Message from Lisa Wells:
CFHT Community Outreach Recent Past Events May 5th, 2012: AstroDay was held at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo from 10am-4pm with the highlight being on the Venus Transit which occurred on June 5th this year and was visible from Hawaii. There were many booths set up in the Mall a good time was had by all. June 5th, 2012: Venus Transit: This was your opportunity to view an event which happens in pairs once every 112 years on average. The last transit of Venus was June 8, 2004, but before that, it occured on December 6th, 1882. CFHT opened its doors for this once in a lifetime event. We had 5 telescopes set up in the courtyard, with a connection to the Keck real time podcast. The transit began at 12:10 pm and we stayed open until the clouds came rolling in at around 4:45pm. We played the "Transit of Venus March" written by John Phillip Sousa. We even had a drawing for a book about this unique event and a small telescope. Refreshments were served throughout the afternoon. It is estimated that we had around 400 visitors. 
Pictures of the Venus Transit itself are courtsy of the Solar Dynamics Laboratory, and the International Space Station.
Upcoming Events September 22th, 2012: This is "Observe the Moon" night. We will have telescopes set up at our Waimea offices weather permitting, so stop by on Saturday evening after sunset and join us. Many schools locally have been contacted. We will have activities set up inside also but no refreshments will be served. September 29th, 2012: CFHT and Keck will host the Solar System Walk along the Mamalahoa Highway. Booths will be set up for each planet and children collecting stamps from all the booths will receive refreshments at the end of the walk. Ample parking is available at the Keck offices in Waimea and the walk will begin there to the CFHT headquarters. We hope it will be a sunny day so come and join us and learn a little something about our solar system. December 1, 2012: CFHT will host its star party after the Christmas parade on the lawn just in front of the headquarters in Waimea. Weather permitting we will have telescopes set up for viewing the night sky, and other demonstrations inside along with refreshments. It is a great time to stop while the parade traffic clears in town.
NASA's Mars Rover - Curiosity Details and images of the launch, landing on the surface of Mars, and its first bit of travel on the surface are all highlighted here. Also a recorded voice was transmitted from the rover to earth for the first time. Next step, perhaps men on Mars? Neil Armstrong - Astronaut It is only fitting that we celebrate the life of a great man, the first to walk on the surface of the moon, Neil Armstrong. He was a champion of exploration, and made major contributions to the field of aerospace. Family Statement on Armstrong's Death Armstrong on the Moon - Picture Mauna Kea Movie Here is a nice video highlighting some of the telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. Practical Physics:Astronomy Here is a wonderful site which features many different experiments and gives guidance to teachers in the area of astronomy and physics. Some of the experiments require components which may not be available. Other things may be used, for example, using a video of an ice skater spinning with arms out then folding them in close to the body could be used to demonstrate conservation of angular momentum instead of using the V-channel mount on an air table. Questions About the Solar System In preparation for the upcoming Solar System Walk, here is a wonderful site that is like a quiz. Find out how well you know the planets in the solar system. There is a page of planet pictures in the end to print out and make into trading cards. Questions About the Solar System Upcoming Astronomical Events
All times listed above are HST unless otherwise indicated. The link below contains many calendars and includes a nice section on astronomical events. Check it out!
|