| Vol. 9, No. 2: February 2010 |
 |
Observatories of the Southwest |
A unique companion for travelers to the Southwest and a must for anyone fascinated with the role of these observatories in deepening our understanding of the universe, this book offers an in-depth look at each of these facilities and their features.
» Shop
Online Now |
|
» February Stargazing
» February Radio Programs
» Coming Up in StarDate Magazine
» News from the Observatory
» Give the Gift of Membership
» Summer Teacher Workshops
» Find Us on Facebook |
 As one planet leaves the evening lineup, another continues to shine brightly this month. Early in the month, Jupiter is quite low in the west as night falls. The planet is bright, but it is so low in the sky that you need a clear horizon to pick it out. Over in the east, though, Mars is already well up in the sky, shining with a steady orange glow. It soars high across the south during the night. It fades a bit during the month, however, so it's not quite as eyecatching at month's end.
More stargazing information: http://stardate.org/nightsky/weekly.php |
Hear
StarDate every day on more than 360 radio stations nationwide. Or subscribe
to our podcast and RSS feed.
 http://stardate.org/feeds/rss.xml
February 1-7: Weather watcher. A new satellite will keep an eye on the weather -- not the weather on Earth, but out in space. We'll have details. And we'll also talk about a conjunction of the Moon and a bright star and planet.
February 8-14: The hunter. The giant constellation Orion stalks across the evening sky. It offers a shrinking giant, a giant stellar nursery, and a giant star that's not a nice place for life. Join us for details on this and more.
February 15-21: Weather without air. The Moon and many other bodies in the solar system are bare chunks of rock with no atmospheres -- yet they undergo constant weathering. We'll have details.
February 22-28: The unicorn. The celestial unicorn gallops high across the south on winter nights. It's home to some glowing clouds of gas and dust, as well as a dark cloud that's giving birth to new stars.
February Program
Schedule: http://stardate.org/radio/calendars
Find an Affiliate: http://stardate.org/radio/affiliates.php
|
 
Astronomer Alastair Gunn returns to StarDate with his take on the future of radio astronomy. And learn how astronomical objects get their names — past and present — from science writer Harvey Leifert.
Subscribe online: http://stardate.org/magazine
|
Texas Astronomers Aid Kepler Mission's Discovery of New Planets
Kepler mission astronomers, including co-investigator Bill Cochran of The University of Texas at Austin, recently announced the spaceborne telescope has found five new gas giant planets orbiting close to Sun-like stars. Cochran and Texas colleagues Michael Endl and Phillip MacQueen used two telescopes at the university’s McDonald Observatory in West Texas to help confirm these planet discoveries, which were announced at the 215th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C.
Find out more: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/news/releases/2010/0104.html
|
Give a gift membership the Friends of McDonald Observatory to your friends and family this year. Members receive significant benefits that help them explore the wonders of the universe, including:
• One-year StarDate magazine subscription
• 10 percent discount in our astronomy gift Shop
• And much more...
Please don’t miss this special opportunity to give to teachers, students, and your loved ones today!
Give now: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/support/friends
|
Are you a science teacher looking for a unique professional development experience? Consider McDonald Observatory's Teacher Professional Development summer workshops, held at a world-class research campus in the beautiful Davis Mountains of West Texas. All workshops include daily hands-on activities in a classroom setting, interaction with astronomy professionals and researchers, tours of research telescopes, night-time telescope observations (weather permitting), and lodging in the scenic Davis Mountains State Park. 20 hours or more of Continuing Education credit will be awarded to all participants. There are copious scholarships available for teachers to attend, especially at the high school level. Apply soon!
Information and application: http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/teachers/profdev/ |
 Join us on the social networking site Facebook to get the latest information about McDonald Observatory. View our image galleries and videos and upload your own. Ask questions about the Observatory, and share your experiences of visiting with others. When you become a 'fan' of our page on Facebook, you will receive periodic updates from us about events at the Observatory and more.
Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/McDonaldObservatory |
SkyTips is a monthly email newsletter for visitors to McDonald Observatory and StarDate Online. Each issue features stargazing highlights, upcoming StarDate radio program descriptions, and other news. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and family.
SkyTips is a publication of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory
Education and Outreach Office, 1 University Station A2100, Austin, TX
78712. Reproduction of SkyTips content is permitted with proper credit
given to McDonald Observatory. |
