Star Fest 2009

Start: 2009-08-15 16:00

End: 2009-08-15 23:30

Enjoy a Wonderful Evening of Astronomy

Presented by the Chesmont Astronomical Society

Where: Warwick County Park

On County Park Rd, left off Rt. 23, about 3.5 mi. west of Rt. 100

When: Saturday, August 15, 2009

Starting at 4:00 PM till 11:30PM

Cloud date, Sunday August 16th

Featured Speaker: Dr. Kimberly Weaver

Of the Goddard Space Flight Center

Her topic will be black holes!

Fun and Educational activities for the kids.

Come out and see the wonders of the Milky Way through many different telescopes.

Schedule of Events:

4:00 to 6:00 Telescope set-up/ Solar Observing
6:00 to 7:00 Kids Corner Educational Activities
7:00 to 9:30 Presentations
9:30 Drawing of the Grand Prize followed by...
Public stargazing through Amateur Telescopes

Kids' Corner:

In honor of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first telescope, 2009 has been dedicated as the International Year of Astronomy. Public outreach events have been scheduled all around the world this year in order to commemorate this monumental event. Our childrens' program this year will review Galileo's astronomical discoveries and what we've learned since then. We will also review some of the major constellations so that children can start to become more familiar with the night sky. Additional activities may illustrate the different weights of a person on different planets, or the assembly and explanation of a simple telescope similar to what Galileo used some 400 years ago.

What We'll See Tonight

Current Chesmont Astronomical Society President Martin (Marty) Howe will present an overview of what will be seen this evening through the various amateur telescopes gathered on the field. We will obsever relatively nearby objects, such as the moon and Jupiter. Moving out further into space, we will observe star clusters and nebulae within our own galactic neighborhood, the Milky Way. To top it all off, we will observe other galaxies made up of billions of stars located millions of light years from our own galaxy.

What it Means to be an Amateur Astronomer

Chesmont Astronomical Society founder Karl Krasley will share his views on why some of us are driven to study the night sky. Early man studied the sky as a means to track time and the passing of the seasons. In more modern times, man gazed to the heavens in an attempt to understand his place in the larger universe. Today we continue that quest to not only understand what is out there, but who else might be out there or where we might go when we gain the ability to leave this little planet that we call Earth.

Keynote Speaker & Address

Extreme Astronomy and Black Holes

Kimberly Weaver, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Astrophysics Division,
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Abstract

Since their discovery in the 1970s, black holes have captured the public’s imagination. Astronomers are now finding black holes of all sizes located throughout the cosmos, and they are not simply isolated and detached regions of space - they play a vital role in their surroundings. Dr. Weaver will discuss fascinating NASA research that examines the origins of black holes, the effects of black holes on their environments, and the links between black holes and other phenomena in deep space.

Astronomy Raffle!

Each year we conduct a raffle of astronomy related items, including telescopes. Major prizes for 2009 include :

Grand Prize: Meade ETX-125 PE Telescope

The Meade ETX-125 PE is a five-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope with computer go-to and tracking. Over 30,000 celestial objects may be automatically located and tracked using the onboard AutoStar computer. This telescope, valued at $899 was donated by Meade Instruments Corporation of Irvine, California.

First Prize: Celestron NexStar 4 SE Telescope

The Celestron NexStar 4 SE is a four-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope with Celestron's NexStar computer system for automatically locating and tracking nearly 40,000 celestial objects. This telescope, valued at $499, was donated by Celestron, LLC of Torrence, California.

Second Prize: Orion StarBlast Astro 6 Telescope

The Orion StarBlast Astro 6 is a six-inch Newtonian reflector telescope on a simple lazy-susan style mount. This telescope, valued at $289, was donated by Skies Unlimited, LLC of Pottstown (North Coventry), Pennsylvania.

Third Prize: Celestron FirstScope Telescope

The Celestron FirstScope IYA2009 is a special product commenorationf the International Year of Astronomy 2009, in recognition of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope. The FirstScope is a three-inch Newtonian telescope on a simple lazy-susan mount, and is ideal for youg children. This telescope, valued at $49, was donated by Celestron, LLC of Torrence, California.

That's over $1700 in drawing prizes with more on the way. Drawing tickets may be purchased for $1 each or 6 for $5. All proceeds benefit the Chesmont Astronomical Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the wonders of the night sky.