as well as the possibilities for interaction with others. Read More...
Feb 04
2013
AWB Partners with Ahoora Foundation
AWB is partnering with the Ahoora Foundation of Plano, Texas, in the 2013 What If? Prize Competition, which is designed to excite students (grades 9-12) about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The goal of this year’s What If? Live Student Design Challenge is to develop high school students’ creative and analytical abilities by learning about the growing need for green fuels and designing a vehicle propulsion system using commonly available materials, including sweet treats and carbonated beverages. Students must create a research plan, write a research paper, develop and build the propulsion system, make a video showing the vehicle in... Read More...
Jan 31
2013
AWB NC Austria Greets From Thailand
Johannes “Joe” Stuebler is more than AWB’s National Coordinator for Austria. He’s an AWB ambassador and enthusiast who travels to many other countries, always seeking out fellow astronomers and enlightening them about Astronomers Without Borders. In his latest AWB Member Blog , Joe writes from Thailand where he met astronomers and attended the opening celebration of the Thai National Observatory. Read More...
Jan 29
2013
Work With Us
This position is now closed and applications are no longer being accepted. Please Join AWB to receive future mailings including volunteer and staff needs. Astronomers Without Borders is seeking a Coordinator for Global Astronomy Month 2013 (GAM 2013). This is a part-time position (20 hours per week to start). The position is available immediately and will continue through May 2013. Hours are flexible and location is not a consideration as long as there is a good internet connection, though the successful applicant will need to be flexible with hours to allow for meetings with others in different times zones. Salary... Read More...
Jan 28
2013
Telescopes to Tanzania in Astronomy.com
Astronomy.com, Astronomy Magazine’s online edition, featured an article about AWB’s Telescopes to Tanzania project in its 22 January 2013 issue. Titled “Telescopes to Tanzania brings science and math to East Africa,” the article provides an update on the workshops for teachers conducted by Chuck and Susan Ruehle. The Ruehles report that as a result of this project—which aims to build instructor and student capacity in science, technology, engineering, and math in one of the poorest countries in the world—17 more telescopes are being used in classrooms that have teachers equipped to teach in them; and 45 new teachers know how... Read More...
Jan 28
2013
“Space Kate” Features Thilina Heenatigala
Broadcast journalist Kate Arkless Gray (known as “SpaceKate”), who runs a regular podcast with space advocates, astronauts, astronomers, etc., interviewed AWB Communication Director; Thilina Heenatigala at the International Astronautical Congress in Naples, Italy, last October. The resulting 10-minute podcast, detailing AWB’s formation, present scope, and goals, is now available here . Kate is determined to find her way into space within the next decade. No newcomer to adventure, she tramped all over Iceland with her mother at the age of six . Currently she's on the way to achieving her goal with the Lynx Space Academy’s competition. The contest winners... Read More...
Jan 25
2013
AWB Featured on Social Fundraising Blog
AWB is the subject of a January 22 post on Inspiring Generosity , a blog about cause marketing on social fundraising site Razoo. Blogger Joe Waters, an expert in cause marketing (social fundraising based on partnerships between non-profit organizations, donors, and fundraisers), was impressed by the partnership between AWB and telescope manufacturer Celestron announced last year. Joe describes how his discovery of astronomy at an early age led to his future career and why he thinks so highly of AWB’s work. Joe had mentioned AWB in an earlier post on the use of Pinterest in social fundraising as well. Read More...
Jan 25
2013
AWB on Pinterest
If you’re a social media type and an AWB fan then you’ll definitely want to follow AWB on Pinterest . Our Pinterest shares AWB news, projects, and member activities worldwide through photos. AWB even got a shout out on Inspiring Generosity , a blog on cause marketing Razoo in a blog post about using Pinterest for cause marketing. Read More...
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