Category Archives: Organizations

AAVSO Free Observing Section Webinar Series

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

This in from the AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers, www.aavso.org – for those not familiar with the organization itself, some may remember Mike Simonsen’s great AAVSO Writer’s Bureau, which provided many, many great reads to amateur astronomy club newsletters).

Sadly, this is being posted after the first webinar on the 22nd – but there are several upcoming for your consideration.

Dear friends, 

We hope you are enjoying our FREE Observing Sections’ Webinar Series, discussing citizen astronomy with the AAVSO! With so much going on, we wanted to send a friendly reminder about our upcoming August webinars, and invite you to register for our September webinars, below:
   
Spectroscopy (Aug. 22nd –REGISTER HERE)

     Schedule:

         – Introduction to Spectroscopy – Tom Field
         – Science cases and AVSpec – Stella Kafka
         – Amateur Spectroscopy Projects – Percy Jacobs
         – Astronomical Spectra with a Dob – Lauren Herrington
         – LowSpec 3D printed spectrometer: Solar and other spectra – Tim Stone
         – Q & A

Young Stellar Objects (Aug. 29th –REGISTER HERE)

      Tentative schedule with panelists Mike Poxon and Bill Herbst:

         – Star Formation
         – Specific YSOs
         – Astrophysics
         – Observing Them
         – Q & A

Solar Observing (Sept. 5th –REGISTER HERE)

Cataclysmic Variables (Sept. 12th REGISTER HERE)

Instrumentation & Equipment I: The Tools of the Trade (Sept. 19th  REGISTER HERE)

Instrumentation & Equipment II: Focus on CMOS Cameras Sept. 26th REGISTER HERE)

More on our 2020 webinar series can be found here. This series of webinars is open to you all: AAVSO members, observers, and those not yet familiar with AAVSO. Whether you are a new observer exploring variable types, or a seasoned observer branching out, each webinar is a great opportunity for you all to expand your knowledge, connect with one another, and deepen and grow your communities. Please also share this experience with your friends and colleagues. 
 
Best wishes – clear skies,                                                              
​Stella Kafka
AAVSO Director         

Sweet Science Series & Junior Cafe Scientifique – Joint Webinar – “Beyond COVID-19: How Do Engineering and Technology Transform the Microbiology Landscape”

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

This in from the TACNY email list – and how appropriate that the Technology Alliance of Central New York is adapting to the current pandemic with the latest trends in online presentations.


Saturday, April 25, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

You must register in advance HERE


Presenter: Douglas Yung, PhD

Douglas Yung is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University and the Director for the Bioengineering undergraduate program. He earned his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from UCLA in 2003 and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Caltech in 2008. He worked as a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California on sensor development, microfluidics, and bacterial spore viability. His work includes the anthrax smoke detector, spacecraft surface sterilization, and determination of life longevity by detecting spores in extreme environments.

Douglas has long been intrigued by the interfacing of microbes with engineering tools on a micro- and nano-scale. He is unraveling methods to rapidly assess the viability of superbugs and harness energy from extremophiles using a combination of electrochemical, optical techniques and MEMS devices. He is an advocate of a hybrid teaching and learning environment replete with project-based hands-on work, experiential activities and peer collaboration, a style departing from traditional top-down expository pedagogies.

About Sweet Science Series

TACNY John Edson Sweet Lectures, a program founded in 1913, is now called the Sweet Science Series and features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere for adults of all levels of technical understanding. A minimum of six free and open to the public presentations are held each year.

About TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.

About TACNY

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York. For more information, see www.tacny.org

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique: “A Tale Of Ice And Fire: What Bugs And Mud Can Teach Us About The Past”

Saturday, January 18, 2020; 9:30 – 11:00am

Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY

Please RSVP to jrcafe@tacny.org

Speaker: Melissa L. Chipman, PhD; Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University

Talk Overview: The Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth. Arctic biomes are underlain by permafrost soils, some of which contain large deposits of ice left over from ice sheets that retreated thousands of years ago. As temperatures continue to increase the Arctic, these large ice deposits thaw and form dramatic landslides and thaw slumps, which move massive amounts of sediment around the landscape. In addition, warming temperatures facilitate fires in areas that have not burned for thousands of years. Fires impact soil properties such as albedo, vegetation, and soil temperatures, which may lead to enhanced thaw of these ice deposits. Thus, Arctic change is really a story of ice and fire and how these aspects of the system interact. One of the best ways to anticipate how future warming will impact these processes is investigate how Arctic systems responded to temperature change in the past. Lakes record changes that happen on the surrounding landscape because fires produce charcoal that gets deposited in waterbodies, thaw slumps transfer old glacial sediment into lake basins, and insects that are sensitive to temperatures live in many Arctic lakes. We will explore ways to use these signals in lake-sediment cores to investigate the past and uncover how Arctic ecosystems have responded to changing climate over thousands of years. 

Biography: Dr. Chipman received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geosciences from Concord University in West Virginia. She received a M.S in Geology. and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She was also a postdoctoral research fellow at Northwestern University and joined the faculty in Earth Sciences at Syracuse University in January 2019. Dr. Chipman has extensive experience investigating Arctic change and has participated in six remote field campaigns in boreal and tundra areas of Alaska and Greenland. She is a National Geographic Explorer and currently has a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue her research into fire and ice disturbance in the Arctic. She has also worked on projects funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and was one of the last EPA STAR fellows. Dr. Chipman was a first-generation college student and the first in her family to attend and graduate high school, and is committed to promoting opportunities for first-generation and unrepresented students in science. She mentored several undergraduate students through independent research projects, and is currently advising two graduate students in her new Arctic Paleoecology and Paleoclimate lab group at Syracuse University.

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.

Technology Alliance of Central New York

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.

For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.

Bob Piekiel Hosts Observing Sessions At Baltimore Woods (And More!) – 2020 Observing Schedule

This event list will be added to as the year progresses. Check back often!

I’m pleased to have obtained the official schedule for Bob Piekiel’s growing observing and lecture programs for the 2020 season. For those who have not had the pleasure of hearing one of his lectures, attending one of his observing sessions, or reading one of his many books on scope optics (or loading the CD containing the massive Celestron: The Early Years), Bob Piekiel is not only an excellent guide but likely the most knowledgeable equipment and operation guru in Central New York.

Notes On Baltimore Woods Sessions:

As the event date nears, see the official Calendar Page for more information and any updates on the event.

Also…

* Registration for these events are required. Low registration may cause programs to be canceled.
* $5 for members, $15/family; $8 for nonmembers, $25/family.
* To Register By Email: info@baltimorewoods.org
* To Register By Phone: (315) 673-1350

Baltimore Woods:

* January 3 (Fri.)/4 (Sat. weather alternate), 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Quadrantids meteor shower, a crescent moon, and winter skies. The area around Orion offers the brightest stars and clusters in the sky. Also, have a close-up look at the moon, and maybe catch a few shooting stars from the Quadrantid meteor shower.

* February 15 (Sat.)/16 (Sun. weather alternate), 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

This is our best chance to see the elusive planet Mercury, right after sunset, plus great views of the winter skies surrounding the constellation Orion. Venus will also be visible as it makes its way around the sun, getting closer to earth each week.

* March 20 (Fri.)/21 (Sat. weather alternate), 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Venus is at its best viewing position for the year, high above the western sky at sunset. Plus, a farewell to winter skies.

* April 24 (Fri.)/25 (Sat. weather alternate), 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks about this time, Venus will be easily visible, and a “hello” to spring skies.

* May 29 (Fri.)/30 (Sat. weather alternate), 6:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Come see the 1st-quarter moon, A farewell to Venus, Mercury (early) along with spring skies.

* June 12 (Fri.)/13 (Sat. weather alternate), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

It gets dark late, but if we start early, we can still get a glimpse of Mercury, and maybe a few deep-sky objects later n the evening.

* July 17 (Fri.)/18 (Sat. weather alternate), 8:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Saturn and Jupiter will be rising in the east, and we can have our first look at the southern Milky Way, with its dense array of clusters and nebulae.

* August 12 (Wed.)/13 (Thur. weather alternate), 8:00 – 11:00 p.m.

The annual Perseid meteor, one of the year’s fines, along with great views of Jupiter and Saturn, plus views of the southern Milky Way. No moon to interfere with viewing tonight!

* September 11 (Fri.)/12 (Sat. weather alternate), 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Come see our last look at summer skies, Jupiter Saturn, and Mars rising in the east towards the end of the program.

* October 2 (Fri.)/3 (Sat. weather alternate), 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Goodbye to summer skies, and hello to fall. The moon will be full at this time, but we’ll have great views of Mars Jupiter Saturn and Uranus!

* November 6 (Fri.)/7 (Sat. weather alternate), 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

The Taurid meteor shower peaks around this time, fall deep skies, and great views of Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune.

* December 13 (Sun.)/14 (Mon. weather alternate), 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

The Geminid meteor shower, the year’s finest, peaks tonight, plus winter skies with no moon to interfere, plus views of Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune!

Beaver Lake Nature Center:

* Thursday, April 18th (details to follow)

Green Lakes:

Awaiting 2019 scheduling.

Chittenango Falls:

Awaiting 2019 scheduling.

Marcellus Library:

Awaiting 2019 scheduling.

Clark Reservation:

Awaiting 2019 scheduling.

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique: “Things That Go Bump In The Lab”

Saturday – October 19, 2019, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY

Please RSVP to jrcafe@tacny.org

Speaker: Neal Abrams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, SUNY-ESF; and Miriam Gillett-Kunnath, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Syracuse University

Talk Overview: Ready to summon some science? Join the TACNY Jr. Café on October 19th to see the magical chemistry behind glowing pumpkins, magical genies, luminescent liquids, time telling potions, and mysterious fog. Dr. Neal Abrams from SUNY ESF and Dr. Miriam Gillett-Kunnath from Syracuse University will present a series of interactive magical Halloween chemistry demonstrations that will be sure to delight young and old alike.

Biography: Neal Abrams is an associate professor of chemistry at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). He obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and certification in teaching from Ithaca College and completed his doctorate at Penn State. At ESF, he instructs courses in general chemistry and renewable energy. He also leads research programs in the areas of renewable energy and methods for teaching science. He is also the faculty advisor for the ESF chemistry club. Abrams enjoys working with students and educators in the community. As part of this commitment, he leads renewable energy workshops for teachers, instructs a series of courses on solar panel installation, and guest lectures in classrooms across Syracuse and CNY as part of the ESF in the High School program. He is currently the Education Chair for the CNY Section of the American Chemical Society.

Miriam Gillett-Kunnath is a research assistant professor of chemistry at Syracuse University (SU). She obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Le Moyne College and completed her doctorate and post-doctorate at Syracuse University and Notre Dame University, respectively. At SU, she assists in mentoring and teaching research while helping with the management of the Chemistry SC-XRD and PXRD lab. Gillett-Kunnath, along with her husband Bobby Kunnath, works with local high school students to connect them with research in the STEM disciplines.  Her passion towards building a local STEM Ecosystem has led her to learn from, volunteer, and work with SU-chemistry outreach, ACS-CNY, STA-NYS, TACNY and the MOST.  [Outreach Motto: “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.”-Isaac Newton]

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.

Technology Alliance of Central New York

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.

For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.