Category Archives: astronomy

american astronomical society, astronomy

Musings on the Universe

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The Cosmos in Short Bursts

I just spent most of this week at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Austin, Texas, what I think of as a “tsunami of astronomy”.  There were more than 2,500 astronomers in attendance, all talking about everything from solar physics to the physics of the earliest cosmic objects. Many astronomers who gave talks at this conference had only five minutes to tell of their latest and greatest discoveries, plus a few minutes for questions. If they’re smart, they give “poster” papers, where they print out their talks in huge posters and then stand in front of them to talk with anybody who wants to know more about the research. I find the poster approach much more satisfying, especially when it’s been ME who’s been doing the paper. But, then, I like to stand around and talk to people, so that’s probably why I like it.

I was thinking yesterday of what a future AAS meeting would look like if it was held in the virtual world (instead of this meatspace environment) — something like Second Life, but for astronomers.  It’s not a new idea, and I’m sure we’re pretty close to it today what with our tweeting and blogging and virtual conference rooms.

Would astronomers talk ab0ut their work by short bursts, much as we do with Tweets today?  Or put up virtual posters?  Would we have virtual newsrooms where you could virtually walk around and read astronomy papers in bloggy goodness?  I suppose if we were all online, we could figure out some way to just directly transfer the news, brain to brain, without the virtual walls of an online astronomy cave.  It sure would make the evening’s afterparty an interesting event!

I suppose, even at a virtual event, there’d still be info overload after awhile. And, you would miss the chance to stand around with your colleagues in a noisy ballroom on opening night, eating hors d’oeuvres not to be construed as dinner, getting caught up on the latest, a social event as important as all the science being shared.

I’m still reading through all the materials I picked up and will post a “here’s what I saw and learned” entry later today or tomorrow. I just gotta tell you about the color of the Milky Way and the cute little baby planets, and some of the other things I learned about this week.  Stay tuned!

astronomy education, astronomy groups and organizations, informal astronomy education

Give to Help Space and Science Outreach

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Support Science Literacy and Education

This is the time of year when many of us have our thoughts turn to gift-giving in the form of donations to organizations whose goals we agree with or support in some way. The best organizations are those that make it a point to support science education or in some way bring astronomy to everyone. So, if you’re looking for someplace to park some cash where it will do some good, here are MY recommendations.

First, you can’t go wrong with supporting the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. I’ve been a member for a long time and support the group’s educational outreach efforts and support of science literacy through astronomy and space science. They have members from around the world, and if you’re interested in astronomy outreach, they are the “go to” place!  You can read more about them at their Web site.

Friends of the Observatory, the support group for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, is a non-profit group dedicated to helping the observatory teach about astronomy and space.  Their funds go toward bringing school children to the observatory, creating new programs, and supporting public education in astronomy. Even though I don’t live in Los Angeles, I make it a point to re-up my membership each year because I think those folks at Griffith are doing a wonderful job.

Next is the International Dark-Sky Association. This group is dedicated to the idea that we CAN protect and preserve the nighttime environment while at the same time fostering wise use of lighting.  Their Web site is a veritable treasure trove of information about safe lighting, energy savings, and other useful facts.  They are well worth your donation!

Many people live in areas that have science centers or planetariums.  Many of these are non-profit organizations, and they often offer memberships (just like museum memberships). Why not consider chucking a few bucks toward the one closest to you?  With science and science education under attack in the U.S. from people who are proud of their ignorance, places like these often face budget cuts or close-downs. Your donations can make the difference.  Look around your community and see where you can make a difference in science literacy and education. Want to know where they are?  Check here to see what’s near you.