Is Anybody Out There?
The Search for ET with Help from Eight Million Volunteers

Friday, August 17, 2012, 6:30pm in the Yurt

Dan Werthimer, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Werthimer will discuss the possibility of life in the universe and the search for radio and optical signals from other civilizations.  Berkeley’s SETI@home project analyzes data from the world’s largest radio telescope using desktop computers from millions of volunteers. SETI@home participants have contributed millions of years of computer time and have formed one of Earth’s most powerful supercomputers.  Users have the small but captivating possibility their computer will detect the first signal from a civilization beyond Earth.

Werthimer will also discuss other citizen science projects, next generation radio telescopes,  as well as speculate on when Earthlings might discover other civilizations.

Dan Werthimer is principal investigator of SETI@home and several radio and optical SETI programs at the University of California, Berkeley.  Werthimer also directs the Center for Astronomy SignalProcessing and Electronics Research (CASPER), and is associate director of the Berkeley Wireless Research Center (BWRC).
Werthimer was associate professor in the engineering and physics departments of San Francisco State University and a visiting professor at Beijing Normal University, the University of St. Charles in Marseille, and Eotvos University in Budapest. He has taught at universities in Peru, Egypt, Ghana,  Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya.  Werthimer has published numerous papers in the fields of SETI, radio astronomy instrumentation and science education; he is co-author of “SETI 2020”, editor of “BioAstronomy: Molecules, Microbes and Extraterrestrial Life” and “Astronomical and Biochemical Origins and the Search for Life in the Universe”.

Chicken Little Was Right! — Meteorites
Saturday, August 18, 2012, 7:00 pm in the Yurt

Skip Bird, Observatory Director, Westminster Astronomical Society

The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling. Come find out why Chicken little was right. We will explore things like Comets (by making one), Asteroids and the dinosaurs and any upcoming meteor shower. Join us and play “Guess the Meteorite” contest. Find out how with Skip Bird, Observatory Director of the Westminster Astronomical Society. Learn fun and unique ways to leave the planet, journey to the stars and still be back in time for dinner. Time machines provided by the Westminster Astronomical Society.

Wayne “Skip” Bird is presently the Treasurer/Observatory Director/Night Sky Network Guru for the Westminster Astronomical Society, and outreach fanatic (definition of fanatic: someone who will not change his mind AND will not change the subject). He is also a 5th grade “Mad” Science teacher. He is the world renowned author of “Night Flying Astronomy Bird” articles (OK, maybe world renowned is being a little modest), and the World’s Greatest Dad — he has the button to prove it, but enough from his autobiography.

Night Sky Network
Sunday, August 19, 2012, 1:30 pm in the Yurt

Skip Bird, Observatory Director, Westminster Astronomical Society

The Night Sky Network is a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs bringing the science, technology, and inspiration of NASA’s missions to the general public.

We share our time and telescopes to provide you with unique astronomy experiences at science museums, observatories, classrooms, and under the real night sky.

Wayne’s bio has not changed in the 28 seconds since you read it above.

Mars Science Laboratory Mission
Sunday, August 19, 2012, 6:30 pm in the Yurt

Harold Geller, George Mason University

On August 5, 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory is due to deliver the Curiosity Rover to Mars.  Curiosity will be the largest rover to explore the surface of Mars.  Dr. Geller will give an overview of the history of the exploration of Mars and conclude with a description of the Mars Science Laboratory and pictures of the Curiosity Rover.

Dr. Harold A. Geller is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador. He has been Associate Professor of Astronomy and Observatory Director at George Mason University (GMU). He has taught astronomy for over 20 years. In 2010 he shared in four Telly Awards and in 2009 two Telly Awards for a series of online videos with Astrocast.TV. In 2008 Dr. Geller was awarded the GMU Faculty Member of the Year, the same year he published a book on astrobiology. Other past achievements include award winning tour guide and lecturer with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; past President of the Potomac Geophysical Society; developer of two educational multimedia CD-ROMs; faculty at Northern Virginia Community College; doctoral fellow of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; and, lecturer/operator at the Einstein Planetarium in the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Geller has contributed to over 50 publications in education, astrophysics, astrobiology, and biochemistry.

Why and How the Guide Star Catalog Ended Up in Your Laptop
Monday, August 20, 2012, 6:30 pm in the Yurt

Alan Goldberg

Astrometry is possibly the least appreciated branch of professional astronomy, and amateurs rarely become interested. But we all want our telescopes to point at our targets accurately and effortlessly, and we want finder charts which are accurate and complete. That was the problem which faced the Hubble Space Telescope, and which led to the creation of the Digital Sky Survey and the Guide Star Catalog before launch. This in turn led to freely available digitized star catalogs as faint as any amateur might need. I will discuss the requirements, the solution, and the production of the first GSC, which led to most of the whole-sky surveys and catalogs available today.

Alan Goldberg is a member of NOVAC and a principal scientist with The MITRE Corp. in McLean, VA. He’s been an amateur astronomer since elementary school, and finally owns an 8″ SCT. After graduate study at Univ. of Texas and MIT in astronomy and planetary science, he worked on the design and operation of the Hubble Space Telescope. He has also worked on Landsat, NASA’s Earth Observing Satellite (EOS) series, and NOAA’s NPOESS weather satellite. He currently assists the government in buying commercial space-based Earth imagery.

Planetary Imaging
Monday, August 20, 2012, 10:00 am in the Yurt

Kevin Quin

Jupiter is back, and modern software makes getting great images of the planets almost effortless.  No, we’re just kidding, of course!  It’s a huge pain!  Still, with the automation features and batch processing capabilities of programs like Firecapture and Autostakkert, it’s far easier than it used to be.  Kevin Quin will show you how he uses these two freeware programs as the foundation of his planetary imaging routine.

As he’ll tell anyone who will listen, Kevin has no technical background whatsoever, and obtains good images through stubbornness rather than skill.  Figuring that anyone who’s taking advice from him is desperate, he’s compiled his suffering into a series of presentations that he calls “You Suck at Astrophotography (and so do I).”  This is Volume 3, following up on Volumes 1 (Planetary Image Processing for Liberal Arts Majors) and 2 (Autoguiding Without Superstition).

Field-Portable Astro-Imaging
Monday, August 20, 2012, 1:00 pm in the Yurt

Ken Tatum

So, you’ve been bitten by the astrophotography bug, but your backyard is next door to the bright lights of Dulles Airport?  Or maybe, like many of us,  you have so little horizon you can barely see straight up, and finding Polaris is out of the question?   This presentation, aimed at the urban or suburban-dwelling imager, is centered around how to optimize planning, packing, equipment, and procedures to conserve dark time in the field and get the most out of imaging when your only practical option for astrophotography is driving out to a dark site.

Ken Tatum is a member of NOVAC, a computer scientist by education, and technical analyst by experience.  Growing up in Ithaca, NY, Ken first gained his enthusiasm for the night sky from a weekly fourth-grade astronomy class sparked by the local filming of the original “Cosmos” series.  A self-taught astrophotographer, Ken learned his techniques mostly through trial and error, combined with a hefty dose of research on whatever approaches to the craft he could glean from books, friends, and the Internet.

Cataclysmic Variables
Monday, August 20, 2012, 3:00 pm in the Yurt

Steve Tilford

When it comes to variable stars there is nothing better than one that keeps exploding. Cataclysmic Variables are such an animal. The paths taken to this “Super” brightening are as varied as the stars themselves.  Learn what makes cataclysmic variables tick. You just might get hooked on these fascinating objects.

Steve is Vice president of  the 101 year old Cincinnati Astronomical Society. He can trace his astronomical roots back to the second grade. From that moment Steve has been excited to share with people the grandeur of the night sky. While at TCU,  Steve had the opportunity to co-op on a construction project at McDonald observatory. While there he participated in Public outreach for the observatory but job and school took him back to Fort Worth and from there He moved to Cincinnati where he is a presenter and lecturer for the Cincinnati Observatory Center, Drake Science Center, Cincinnati State College. Steve has a Blog about Astronomy, Steve’s Astrocorner. He had the honor of writing  Renowned Planetary Scientist, Jim Elliot’s Obituary for the science community which was picked up nationally. During the Transit of Venus event held at the Drake Science Center in Cincinnati, Steve had the honor of speaking about the history of the transit to about 500 people as well as rub elbows with Frank Drake  as he celebrated his 82nd Birthday.

IDA Regional Workshop

Friday, August 17, 2012 at 2:30 pm in the Yurt

Organizer: Bob Parks

The Executive Director of International Dark-Sky Association will discuss ways to help protect the night sky and answer questions about lighting ordinances and quality outdoor lighting. In addition, he will talk about the new IDA Parks and Protected Areas program and IDA’s work with the National Park Service to preserve pristine dark sky places.

Bob Parks is the founder of the Virginia Outdoor Lighting Taskforce (VOLT), an all-volunteer, non-profit, grassroots advocacy group working for safe and efficient outdoor lighting since 2000. VOLT has been successful helping localities in Virginia to enact lighting ordinances and was instrumental in the passage of legislation that requires all state facilities to purchase only full cut-off fixtures.

Mr. Parks is an avid amateur astronomer and past president of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, the largest astronomy club in the United States. He has been a member of International Dark-Sky Association since 2000. In 2005 he founded the Almost Heaven Star Party at Spruce Knob, WV, one of the darkest observing sites on the east coast.

In March of 2009 Mr. Parks joined IDA to start the Washington Office for Public Policy and Government Affairs. As Managing Director he works to inform the Congress and federal agencies about the IDA mission and it’s issues. In addition, he is working to build a coalition of environmental and energy organizations that have parallel goals to reduce light pollution, conserve energy, and preserve the natural environment.

In 2010 he became the Executive Director of IDA, managing the entire organization.