Astronomy Night Festival on the National Mall 2010 - 2013

Astronomy Night on the National Mall 2010 - 2013 Dr. Donald Lubowich Coordinator of Astronomy Outreach Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Astronomy Night on the National Mall Started in 2010 with the co-sponsorship of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Astronomy Night on the National Mall 2010

Solar Dynamic Observatory Activities

Cub Scout looking at the Moon

From the Earth to the Universe 8’ x 20’ fabric banner

Looking into a 14-in Dobsonian

NOAO showing Galileoscopes

NSF astronomer showing images taken from the Gemini Observatory

Astronaut and NASA Deputy Administrator John Grunsfeld 2012

Astronomy Night on the National Mall 2013

Participating Organizations: The American Astronomical Society Astronomical Association of Greenbelt Chandra X-ray Center/Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Goddard Astronomy Club

International Dark Sky Association NASA Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Heliophysics Division National Capital Astronomers National Optical Astronomy Observatory National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences Northern Virginia Astronomy Club Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers Space Telescope Science Institute/Hubble Space Telescope US Naval Observatory

Astronomy Festival on the National Mall 2013 Before sunset there telescope observations of sunspots and solar explosions, the Moon, and Project Jove radio telescope observations of Jupiter and the Sun. •Scientist corner – Astronomer Tent: •Scientists described their research and answer questions •6:30 – 7:00 pm. Dr. Paul Hertz, Director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA, described NASA's astronomy program and answer questions.

•7:00 – 7:30 pm. Dr. Timothy A. Livengood, Center for Research inEarth and Space Science and Technology, Goddard Space Flight Center discussed Solar System and water on the Moon •7:30 – 8:00 pm. CAPT Tim Gallaudet, the Superintendent of US Naval Observatory will discuss the mission of the US Naval Observatory •8:00 – 8:30 pm. Dr. Carey M. Lisse, Senior Research Scientist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory will show how to make a comet.

•8:30 – 9:00 pm. Dr. Wayne Warren, Towson University discussed variable stars, occultations. and how to measure the brightness of stars.

Astronomy Festival on the National Mall 2013 •Hands-on activities, posters, and educational information •Telescope observations: •8:30 – 11:00 pm. Telescopes views of the Moon, Saturn and its beautiful rings, Venus, Mercury, colorful double stars, and star clusters. A NexStar Computerized Telescope (4”), donated by Celstron, and a Galileoscope were raffled off.

•Free planetarium programs: •9:00 – 10:00 Journey to the Stars (narrated by Whoopie Goldberg); Cosmic Collisions (narrated by Robert Redford)

Caroline Herschel (K. Lynn King) explains her discoveries and those of her brother William Hershel to kids and adults