ASTRONOMY WEEKEND

WILL BE HELD OCTOBER 24, 25, & 26, 2008 AT

SPONSORED BY THE KANAWHA VALLEY

ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

WELCOME AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS!

The West Virginia Division of Parks and Tourism and the Kanawha Valley Astronomical Society KVAS.ORG are sponsoring the annual Astronomy Weekend at Blackwater Falls State Park.  This time has been chosen to take advantage of dark skies that occur shortly after a new moon.  Dark skies at Blackwater Falls State Park are a treasured resource.  Astronomy Weekend is FREE to attend.  Everyone is welcome!

Activities and programs offered during Astronomy Weekend appeal to the novice as well as the advanced amateur astronomer.  Included are daytime astronomy workshops, nighttime star parties, door prize drawings, a keynote speaker Saturday evening, and a chance to tour the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world at Greenbank, WV!

 Blackwater Lodge sits on the canyon's south rim, providing a sweeping view of the densely forested gorge. Each of the 54 air-conditioned guest rooms has a private bath, phone and color television. The lodge also features a full service restaurant, game room and a sitting room with a cozy fireplace. The 200-seat Harr Conference Center and indoor pool/fitness center make Blackwater Lodge a comfortable retreat in a mountain setting.  If you want more privacy, 26 rustic vacation cabins, and a 65-unit campground is also offered. To make reservations or for more information, please call 1-800-CALLWVA or 1-800-225-5982 and ask for Blackwater Falls.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2008

3:00PM - Lodge check-in

4:00PM - Cabin check-in

6:00PM - Meet at the Nature Center if skies are clear, otherwise meet at the lodge for an open session to share your astronomical experiences, astronomy club discussions, projects, programs, or weather permitting, a STAR PARTY!      

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2008

TIME	HARR CONFERENCE ROOM	NATURE CENTER	SPEAKERS
8:00 – 9:45	ASTRONOMY WEEKEND ORIENTATION & VISITING CLUB INTRODUCTIONS		MEMBERS OF VARIOUS CLUBS
10:00 - 10:45	SKIES OF BLACKWATER		RODNEY WAUGH
11:00 - 12:00	THE BIGGEST BANG SINCE THE BIG BANG		PROFESSOR JACK LITTLETON
12:00 - 1:30	LUNCH	LUNCH	LUNCH
1:30 - 2:15	CATASTROPHIIC EXPLOSIONS ON THE SUN: THE PHYSICS OF MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS		PROFESSOR PAUL CASSAK
2:30 - 3:00	GENERAL DISCUSSION OF ASTRONOMY RESEARCH		CHUCK SPANN
3:15 - 4:00	MEASURING COMET HOLMES		PROFESSOR STEVE LUZADER
4:00 - 6:00	DINNER	DINNER	DINNER
6:00 – 7:00		KEYNOTE SPEAKER FROM NASA  - LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER “DESIGNING HYPERSONIC SPACE PLANES”	LAWRENCE TAYLOR, III
7:00 – 7:30		RAFFLE & DOOR PRIZE DRAWINGS	KVAS STAFF
7:30 - ????		STAR PARTY!	KVAS STAFF

PLEASE CHECK AT THE LOBBY DESK FOR SCHEDULE CHANGES!

OPEN SESSIONS on the schedule are for you to participate in by cooking up subjects to present or discuss.  Show and tell is encouraged.  Show your astrophotos or other work in the Harr Conference Center or nature center, as indicated.  Open sessions are informal.

THE GUEST SPEAKER this year is Lawrence ‘Bird’ Taylor, III from NASA - Langley Research Center. Mr. Taylor will speak Saturday evening at the Nature Center before the raffle drawing & star party.  Please be polite and set up your equipment before the door prize drawing and speech so you won’t miss the excitement!

KVAS is raffling a Garmin GPS Navigation System for the car!   Raffle tickets are available from club members and both raffle and door prize tickets are available at the club table.  Drawings will be held Saturday night at the nature center.  You do not need to be present to win the raffle.  However, you do need to be present to win door prizes!  KVAS thanks you for your support!

Camping is allowed at the nature center for your immediate party if you set up a telescope and remain for the night.  See lodge desk for details.

GUIDELINES FOR STAR PARTIES…

PLEASE be considerate and safety conscious when arriving and roaming around the star party at the Nature Center. Be polite to telescope owners and they will be happy to share their telescopes and views of the Heavens. 

COURTESY:  Treat Blackwater Falls State Park as if it were your own backyard.  Please report any problems to KVAS or park staff.

SPEED LIMIT: Please obey the park speed limit at all times. Deer are plentiful in the park!

PARKING: If you plan to stay after dusk and you did not bring a telescope, please park along the road with your headlights pointing away from the nature center.  It takes over 15 minutes to regain night vision each time a person is exposed to white lights. Please use minimum automotive navigational lighting after dark. Drive slowly and be careful!

DRIVING OUT AT NIGHT: Those who park at the nature center parking lot are asked not to move their vehicles after dusk so as not to disturb other observers.  If you plan to leave after dusk, please park outside the NO HEADLIGHTS sign with your car facing away from the Nature Center.

LIGHTS:  Very simply, after nightfall, we ask that you do not use white lights.  Please make sure your daytime running lights, dome & trunk lights are disconnected or covered. Please use only “DIM RED LIGHT” type flashlights so as not to disrupt the stargazing.  Red light flashlights are available at the club table.  Please try to keep flashlights pointed toward the ground as much as possible.

SMOKING:  If you must smoke, do not smoke inside any buildings per park rules.  Do not approach someone else’s telescope with a lit cigarette, pipe or cigar as there are expensive optics and electronic equipment at the star party that can be damaged by smoke and flying ash.  If you light up, shield your lighter from view.  Pick up all of your butts and dispose of them properly.  Please be sensitive to the non-smokers around you at this event.

NOISE:  Be considerate of your observing neighbors.  If you play music, please play it so that only you can hear it; please use headphones.

NATURE CENTER FIREPLACE:  The fireplace will not be used, it would disturb the viewing and dark skies that so many people have traveled so far to enjoy.

VIOLATION OF ASTRONOMY WEEKEND OR BLACKWATER FALLS RULES WILL RESULT IN YOUR BEING ASKED TO LEAVE THE EVENT!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008

ON YOUR OWN... visit the Greenbank Radio Observatory, it is worth the trip!  See front desk for directions.

The new Green Bank visitor’s center contains a large exhibit hall and auditorium, several classrooms, an excellent café, (a double dip ice cream cone is only $1.00 – just ask!) Also, there is an expanded gift shop.  The exhibit hall features hands-on demonstrations, displays, and other learning tools. Free guided bus tours start every hour.  Cameras are welcome, but are restricted near the radio telescopes, per NRAO rules.

The largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world is the Greenbank Telescope or GBT!  The oval shaped dish is 100 meters or 330 feet wide. 

USEFUL INFORMATION

What is a star party?  A star party is an invitation to anyone to share views and learn more about the night skies.  A wide variety of telescopes will be available for you to use.

Amateur astronomers are happy to share their telescopes, just be polite.

The dark skies at Blackwater Falls State Park are a treasured resource.  Unfortunately, most skies are lit up with light pollution, robbing people of quality views of the night skies.      

Emergencies:  If you are at a star party and have a true emergency, contact KVAS or park staff and ignore the lighting restrictions and tend to your emergency.

What do I bring?  Other than a telescope or binoculars, bring warm clothing, gloves, a toboggan, hand warmers, your curiosity & friends!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!