Second Saturday Stars

  August 14, 2010

Come visit us on Saturday, August 14th from 8:00 to 10:00 PM for our monthly Second Saturday Stars event. This month's classroom program will feature Scott Robson's presentation on "12 Ways Not To Destroy The Earth".

Information comes to us more quickly and in greater quantities today than ever before. Unfortunately, with this constant feed of data and knowledge comes a great deal of misinformation, rumor, and pseudoscience. Many that start as harmless jokes or pranks grow to unbelievable proportions. This month's talk focuses on the pseudoscience of doomsday conspiracies in the media and popular culture with a critical eye. Myths will be debunked and hoaxters revealed.

If we have clear skies for observing, we will be focusing on Bootes, Cancer, Virgo, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus and other Summer constellations, the Milky Way, and other objects of interest. As usual, the large 16" observatory telescope will be used by our visitors, along with several volunteer telescopes and binoculars on the SkyDeck adjacent to the observatory building. In addition to the comfortable and handicapped (HC) accessible setting on the SkyDeck, we are now able to offer our visitors HC restroom accommodations.

The observatory is located on the grounds of New Milford High School on Rte. 7 in New Milford. Enter the high school grounds from Larson Rd., drive to the southwest corner and park in the lot in front of the observatory. Bring questions (and binoculars); we hope to see you there!

The Second Saturdays Stars programs have been recorded for the last three years and can now be seen weekly on Charter Communications channel 21.  They will start the week of April 25 and can be seen on Thursdays at 4 PM and Saturdays at 10PM.  They will be shown in reverse chronological order, with the most recent SSS shown soon after the event. First up... Amy Ziffer's - Kid's Night: Making a Starfinder. 

Charter Cable is in the following towns:  Trumbull, Monroe, Newtown, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Sherman, Bridgewater, Roxbury, New Milford, Kent, Southbury, Woodbury, Bethlehem, and Washington.   http://www.communityvision21.com/

PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS:

Sep. 11 -- Exoplants
Oct. 9 -- Galileo and Jupiter's Moons
Nov. 13 -- The JJMO Scale Model Solar System
Dec. 11 -- JJMO's 10th Anniversary

Visiting the Facility is Easy!

McCarthy Observatory Scale Solar System Deployed Across New Milford

On November 15th, the McCarthy Observatory Scale Solar System was installed at 12 locations across New Milford. This wonderful "true scale" system was dedicated on November 14th at the Observatory, with featured speaker Dr. Heidi Hammel, planetary scientist speaking and providing her insight on the outstanding value a model of this nature has to the educational experience. She explained that the only way to truly grasp the immensity and emptiness of space is to explore on your own.
>>PDF directions<<
This scale system offers the entire community, young and old, student, parent or anyone else, the opportunity to wander through the entire solar system, all the way out to very edge way beyond the planets, learing as they go, taking rubbings in their passport books (avaialble at the town library) from the 13 emblems in the book , doing creative things with the challenges contained in the book, and getting the passport stamped at the town library when completed.

We encourage groups to tour, take photos, enjoy seeing the bronze and brass objects, learn about the uniqueness of each object they encounter, and tell their friends about it. Think of the vast distances between objects, and think of what the real distances are amongst the wonderful objects in the place where earth lives. Remember as you travel that each object is the correct size, and correct distance from the sun based on the model sun being six feet in diameter.

Have fun - when you are experienced, invite groups of friends and you can be the "expert guide" through the solar system!

When you have completed your tour of the McCarthy Observatory Solar System, we very highly recommend that explorers continue their journey via a wonderful National Geographic tour, which includes great simulations and detailed tours of individual planets. This will help those who are doing the fun exercises in your Passport Book, and will show you many exciting new things in our place in the Universe. Just go to http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/travelers-guide-to-the-planets-interactive and interact with an exceptional exploration tool!

Contact us at (860) 354-1595 or mail@mccarthyobservatory.org for more information.

To make a donation, submit to JJMO at PO Box 1144, New Milford, CT 06776 attn: IYA.