Solar Eclipse - Arianna Ricchiuti
Arianna Ricchiuti of Bisceglie, Italy submitted a great Members' Report about her solar viewing during the solar eclipse that happened this past March 20. She's so proud that she can help people find objects in the sky with her telescope and says that she now holds her own observing events in collaboration with Planetario Sky-Skan in Bari! To read more about her experience, visit her complete Members' Report.
She truly enjoyed sharing her knowledge with both grown-ups and kids, "This experience has been really rewarding because I realized people gladly listen to me while I am talking and I am able to involve both kids and adults. The students asked me lots of questions and someone said to me "Thanks". This is the most beautiful thing I can be told."
She says, "Astronomy is what I breath, what I love to do. It keeps me alive." Bravo, Arianna, we look forward to hearing about more of your star parties in the future!
If you would like to share a story about your night sky activities, submit them at Members' Reports. We would love to hear about what you are doing in your region.
We Got an App for That!
To celebrate this year's Global Astronomy Month celebration, the Alive Wallpaper App will have a GAM-themed wallpapers that you can add to your Android device. This great app is the perfect souvenir of the world's largest global celebration of astronomy. AWB and Bonne-App has teamed up bring these astro-themed papers to the Alive Wallpaper app to help support our important international outreach programs. Download this app at the Google Play store.
Monthly Hangout - GAM
This month's hangout we will be talking about GAM 2015. We have a jam-packed line-up that will inform you of all the events that we'll having this year.
Christie McGonigal, our chief coordinator has been working very hard to bring the biggest and best GAM ever! Christie will be chatting about Global Astronomy Month and what it means to the astronomy community and how GAM helps to spread the word about STEM education through out the world. She will also be at hand to let you know how best you can participate.
Andrew Fazekas, our communications manager, will be chiming in on how you can let everybody know what you are doing for GAM through our various channels at AWB or great ways to best promote your events through your social media channels.
Daniela de Paulis, our AstroArts editor will be explaining the many ways that you can participate in AstroArts. She will also let you know about OPTIKS, Daniela's own work of art, as our GAM finale.
Teresa Plymate will talk about SunDay and how you can celebrate it in your area of the world.
Babak Tafreshi our partner from The World at Night will be tell us about the AstroPhotography Contest that has already begun to accept entries.
Bob Ecklund, our resident AstroPoetry editor will be describing the AstroPoetry Contest that is already ongoing.
Lina Canos will be chatting about how to introduce and present the disabled astronomy in Stars For All.
Please join us at our hangout this Thursday, March 26 @ 20:00UT.
Hangout SPECIAL: Orbital Perspective: One Earth, One Sky
Ron Garan, astronaut, while floating in space, recalls looking back at our blue dot and marvelling at the beauty of our Earth. With our shrinking borders and increased technologies, why can't we collaborate globally? While on his stint on the International Space Station this former fighter pilot worked with fifteen nationalities to put a few humans into a sustained environment in space.
This is his Orbital Perspective.
His newly released book has now explores how we can take that notion of Orbital Perspective and bring it to Earth. Join Ron and fellow astronaut Anousheh Ansari and Overview Institute's Frank White in our discussion about how important it is use the Orbital Perspective here at home. Ron is joined by:
Fellow astronaut and co-sponsor of the Ansari X-Prize for the first privately funded spacecraft, Anousheh Ansari.
Author Frank White, whose Overview Effect chronicled the life-changing experiences of our early astronauts in viewing the Earth from space, and whose Overview Institute is working to use that experience to better life on Earth.
Mike Simmons, Founder and President of Astronomers Without Borders, which works to connect people and create collaboration based on our common heritage of the night sky.
You can catch the archive of this special event here.
AWB Helping Nepal
AWB would like to help spread the word about NASO (Nepal Astronomical Society) raising funds to replace destroyed school classrooms in the district of Sindhupalchok, Nepal.
On April 25, 2015, the world changed for the people of Nepal as a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit the district of Sindhupalchok. As many as 4000 prerished in this district alone, while more than 8000 were lost nationwide as a result of this horrible event, but thanks to organizations such as NASO, these persistant people are on their way to normalcy.
But the devestation is clear.
Buildings have crumbled, including schools.
Here's where you come in.
NASO is crowdfunding to build new classrooms and with your help, 700 students will have ten earthquake-safe rooms in which to confidently study.
"The AWB worldwide astronomy community connects us all and provides an opportunity to support each other in good times and bad. Now, the Nepal Astronomical Society is working hard to help schools left without suitable classrooms after the recent devasting earthquakes in their country and the AWB communnity is being asked to support their efforts." - Mike Simmons, AWB President.
Each dollar is like one brick in a school. Visit the "Lets Build Schools for Kids in Nepal" crowdfunding page and donate to add your brick to the effort. Please note that all donations go directly to NASO, and not to AWB.
Campaign ends June13, 2015.
