ASTRONOMY WEEKEND

WILL BE HELD OCTOBER 12, 13, & 14, 2007 AT

Blackwater FallsBlackwaterBlackwater Falls

 

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 12, 2007

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, projects, programs, or weather permitting, a STAR PARTY!        

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2007

TIME

HARR CONFERENCE ROOM

NATURE CENTER

SPEAKERS

8:00 - 10:00

ASTRONOMY OPEN SESSION

 

MEMBERS OF VARIOUS CLUBS

10:00 - 10:40

INTRODUCTION

& CHOOSING A TELESCOPE

 

RODNEY WAUGH

10:50 - 12:00

EXTRA-SOLAR PLANETS

  

Prof. JACK LITTLETON

12:00 - 1:30

LUNCH

LUNCH

LUNCH

1:30 - 2:15

ASTRO

PHOTOGRAPHY

  

 STAS EDEL

 

2:30 - 3:15

PLASMA

DRIVE RESEARCH

 

 Prof. EARL SCIME

3:30 - 4:30

THE SEARCH FOR DARK MATTER

 

Dr. MICHELLE SHINN

4:30 - 6:00

DINNER

DINNER

DINNER

6:00 – 7:00

 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE 

LAWRENCE W. TAYLOR 

 NASA - LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER

 

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 BEHZAD (BEN) RAISZADEH from NASA - Langley Research Center.  Ben will speak Saturday evening at the Nature Center before the 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 Meade MY SKY!   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.

 

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 14, 2007

ON YOUR OWN... visit the Greenbank Radio Observatory

 

For a scenic 75-mile drive, start at Blackwater Falls; go toward Davis, turn right on route 32, travel south to Harmon, pick up route 55 east to Seneca Rocks, 33 south to Judy Gap and 92/28 south to Greenbank. Turn left and go 1.35 miles to the visitor’s center. 

The new 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! and a gift shop.  The exhibit hall features hands-on demonstrations, displays, and other learning tools. Free guided tours start every hour.  Cameras are welcome!  Digital cameras are restricted near the radio telescopes, per NRAO rules.

GBT

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!