A TACNY-hosted (Technology Alliance of CNY, of which the SAS is a member organization) Junior Café Scientifique lecture at the MOST is happening on Saturday May 19 at 9:30 a.m. More so, the SAS is in charge of the lecturing duties for this event in time for the TACNY Rocketry Competition coming up. Information is below.

When: Saturday, May 19, 9:30-11:00am
Where: Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST), Syracuse NY

Damian G. Allis, PhD, research assistant professor of Chemistry at Syracuse University and president of the Syracuse Astronomical Society, will present Going into Orbit: Famous Rocket Payloads and What We Learn from Them, a talk about rocket payloads, as part of TACNY’s 2011-2012 Junior Cafe Scientifique lecture series.

People interested in learning more about rocket payloads are invited to attend the free Junior Cafe presentation on Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing jrcafe@tacny.org by May 17, 2012.

Allis is a research professor at Syracuse University, focusing on spectroscopy and drug design; works in the area of molecular nanotechnology as part of the international Nanofactory Collaboration; and studies DNA and genomics with AptaMatrix Inc. in Syracuse. He currently is president and webmaster of the Syracuse Astronomical Society, an organization that promotes observation, education, and light pollution issues from its Darling Hill Observatory in Vesper. During cloudy nights, he also is a drummer/percussionist in several local bands, including the Civil War-Era Excelsior Cornet Band.

With 2,500 years of documented history as toys, military tools and delivery systems for scientists’ instruments, rocketry has changed the face of humankind. Rocketry not only opened the imaginations of authors in the 20th century to the universe, but profoundly changed telecommunications, surveillance, geopolitics, education, and observational astronomy. The early 21st century has found governments having to collaborate on development and delivery at the same time as industry is developing new, competitive, commercial alternatives to orbit for equipment and humans alike. This lecture will take a science-centric look at the use of rocketry in recent history and consider some of the radical change that has come from its science and application.

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students, features discussions between scientists and students 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.

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

It is looking like a near-perfect evening for nighttime observing, so we will be opening Darling Hill around 7:30 p.m. tonight. No ISS fly-bys are predicted for the next few days, but Venus, Mars, and Saturn are prominent in our sky – Saturn being particularly brilliant at its current orientation.

It is also looking to be a bit on the cool side tonight (40s?), so do consider bringing an additional layer if you’re going to be up late.

We hope you can join us!

The May 2012 Astronomical Chronicle is up in plenty of time for our next Public Viewing Session this Friday, May 11 (as always, check the website by 5:00 p.m. on Friday to confirm we’ll be opening).

And, if you’re reading this in time, don’t forget to give the Moon your undivided attention at 11:35 p.m. tonight.

The sky appears to be a go for observing tonight. Mind the temperature!

The April 2012 Astronomical Chronicle is up! It is also looking like Friday night will be decent (Saturday less so) for our first official Public Viewing Session of the year. Check the website around 5:00 p.m. on Friday to confirm we’re opening. We hope you can join us!

A TACNY (Technology Alliance of CNY, of which the SAS is a member organization) John Edson Sweet Lecture is happening on the OCC campus on Tuesday, April 10. Information from the TACNY website for “Biometrics: Automated Human Measurement for Security and Convenience” is provided below.

When: Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at 5:30 pm
Where: Whitney Applied Technology Center Room 101 at Onondaga Community College

Stephanie Schuckers, PhD, an associate professor at Clarkson University, will present Biometrics: Automated Human Measurements for Security and Convenience, a talk about using biometrics for automated identification of people, as part of the the Technology Alliance of Central New York’s 2011-2012 Sweet Lecture Series.

People interested in learning more about biometrics and its future are invited to attend the free Sweet Lecture presentation on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 101 of the Whitney Applied Technology Center on the Onondaga Community College campus. Networking starts at 5:30 p.m., the speaker is introduced at 6 p.m., the presentation is slated to run from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the event ends at 8 p.m. following questions from the audience. Admission is free and open to the public. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing sweet.lecture@tacny.org by April 5, 2012.

Schuckers is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Clarkson University and serves as the Director of the Center of Identification Technology Research (CITeR), a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. She received her doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan. Schuckers’ research focuses on processing and interpreting signals that arise from the human body. Her work is funded from various sources, including National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security, the Center for Identification Technology and private industry.

CITeR is a multi-university research center involving Clarkson University, West Virginia University, University of Arizona, University of Buffalo, Michigan State University and St. Lawrence University. The center advances the performance of biometric systems and credibility assessment systems by enabling technologies, interdisciplinary training of scientists and engineers, and facilitation of new technology transfer to the private and government sectors.

Schuckers’ talk will focus on the state of the art of biometrics for automated recognition of individuals, as well as discuss the outlook for the next decade. She will also describe her research to minimize vulnerability in biometric systems, through the development of algorithms to reduce risk of spoofing, i.e. using fake biometric artifacts.

To help us plan, please email your RSVP.

We look forward to seeing you there – please pass the word!

We add rain to overcast conditions tonight, meaning our “official” Messier Marathon weekend was an official wash for 2012. We await chances for a few “unofficial” sessions in coming weeks, including our next Public Viewing Session on April 13 (14 alt.). Stay tuned!

An excellent week of CNY weather has taken a significant turn for the overcast tonight and, very likely, tomorrow night. Our Messier Marathon is, therefore, cancelled for tonight, but a similar run can be performed for the vast majority of the Messier objects during our next few meetings. Check in tomorrow around 5:00 p.m. for the official word on Saturday. In the meantime, consider doing a little observing in the hi-res version of the ESO image below (click for the large version), a sliver of the sky with 200,000 galaxies (more information can be found at the Bad Astronomy post HERE).

The winter hibernation (be it as it was in CNY) is over for the SAS as we post our first newsletter for 2012 and announce the first session of the year this coming March 23/24 in the form of a Messier Marathon. Details are in the newsletter.

We hope you can join us! Meantime, continue to enjoy Venus (brighter) and Jupiter (dimmer) on our Western sky this week!

Astronomical Chronicle For Jan/Feb/March 2012

]]> http://www.syracuse-astro.org/2012/03/17/sas-astronomical-chronicle-for-janfebmarch-2012-and-messier-marathon-march-2324/feed/ 0 http://www.syracuse-astro.org/2012/03/06/junior-cafe-scientifique-antarctica-before-the-ice-how-global-climate-change-affects-marine-ecology-saturday-march-10/ http://www.syracuse-astro.org/2012/03/06/junior-cafe-scientifique-antarctica-before-the-ice-how-global-climate-change-affects-marine-ecology-saturday-march-10/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:57:16 +0000 Damian Allis http://www.syracuse-astro.org/?p=589 Greetings fellow astrophiles!

A TACNY-hosted (Technology Alliance of CNY, of which the SAS is a member organization) Junior Café Scientifique lecture at the MOST is happening on Saturday March 10 at 9:30 a.m. Information is below.

When: Saturday, March 10, 9:30-11:00am (NOTE: not the usual third Saturday of the month)
Where: Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST), Syracuse NY

Linda C. Ivany, an associate professor of earth sciences at Syracuse University, will present Antarctica Before the Ice: How Global Climate Change Affects Marine Ecology, a talk about the threat of global warming to Antarctica, as part of TACNY’s 2011-2012 Junior Cafe Scientifique lecture series.People interested in learning more about the impact of global warming are invited to attend the free Junior Cafe presentation on Saturday, March 10, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing jrcafe@tacny.org by March 8, 2012.

Linda C. Ivany, PhD, is an associate professor of earth sciences at Syracuse University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, her master’s degree from the University of Florida, and her doctorate from Harvard University. She was a Michigan Society Fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for three years before moving to Syracuse in 2000. Ivany is a paleontologist and paleoclimatologist, using fossils to understand ancient environments, ecology, and climate change. She lives in Earlville on a farm with a multitude of animals.

Antarctica was not always covered in ice. Fifty million years ago, it was lush and forested, and the waters offshore were warm and teaming with life. As climate cooled, predators were eliminated from the marine ecosystem, resulting in the unique and fragile fauna that lives near the ice today. But global warming is threatening that ecosystem. If the water warms enough to allow predators to reinvade, the entire ecosystem will be changed forever. Learn more by attending Dr. Ivany’s talk.

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students, features discussions between scientists and students 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.

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

]]> http://www.syracuse-astro.org/2012/03/06/junior-cafe-scientifique-antarctica-before-the-ice-how-global-climate-change-affects-marine-ecology-saturday-march-10/feed/ 0