KTA Family Free Day with Journey through the Universe
‘Imiloa 6th Anniversary
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Celebrate ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s 6th anniversary celebration at KTA Family Free Day on Sunday, March 4, 2012. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of KTA Super Stores, this celebration is free to the community.
‘Imiloa’s KTA Family Free Day starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. The first 500 keiki visitors will receive a special ‘Imiloa giveaway to take home.
The day’s offerings includes free access to ‘Imiloa’s exhibit hall and Journey through the Universe presentations featuring an inspiring keynote speech by Dr. Jeff Goldstein at 1:30 p.m. entitled, “How Big is Big?” For the hungry visitors, KTA Super Stores will be grilling their 1/3 pound beef franks with sweetbread bun for sale and free birthday cake will be served to the first 1,000 visitors.
Special programs include 15-minute planetarium experiences starting at 9 a.m. as the audience will be treated to a night sky presentation and a “sampling” of ‘Imiloa planetarium shows. Engaging and awe-inspiring presentations by Journey through the Universe astronomy professionals Dr. Brad Bailey, Dr. Douglas Arion, Dr. Gordon Squires, Scott Fisher, and Dr. Tim Slater will start at 9:30 a.m.
Hands-on activities will be offered by various departments and colleges of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo: College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management, College of Business and Economics, College of Pharmacy, Department of Education, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language and Nā Pua No‘eau Center for gifted and talented Native Hawaiian Children. Informative booths by Maunakea observatories and the popular STARBASE Hawaii flight simulators will also be onsite for visitors.
Journey Through the Universe Family Science Day
9:30am Dr. Brad Bailey
NASA Lunar Space Institute
Underwater Volcanoes Dr. Brad Bailey will discuss the relevance to underground Mars and Europa biospheres in addition to other volcanic activity in the solar system.
Brad Bailey received his Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine microbiology and geochemistry. His Ph.D. work included diving into submarine volcanoes in Hawai‘i and Samoa via small submersibles to study the interaction between biology, hydrothermal vent water chemistry and rock surfaces. Brad is now the NASA Lunar Science Institute Staff Scientist at NASA Ames and also directs the NASA Ames Academy, a summer student research and leadership development program.
10:30am Dr. Douglas Arion, Carthage College
The Beautiful End of Stars Some of the most spectacular astronomical images show the beautiful and intricate gas clouds that surround dying stars. Sometimes the star dies a violent death – a supernova. But most stars, like the Sun, will die slowly, and in that process for a short time are surrounded by the glow of planetary nebulas with amazing shapes and beautiful colors. Come explore these objects, and what their shapes may mean for planets around other stars and the future of our own Solar System.
Douglas Arion is Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carthage College. He develops new instrumentation in a variety of fields, including astronomy and space sciences, and conducts astronomy research studying the structure of planetary nebulae. He directs the Carthage Institute of Astronomy and the College’s new astronomy facility, the Griffin Observatory. As part of the International Year of Astronomy – 2009, Arion was a key member of the Galileoscope cornerstone project, formed and managed Galileoscope LLC to manufacture and distribute high quality, low cost telescopes worldwide for the IYA. Nearly 200,000 Galileoscopes were distributed, including 7000 donated to areas of the world unable to purchase Galileoscopes themselves. He is actively engaged in public astronomy education and outreach in partnerships with NOAO and the Appalachian Mountain Club. A telescope designer and builder, he makes his own telescopes, teaches telescope making classes, and has won telescope design competitions.
In this presentation, we will explore the science that TMT will uniquely reveal, from the birth of the very first stars and galaxies, over 13 billion years ago, to the nature of objects in our own outer solar system. Gordon K. Squires is an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology, working with the Thirty Meter Telescopes as well as NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer and other space telescopes with Caltech involvement. In the Earl & Doris Bakken Moanahōkū Hall.
12:30pm Dr. Scott Fisher, National Science Foundation
Astronomy on the Big Island, What's Funding Got to do with it? In this public-friendly presentation, Dr. Fisher will talk about two topics that may seem to be unrelated, but are really very connected. He will start out with a short talk about how big science projects like many of the telescopes on Mauna Kea are funded. This part of the presentation will explain where the money for these projects comes from and how it makes it way to the base facilities and observatories on the Big Island. In the second part of the talk Dr. Fisher will present and 'talk story' about some of the latest and greatest discoveries made by observatories on Mauna Kea and around the world. From new planets in the solar neighborhood to massive supernova explosions on the other side of the Universe, we will take a tour of the sky and learn more about the cutting edge research happening right in our own back yard. Of course, there is always time for a game of "Stump the Astronomer" so be sure to bring your questions to ask!
1:30pm Dr.Jeff Goldstein, National Center for Earth & Space Science KEYNOTE SPEAKER
How Big is Big? It’s a big, often intimidating universe out there. How do we even begin to fathom objects and distances that dwarf anything we’ve ever experienced? You might memorize all the facts and figures—our galaxy has over 100 billion stars, our Sun is 93,000,000 miles away. But where’s the learning? The numbers are big, impersonal—even irrelevant. Instead, you might imagine a simple view with Earth, our Sun, and some neighboring planets and stars adrift in an endless ocean of space. But both approaches do a disservice to the majesty of the cosmos. Earth’s place in space IS understandable, and in a way that inspires awe and wonder! The secret is placing the universe in a context that is familiar. You’re not convinced? Come and take this magical journey from spaceship Earth to points unknown. I promise when we come back home you’ll feel the words of T.S. Eliot: “…and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
Focus: a conceptual understanding of the universe through the power of models
Dr. Jeff Goldstein is the Center Director for the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) where he creates and oversees national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs. Dr. Jeff created the Journey through the Universe national program. He also oversees the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) engaging grade 5-12 students across an entire community in real microgravity experiment design for flight on the International Space Station. He oversaw installation of the Voyage model Solar System on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and at sites across the U.S., and is the principal presenter for Family Science Night at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
3:00pm Dr. Tim Slater, University of Wyoming, Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research
Omens in the Sky: Can Comet Hunters Save the World? Since the dawn of civilization, skywatchers vigilantly stood guard for these strange visitors from the outer reaches of the solar system. Comets, asteroids, and meteor showers can leave observers mystified, but today impact predictions leave governments perplexed.
Tim Slater is a NASA Scientist and Professor at the University of Wyoming where he holds the Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Chair. He has a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of South Carolina and a Masters Degree in Astronomy from Clemson University. He is an author of seven books and nearly 100 scientific articles. Dr. Slater is an internationally known expert on astronomy, planetary sciences, and the scientific search for life in the Universe and is providing presentations on NASA's current endeavors to explore the planets, cutting edge scientific results from the world's most technically advanced telescopes, and our growing understanding of the dynamics and inhabitability our evolving Universe.
Mahalo to our Sponsor
Mahalo to the Journey Through the Universe Team
Hawai'i State Department of Education