ASTRONOMY 100/102 OBSERVING OPPORTUNITIES / EXTRA CREDIT SCHEDULE SPRING 2001

SAFETY WARNINGS AND COMFORT TIPS: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE!

All observing sessions are contingent upon the weather. If the sky is predominantly cloudy or if it is raining or snowing, then the session for that evening is canceled. Call numbers listed below if your not sure... no credit for showing up in the rain!

-The use of white flashlights, smoking, eating or drinking is not permitted at this or any other observatory.

-Students should come prepared with their required observing form and an optional red flashlight.

-Parents.. Children over the age of five are welcomed, but please ensure to supervise your children.

WOMEN should go with a companion(s) (for everyone groups of two or more for added safety) to any Observing session or Field trip (This is the NYC area). You may find yourself leaving an observatory, observing area (like a beach) or Museum alone and in the dark and you should not be in that situation.

DRESS Extremely warm with layers, hat, scarf and warm gloves, winter coat on cold days as observatories and outside events are not heated!

EXTREME COLD( below freezing) usually cancels an event or shortens the event by early closing. Call ahead!

NOTE: You will be in cold air outside or even in an observatory ( which has no heat) it can be very cold as you wait around for your turn at a telescope. Hot drinks like hot chocolate is particularly helpful on cold nights! DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL it makes the situation worse, your body will cool more rapidly and endanger your health!

OBSERVING SESSIONS see your Laboratory Manual for instructions and directions.

1-College of Staten Island: If you are unsure of the sky conditions and want to confirm if the event is on, please call the observatory at 718-982-3260 one hour prior to the above listed time on the night of the event. It is suggested that you come before 9:30pm on very cold nights to ensure completion of an observing run. All observing sessions conclude at 11:00 PM (except on nights of very low temperatures). WEB SITE: supernova7.apsc.csi.cuny.edu

Feb 5,26 at 7:00; .Mar 5 at 7:30; Mar 19,26 at 8:00; Apr 2,16 at 8:30; Apr 23,30 at 9:00; May 7,14 at 9:00pm

2A-4 Amateur Astronomers Association(AAA) of NY-For GENERAL INFORMATION call (#212-535-2922) or visit

WEB SITE: http://www.aaa.org

2B -Astronomical Society of the North East (ASNE) observing session.

2A-Staten Island: Great Kills Park, (AAA) (special number #390-3432); Feb 24 at 7pm; Mar 31 at 7:30; Apr 28 at 8:30; May 19 at 8:30; Jun 23 at 8:30; Jul 21 at 8:30; Aug 25 at 8:30; Sep 22 at 8:30; Oct 21 at 7:30; Nov 17 at 7:30

2B- Staten Island: Great Kills Park (ASNE)

Mar 3 800pm (RAIN DATE Mar 17) --April 21 8pm (Rain Date Apr 28)---May 19 8 pm (Rain Date May 26-too late for grade!)

3-Brooklyn(AAA): Floyd Bennet Field,

Mar 30 at 8:00; Apr 27 at 8:00; May 18 at 8:00; Jun 15 at 8:00; Sep 21 at 8:00; Oct 19 at 8:00; Nov 16 at 8:00, Dec 7 at 8:00

4-Manhattan(AAA):Carl Schultz Park(SOUTH OF Gracie Mansion(Mayor's place) at E. 86^th Street and East River 212-535-2922

A) Friday Night Observing, AT 8PM APR 27; MAY 25; JUN 22; JUL 27; AUG 24; --SEP 28 AND OCT 26 ARE AT 7 PM

B) Saturday Solar Observing (Noon to 2 pm) Call APR 28, MAY 26, JUN 23, JUL 28, AUG 25, SEP 29, OCT 27

Warning never Look at the SUN with or without an optical device (unaided eye, binoculars, telescope etc.) Blindness can result. Devices used at this session will be protected. Make sure the observer gives you the OK BEFORE YOU LOOK!

5- New Jersey (Nearby)- Every Clear Friday night at the Sperry Observatory (ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM CSI) at Union College, Cranford, NJ #908-276-7827 or #908-709-7520. GREAT PLACE !

6-New Jersey (over 1 hr. From CSI) Robinson Observatory , Voorhees State Park, NJ #908-638-8500. SUPER SKIES!

7-New Jersey Jenny Jump State Park(over 1 hr From CSI) Observatory Sessions State Park Number-908-459-9813

GET A SIGNATURE and DATE ON AN OBSERVING REPORT SHEET(FOUND IN THE MANUAL) FROM AN ASTRONOMY PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE TELESCOPE YOU LOOKED THROUGH. BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS See your Laboratory Manual (ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR IF YOUR NOT SURE OF ANYTHING).

EXTRA CREDIT MAY BE EARNED (ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR) BY ATTENDING the any of the following lecture series.

WRITE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE LECTURE

ASTRONOMY/ASTROPHYSICS (A/A) LECTURE OR DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR (DA) LECTURE AND POSSIBLE

AT THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM LECTURE SERIES OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (SEE LAB BOOK FOR DIRECTIONS). All but one are good for cloudy Monday nights! There is a fee of $8 for students CALL 212-769-5200 for reservations ALL ARE AT 7:30 PM NOTE: ARRIVE AT 6:30 if you did not reserve a ticket! WEB SITE: http://www.amnh.org/education/hayden.html

FEB 13 (TUES) SPECIAL ASIMOV DEBATE ON "Theory of Everything" HELD AT IMAX THEATER OF AMNH

Frontiers in Astronomy /Astrophysics lecture Series

Mar 5- "Quasar absorption lines: Seeing Ghosts in the Universe" ..Dr. Jane Charlton Penn State

Apr 2- "Supermassive Black Holes, Quasars,..." Dr. Richard Green Director Kitt Peak National Observatory May 14- "The multiwavelength Universe" Dr. Alyssa Goodman Harvard University

Jun 4- "What's the Matter in the Universe" Dr. Vera Rubin Carnegie Institute

Distinguished Author in Astronomy Series.

Feb 26 - "Turn Left at Orion: One Hundred Night Sky Objects" Dr. Guy Consolmagno Vatican Observatory

Mar 19 - " The 23^rd Cycle: Learning to live with a stormy star. Dr. Sten Odenwald NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Apr 23 - " Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth and Beyond" Dr. Lawrence Krauss. Case Western Res U

May 21- "Time Travel in Einstein's Universe" Dr. j. Richard Gott Princeton

AAA LECTURE (Amateur Astronomers Association of NYC) at the Kaufmann Theater of the American Museum of

Natural History.. Begin at 6:15 pm no fee. WEB SITE: http://www.aaa.org

FEB 2 "The Excitement of Missing Matter" Dr. Todd Tripp Princeton U..

Mar 2 "The Most Distant Galaxies" Dr. Keneth Lanazeta SUNY Stony Brook

April 6 "The Large Area Synoptic Survey Telescope ew Window on Our Universe Dr. J. Anthony Tyson. Lucent Technology

May 4 "Things that Go Bump in the Night" Dr. Mike Shara AMNH