Dad’s Crater Funds Education and Science Research

A while back I posted about the Uwingu.com fundraiser that lets you donate money to scientific research and science education, and as a perk, you get to name a crater on a Mars map that will be used by the first Red Planet explorers. The project has been doing some innovate tie-ins with things like Mother’s Day (which I blogged about here), and now is offering the chance to name a crater for Dad for Father’s Day (which is June 15th). The proceeds will, as usual, go to deserving science research and education projects. So, if you’re looking for something unique to do for the Dads in your life, why not name a crater on the Uwingu Mars map? It takes just about no time to do, and costs as little as $5.00. \]

Want to know more about Uwingu?

It’s a unique for-profit company that is looking for new ways to let people personally connect with space, such as the crater-naming project or their earlier ad still ongoing exoplanet-naming contest, both of which have generated significant funds for teachers, scientists, and students to further pursue science exploration and study. The crowd-sourced map of Mars will be used by the Mars One mission participants as they begin their in-person exploration of Mars sometime in the next decade. I liked the idea so much that I purchased craters on the map and I like that my donation is going to help science.  The idea of pre-naming Mars features on usable maps is a good one. When the first explorers do set foot on the planet, having feature names in place already will aid in exploration and communication. I can imagine that those first Marsnauts will have more than enough to do as they explore and colonize without having to worry about place names, too. So, just as early scouts put place names for pioneers who spread out across unexplored lands on Earth, the Uwingu group is providing a similar service for the next Martians. The best part is, all of us get to participate by putting names on the map AND funding useful education and research at the same time. So, check it out! Maybe you’ll find a place for your Dad (and you) on the Red Planet!

What’s Up?

I always like June’s night skies. This month, especially, we have a lot to look at.  Early in the month you have planets —ranging from Mercury (which is showing up nicely after sunset this week) to Saturn, high the eastern part of the sky. You also have plenty of constellations to choose from as the post-sunset sky darkens and gives you clear access to the constellations.  One of the constellations you shouldn’t miss exploring is Hercules. You can take a tour of this star pattern and explore some of its globular clusters in this step-by-step guide.

I am particularly fascinated by globular clusters because they contain some of the oldest stars we know about; some of them are even older than our galaxy! Stars in globulars can tell us a great deal about what conditions were like when they formed; that is, what elements were abundant in their birth clouds, and so on.  Astronomers’ understanding of these beautiful globe-shaped spheres of stars is growing as telescopes are better able to discern one star from another in these tightly packed systems.  Are there stars with planets in these clusters?  What about black holes? What other exotic objects do they have? These are the questions astronomers ask and try to answer as they study globulars.

You can study them yourself, too.  Just grab some binoculars or a small telescope, and look for the Hercules globulars. They’ll appear as smudges of light to the unaided eye (you need a good, dark-sky site for best viewing), but in higher-power views, you’ll see shimmering cities of light!  Check ’em out!

There’s a whole wealth of other objects to explore, particularly if you’re in the southern hemisphere. In  this month’s edition of Our Night Sky over at Astrocast.TV, I explore some south-of-the-equator globulars, in addition to the lovely ones in Hercules. Want to know more? Check it out!