Spring Astronomy Day
May 3 @ 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm CDT
The Minnesota Astronomical Society would like to invite you to attend the Astronomical League’s Astronomy Day activities at the Eagle Lake Observatory in Baylor Regional Park. Speakers are scheduled throughout the day and will give talks on astronomy and what there is to see. Door prize drawing will be held Saturday evening and include MAS merchandise, astronomy books and telescopes. The evening will continue with viewing through our array of telescopes observing some of the winter and early spring objects coming into view including the Orion Nebula, Crab nebula, the Sombrero Galaxy, the Whirlpool Galaxy, the Beehive Cluster, the Black Eye Galaxy and Hercules cluster among many others.
Schedule of Events
The observatory opens and the Star Party begins at 2:00 pm. We will begin with solar viewing and other daytime objects.
2:00 pm: Nadia Abuisnaineh, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Title: Dragonfly: Planetary Mission to Titan
Summary: You may know Titan as Saturn’s largest moon—but did you know it might also resemble what Earth looked like in its early days? NASA’s upcoming Dragonfly mission will send a rotorcraft to explore Titan’s surface, flying from site to site over the course of two years. Join us to learn more about this fascinating mission and get the latest updates on its progress!
Bio: Nadia Abuisnaineh was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For as long as she can remember, she always had a deep fascination with the universe. She was one of those kids in school that knew what she wanted to study in college at a very young age, and that never changed, even as she got older. Her love and enthusiasm for math and science allowed her to pursue a Bachelors of Science Degree in Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota. After graduating in 2011, Nadia dedicated her time and talents to multiple community organizations serving the youth and those in need, another promoting Islamic awareness and education, and an online Islamic University. In 2019, Nadia became a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, where she joined a nationwide team of volunteers that speak to their communities about space and space exploration missions. Soon after, she worked at the Bell Museum, and helped launch their annual Statewide Star Party.
She currently resides in Fridley, Minnesota, with her husband and three kids. She spends most of her time teaching her son and daughters how to navigate the world around them. She enjoys watching documentaries, walking around the state’s many lakes, swimming, and stargazing.
3:00: Laura Hammerbeck, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Title: When Stars Explode
Summary: Stellar explosions are among the most energetic events in the universe. They create new elements, enrich interstellar space, and even lead to the formation of new stars and planets, but how do you tell them apart? Join NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Laura Hammerbeck on an exploration of nova, supernova and kilonova.
We’ll talk about why exploding stars are in the news.
T. Coronae Borealis, predicted to erupt soon, is a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s a recurrent nova, and people around the world will be able to see it themselves.
Why does this happen, and when? Where should you look? Explosions in space…what could be more fun?
Bio: Laura is a motivational and inspirational speaker. With over 20 years of teaching and communication experience, she presents solid information in an enthusiastic yet relaxed manner, with an ounce of humor on the side. Laura brings focus and energy to her audience. An amateur astronomer and space junkie, she is eager to share space exploration and study, as well as all its intriguing ideas with people of all ages.
4:00: John Fisher, MAS member
Title: What Are Stars Made Of?
Summary: What messages are hidden in the light of celestial objects? Join John in the classroom for a hands-on demonstration to learn about the different elements that make up stars and see how astronomers measure temperature. Featuring video contributions of Cecilia Payne. Afterwards, stick around to look at hydrogen and helium spectra.
Bio: John has been a member of MAS for 8 years and is a keyholder at Eagle Lake Observatory. He has had a lifelong interest in physics and mathematics and currently is focused on astronomical spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry. John enjoys doing outreach events and is always looking for new ways to engage newcomers to this great hobby.
5:30 pm: Dinner break.
7:00 pm: Sarah Devine, UMN Extension Educator – Anoka County 4-H
Title: “Messie” Science – Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters
Summary: The process of science doesn’t always result in what you’d expect. However, the “byproducts” of an investigation can be an accomplishment on their own. In his search for comets, Charles Messier catalogued 110 other deep space objects so that he knew they weren’t what he was looking for. Today we know his work as the Messier Catalog, a collection of fun deep space objects to hunt for and find from your own backyard. We’ll investigate a few of these objects and make personalized plans for your own Messier Marathon.
Bio: Sarah Devine has loved astronomy since before she can remember. Her childhood dream job was to be an astronaut. Her love for all things space has allowed her to teach astronomy for over 10 years in multiple settings. From museums and planetariums to community college to 4-H, talking about astronomy and learning with others of all ages is her passion. She’s traveled to major international observatories and has fond memories of traveling to the 2017 total solar eclipse here in the U.S.A.
8:00 pm: Door prize drawing. Must be present to win!
Event Background
Astronomy Day is a grass roots movement designed to share the joy of astronomy with the general population – “Bringing Astronomy to the People.” On Astronomy Day, thousands of people who have never looked through a telescope will have an opportunity to see first-hand what has so many amateur and professional astronomers all excited.
Astronomy Day was born in California in 1973. Doug Berger, then president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California, decided that rather than try to entice people to travel long distances to visit observatory open houses, they would set up telescopes closer to where the people were – busy locations – urban locations like street corners, shopping malls, parks, etc.
His strategy paid off. Not only did Astronomy Day go over with a bang, not only did the public find out about the astronomy club, they found out about future observatory open houses. Since the public got a chance to look through a portable telescope, they were hooked. They wanted to see what went on at the bigger telescopes, so they turned out in droves at the next observatory open house.
For additional information, visit the Astronomical League’s website at https://www.astroleague.org/astronomyday/facts
Public star parties are open to all.
Additional information as well as directions can be found on the Eagle Lake Observatory web page.
