Astronomy Night at the Peak returns April 1 with the Search for Other Earths

 

In addition to Pryor’s outdoor presentation, CAC’s astronomy night will feature a look inside STARLAB with Katy Wilkins, along with a variety of new family-friendly events entitled Frozen Moo & You, Make Your Alien & Eat It Too, and Poisonous Insects and Creative Plants.

 

CAC and Sodexo, the food service provider for the college, again are teaming up to offer an evening of affordable family dining under the constellations of the Arizona nighttime sky.

 

Dinner will be served from 5-6 p.m., while the STARLAB presentations and family science events will run continuously from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Pryor’s presentation on the Search for Other Earths will take place from approximately sundown until 9:30 p.m.

 

The new family-friendly science events will be held in the C. Leroy Hoyt Hall Science/Engineering Building (Building S). It is located adjacent to the astronomy viewing area.

 

Once darkness encompasses the Signal Peak Campus, guests will move to the observatory where the NASA telescopes will be open for terrific views of the sky for the rest of the evening. The telescopes include large reflectors with 24-inch and 14-inch diameter mirrors, plus an array of smaller telescopes used to view various celestial bodies.

 

The astronomy portion of the program will focus on NASA’s Kepler Mission that was launched in 2009 and is searching for planets around other stars.

 

“We will discuss the recent detection of 1,235 possible planets, including some similar to Earth in size and temperature,” Pryor explained.

 

According to NASA’s webpage, the scientific objective of the Kepler Mission is to explore the structure and diversity of planetary systems. This is achieved by surveying a large sample of stars to:

 

• Determine the abundance of terrestrial and larger planets in or near the habitable zone of a         wide variety of stars; 

• Determine the distribution of sizes and shapes of the orbits of these planets; 

• Estimate how many planets there are in multiple-star systems; 

• Determine the variety of orbit sizes and planet reflectivities, sizes, masses and densities of         short-period giant planets; 

• Identify additional members of each discovered planetary system using other techniques;  

• Determine the properties of those stars that harbor planetary systems. 

 

This marks the third of four Astronomy Night at the Peak events scheduled for the 2010-11 academic year with the final one slated for Friday, May 13.

 

“These events are always a lot of fun for us and for the community,” Pryor stated. “It is a terrific family event that we offer at no charge. Children – and their parents – seem to really enjoy it.”

 

While Pryor will be outside, Wilkins again will be inside with STARLAB, an inflatable planetarium that provides an indoor look at the Arizona nighttime sky.

 

Currently the dean of students at Toltec Middle School, Wilkins will set up STARLAB and offer her presentations inside M101 of the Student Services Center, the large building with the clock tower located on the Signal Peak Campus.

 

“My public presentations usually consist of some short stories and how to locate constellations and some other interesting facts,” she said.

 

STARLAB was purchased when Central Arizona College’s SEMAA (Science Engineering Mathematics Aerospace Academy) program was being offered on campus.

 

Before night falls, moms and dads are invited to bring the entire family for dinner at the Central Arizona College Dining Hall from 5-6 p.m. The dining hall is located on the second floor of the Mel A. Everingham Student Center adjacent to The Green near the entrance to the campus.

 

Dinner is $6 plus tax per person for everyone and is served buffet style. The menu includes hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, chicken nuggets, French fries, macaroni and cheese, a salad bar, self-serve ice cream and dessert stations, and a choice of beverages.

 

For more information on the Astronomy Night at the Peak event, call 520-494-5202, or e-mail Tom Di Camillo at [email protected].