Posts Made By: Dawn Grove

(The thread about the neighborhood star party is what prompted me to post this.)

When I was the Night Sky Network coordinator I helped plan the website revamp and one of the features I fought hard for was a resources page for folks planning astronomy outreach events (or even their own observing!).

It is called the Night Sky Planner and it has links to the Clear Sky Clock (that was one of the sticking points because NASA is reluctant to link out but I said it was an essential), celestial calendar, weather, moon phase and more all in one place. (I modeled that page after an astronomer's toolbox webpage I did for an astronomy club a long time ago.) You can find it at http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/planner.cfm

The Night Sky Network also has cool activity kits and other stuff. Check it out.

Dawn Grove (Baird)

Browsing through stuff and found some pics and thought I would share. This scope started out as a bet and became a member of the family. He is a great little planet-hunter and kids love him!

Here is the url to a page with pics of me building him. You can see me gettin' dirty!
http://www.sun-wolf.com/mort.html

Dawn

Hi gang!

If blessed with decent conditions, what are you looking forward to observing in the upcoming month? I would love to hear about deep sky as well as solar system targets, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.

Dawn

Who would you say is the most influential person in Astronomy today and why?

Dawn

http://www.tenagrahouse.com/

For those of you looking for a backyard scope complete with a backyard I found this! 32" yoke mount telescope designed and built by Dr. James Wray. (You can buy the scope seperately.)

The November 2008 issue of Men's Health magazine had an article about suggestions for dating here is an excerpt from "Elevate Any Date: Here's how to make the predictable date an unforgettable adventure."

Under point 2: "Evening stroll in the park
YOUR UPGRADE: Give her the Universe, too. It's one thing to point up at the sky and blurt out, "Big Dipper!" That'll likely be the beginning and end of the conversation. Instead, show her some celestial sights up close.

A glimpse of Saturn's rings or Jupiter's moons through even the most modest equipment should make her melt, not only because they are gorgeous to look at, but also because seeing them firsthand makes them real in a way no Hubble photo can. Plus, it's a natural way to start a conversation about Big Stuff. "Looking at the night sky is great for encouraging discussion about those things we think about but don't discuss much in daily life," say Yvonne K. Fulbright, Ph.D., a Washington based sex educator and author of Pleasuring: The Secrets to Sexual Satisfaction. "It can range from where we come from to what else is out there."

You don't want to wrestle with ungainly gear that you have trouble operating, so err on the side of simple, says Artie Kunhardt of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. Kunhardt suggests buying a star chart, a pair of 7X50 binoculars, and a small photo tripod. He also recommends printing out a chart of that evening's celestial highlights. Use this in addition to the star chart, which doesn't show the exact positions of the stars because they change on a nightly basis. Then kick back and show her that heaven exists." -end article excerpt.

Hoowheee! That's a real date for me and I love that it is being touted in such a mainstream mag. (Yes, I do read Men's Health magazine.) It is getting astronomy out there and making it something accessable for both men and women. What a great way to woo a lady and introduce her to your love of astronomy too. Kudo's to Men's Health!

Dawn

Hi Gang!

Are you currently working on an ATM project? Are you interested but not sure where to go for help? Are you in the general greater Sacramento Valley region? Maybe we can help each other!

I am about to embark on a mirror project (this will be my second) that will hopefully end with an 8" homemade dob in less than a year (my pie in the sky goal is before May but we will see...)

I have some great friends who are ATM Gurus to the max and very eager to help anyone who needs it. I would really love to share the triumphs and tribulations of ATMing with other folks to help keep me motivated and inspired (a little peer pressure can be a good thing!).

If you are interested in finding out more about ATMing please let me know.

Dawn

Hi gang,

Hearing about Endeavour's lost tool kit in the news got my juices flowing and I did a new astronerds comic. Apologies to NASA. (I did actually work for them once as the Night Sky Network Coordinator.)

http://www.sun-wolf.com/astronerds.html

Dawn

Hi gang,

Maybe I shouldn't have but I just couldn't resist. I deeply apologize in advance.

http://www.sun-wolf.com/astronerds.html#plumb

Dawn

Does anyone have a good resource for getting a solar filter for a homemade dob?

Dawn