Thursday

Worldwide Telescope presented by Johnathan Fay -

Now that the Worldwide Telescope project by Microsoft Research has been released to the public, Johnathan Fay will expand on the sneak preview he and Curtis Wong gave at TMSP last year.  He has many more stories to tell and a more advances system that he can demonstrate.

Presented by Tim Puckett and Apogee Intruments

Friday

International Dark Skies Northwest Presented by Bruce Weertman and David Ingram

The talk will discuss the basic aspects of light pollution including lighting design aesthetics, energy waste, toll on health, effects on wildlife, loss of our view of the cosmos. The talk will also cover what can be done to help remedy the problem though good outdoor lighting and effective ordinances.

Which End do I Look Through?

Joe Rottmann

For those who are new to astronomy and may find the equipment intimidating, Joe makes sense of it all.  Learn the basics about the different types of telescopes, the meaning of the sometimes confusing terminology, and find out how easy it all can be.

Virtual Planetary Laboratory  presented by Dr. Monika Kress (Member of NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Virtual Planetary Laboratory, Assistant Professor at San Jose State)

The Virtual Planet Laboratory (VPL) is a team of scientists who are building computer simulated Earth-sized planets to discover the likely range of planetary environments for planets around other stars. These simulated environments allow us to visualize what these planets look like from space to help future missions recognize signs of possible life in the spectra of planetary atmospheres and surfaces. VPL findings will directly influence the development of future space missions designed to look for habitable planets around other stars by allowing them to distinguish between planets with and without life

Star Charts, Binoculars and Star Hopping

Joe Rottmann

Learn how to read a star chart and how to translate that to what you see when you look up into the night sky.  Explore the definition of Field of View and understand what makes a set of binoculars good for "night" viewing.  If you are new to astronomy would like some pointers on finding those faint fuzzy objects, Joe's enthusiasm for teaching astronomy should not be missed.

Spend some time with one of the original individuals that started using this location to observe the stars back in the 1970's.  Tom will take you on a not-to-be-forgotten tour where you will be introduced to those confusing shapes in the sky that we call constellations.  This tour is not only about the fuzzy objects that can be seen with binoculars or telescopes, but it also explores the myths behind the constellations.

Saturday

10:00 AM

SWAP MEET

1:00 PM

Eyes on the Universe - by Roger Ressmeyer - The greatest images & stories from his 20 years of travels as a space photographer for Time/Life & National Geographic, including all the major observatories and launch centers of the world, and 45 days with astronauts during their training for the first Hubble Repair Mission.  Roger is a contributor to Canon's "Explorers of Light" program.

3:30 PM

Student Door Prizes Drawing

4:30 PM

Adult Door Prize Drawing

The New Generation of Telescopes presented by Dr. David Brooks (formerly with University of Arizona and current adviser to the Director on the Large Binocular Telescope project)

Large Binocular Telescope, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, and Giant Magellan Telescope

Spend some time with one of the original individuals that started using this location to observe the stars back in the 1970's.  Tom will take you on a not-to-be-forgotten tour where you will be introduced to those confusing shapes in the sky that we call constellations.  This tour is not only about the fuzzy objects that can be seen with binoculars or telescopes, but it also explores the myths behind the constellations.