THE SUN-EARTH CONNECTION
An Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Newsletter
for the Sun-Earth Connection Science Community - and beyond!
January 18, 2006 Volume VII, Issue 1
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See End for Sponsor Information, How to Contribute (please
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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=> 1. The Maya: A Space Vision -- Photo Exhibit
=> 2. Public To Look for Dust Grains in Stardust Detectors
=> 3. UC Space Sciences Lab Inspires Artists-in-Residence
=> 4. SECEF Team Develops Space Weather Forecasting Center
for Local Schools
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1. THE MAYA: A SPACE VISION -- PHOTO EXHIBIT
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What do the Maya, NASA, the University of California/Berkeley,
the Government of Yucatan and the General Consulate of Mexico in
San Francisco have in common? A united endeavor to create a
captivating photo exhibition, showing the cultural richness of
Mayan culture, past and present. And to:
* Raise the interest of the general public in Mayan culture and
in astronomy, within the context of past and present solar
traditions.
* Highlight Mayan astronomical knowledge through unique solar
phenomena that mark the seasons in structures at Chichén Itzá,
Dzibilchaltún, Oxkintok, and Uxmal.
* Engage Mayan youth in science and technology through solar
traditions in their own indigenous culture, and also through
amazing images of the Sun from space.
* Celebrate the Mayan people of today, who contribute with pride
to their future through their rich cultural past.
Mayan cultural heritage and astronomy, juxtaposed with NASA
solar images, are presented in a series of photographs - many
of them aerial and taken from space. The photos remind us that
some of earliest observatories in the world were located in the
Mayan region, where the people used them to precisely measure
the movements of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars in order to
better understand their world.
The exhibit opened to the public November 3rd at the General
Consulate of Mexico in San Francisco. The producers and
photographers were present at the event, among them archeologist
Jose Huchim Herrera, astronomer Isabel Hawkins, and photographers
James Spadaccini, Michelle and David Williamson, and others. Over
200 people attended the opening, and were treated to traditional
Yucatecan food and folkloric dances.
The exhibit is currently at the Mission Presbyterian Church of
San Francisco until the end of the month, when it will move to
the San Rafael Civic Center. For more information, please contact
Isabel Hawkins at isabelh@ssl.berkeley.edu
Itinerary in California
California:
15 Sites; San Francisco & Los Angeles
San Francisco: Consulate General of México;
Mission Presbyterian
Church; Mission Cultural Center; Main Library; Fort Bragg; San
Rafael Civic Center; San Rafael Dominican University; Marin
Museum of the American Indian; College of Marin; Oakland Chabot
Space & Science Center, etc.
Los Angeles: Consulate General of México; California Science
Center; San Diego; Anaheim; San Bernardino, etc.
Yucatán: 22 Mayan Towns and Archeological Sites
Mérida, Dzitas, Chichén Itzá, Peto, Tzucucab,Teabo, Mani,
Chapab, Dzan, Izamal, Tekanto,Telchac, Uci, Dzoncauich, Tunkas,
Cenotillo,Oxkutzcab, Kabah, Santa Elena, San Simón, Muna, Uxmal,
Dzibilchaltún, Ek Balam.
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2. PUBLIC TO LOOK FOR DUST GRAINS IN STARDUST DETECTORS
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Astronomy buffs who jumped at the chance to use their home
computers in the SETI@home search for intelligent life in the
universe will soon be able to join an Internet-based search
for dust grains originating from stars millions of light years
away. The project, dubbed Stardust@home, will harness a Web-
based virtual microscope to let the public search for several
dozen interstellar dust grains embedded in detectors from the
Stardust spacecraft, which safely returned to Earth Jan. 15.
The full story is online at
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/01/10_dust.shtml
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3. UC SPACE SCIENCE LAB INSPIRES ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
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The second artists-in-residence session at the UC Berkeley Space
Science Lab has concluded with mutual good feelings, work
and inspiration. Artists Ruth Jarman and Joseph Gerhardt, known
collectively as Semiconductor, http://www.semiconductorfilms.org /,
spent the last four months at the lab, where they grew engrossed
in interviewing many Sun-Earth Connection scientists about their
research. Ruth and Joe also developed a great rapport with the
Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum team. On January 12th,
at the conclusion of their residency, Semiconductor held a
salon at the lab where they showcased several projects inspired
by their time at the Lab. One was a film called “Brilliant Noise,”
which used dramatic black-and-white raw data footage of the dynamic
Sun, accompanied by a soundtrack that directly responded to the
data. Another was a provocative compilation of scientist interviews
entitled, “Do You Think Science...?”
Last summer’s artist-in-residence was Liliane Lijn,
http://www.lilianelijn.com/, whose exhilarating multi-media work
takes inspiration from technology, science, and eastern and
western philosophies.
For more information about the Arts and Space Science program:
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/arts/ or contact Jackie Wong
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4. SECEF TEAM DEVELOPS SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTER
FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS
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SECEF is replicating the capabilities of the NOAA Space Environment
Center and local TV weather forecasting broadcasts with a Space
Weather Forecasting Center. The center is being developed at two
DC area schools and at the Goddard Space Flight center's Visitor's
Center. It consists of two areas: A space weather monitoring area
comprising a set of computer screens displaying up to the minute
space weather data from SEC missions and a weather forecasting
area where kids can write, perform, and broadcast their own space
weather forecasts through the web. The center will have pod / vod
casting capability as well. Educator resources are being developed
at St. John's and Parkland Middle Schools.
-- Lou Mayo mayo@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov
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Newsletter Sponsor Info: Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum
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©UC Regents 2006
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How to Contact Us
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The Sun-Earth CONNECTION Education and Public Outreach
newsletter is issued approximately every 6-8 weeks. Back issues
can be found at
http://sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu/SECNews/
The Newsletter is sponsored by the Sun-Earth Connection
Education Forum (Goddard Space Flight Center and UC Berkeley;
Isabel Hawkins and Jim Thieman, Co-Directors) Sun-Earth
Connection Education Forum Web Site:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov and
http://sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu
Please direct all submissions to the newsletter to:
Karin Hauck (Editor) - E-mail: editor@sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu
Phone: (510) 642-2343 Fax: (510) 643-5660
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