2004 Calendar

More current calendar events for specific clubs may be found at specific Club Web pages (see AANC Resource Guide).

Regular stargazing events:

Chabot Space and Science Center - Oakland http://www.cosc.org/--Public observing (telescope viewing) every Friday-Saturday: 7-10 p.m., weather permitting
Foothill Observatory is open for public viewing every clear Friday evening from 9:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. -- Foothill College/Peninsula Astrononomical Society - Los Altos Hills -- http://www.foothill.fhda.edu/ast/pas.htm
Lawrence Hall of Science--Saturday Night Stargazing, every 1st and 3rd Saturday nights, weather permitting - University of California, Berkeley
YOSEMITE Stargazing Events

http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/yearlyevents.html

Other Astronomical Calendars:

Buhl Planetarium's online Astronomical Calendar:
http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/family/planet_calendar.asp
- Southern California Astronomical Events. http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp/astrosked.htm

Index for year:

2004

January, 2004

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Jan 3 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Jan 3 (Sat) Exploratorium, Egg Landing, noon - 2pm How do you park on Mars? On the eve of Spirit's touchdown, perfect your own space landing here with our egg drop challenge! Engineer a simple contraption that can keep an egg, launched from 15 feet and higher, from breaking as it lands. For age groups 7 to 10 and 11 & up. Adults welcome.
Jan 4 (Sun) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars in museum and Webcast (http://www.exploratorium.edu/marsrover), 2pm Exploratorium Physicist Ron Hipschman leads an introduction to what's taking place on Mars, including an overview of past Viking and Pathfinder missions. Discover more about the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERS) and the tools they'll use while exploring Mars.
Jan 6 (Tue) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars in museum and Webcast (http://www.exploratorium.edu/marsrover) View from Mars, 2pm See images from Mars, with the MER as the photographer, and find out why the red planet is red. What do sunsets look like on Mars and why does the moon appear blue? What does the night sky look like, and what does the Earth look like as seen from Mars? With planetary physicist Dr. Paul Doherty.
Jan 7 (Saturday) 6:30 pm - EAS Holiday Pot Luck Party. 7:30 pm - Speaker: Bryan Mendez: Galaxies Near and Far, Chabot Space & Science Center, Physics Lab, 2nd Floor, Spees Building
Jan 7 (Wed) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars in museum and Webcast (http://www.exploratorium.edu/marsrover) What Time is it on Mars?, 2pm Calendars differ depending on what planet you are on. We'll explore both the Mars calendar and the Mars seasons. (It's summer now in the southern hemisphere, where the rovers are.) With astrophysicist Dr. Linda Shore.
Jan 8 (Thu) 6:30 Annual SAS Dinner. Guest Speaker: Kent Cullers (SETI Institute) on SETI 2020: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and New Radio Astronomy. China Palace Restaurant, 5052 West Lane, Stockton.
Jan 8 (Thu) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars in museum and Webcast (http://www.exploratorium.edu/marsrover) Tales of A Martian Rock Climber, 2pm What would it be like to be a rock climber on the surface of Mars? How is the geology different? Would it be easier or harder to climb those rock faces in the lower gravity of Mars? Join rock climber and scientist Dr. Paul Doherty for an energetic exploration of Mars.
Jan 9 (Fri), Exploratorium, Journey to Mars in museum and Webcast (http://www.exploratorium.edu/marsrover) Getting the Message, 2pm. Each MER contains nine digital cameras, and will be photographing the surface of Mars. Visitors can construct a picture just as computers do -. Also, don't miss images from yet another eye on Mars: the Hubble Space Telescope. With physicist Ron Hipschman and possible video conference with Keith Noll - on the Hubble Space Telescope - to be confirmed.
Jan 10 SJAA General meeting, Dr. Elinor Gates, Lick Observatory, speaks on adaptive optics.
Jan 10 (Sat) Exploratorium, Oliver Morton: Book Signing & Conversation, 2pm. Meet the author of the definitive book on mapping Mars's fascinating terrain. Oliver Morton, a contributing editor at Wired UK and author of Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination, and the Birth of a World, will be joining us straight from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif. to report on Spirit's landing.
Jan 10 (Sat) Exploratorium, Camping on Mars, 4pm. What would it be like to set up camp on Mars? Fires need oxygen and Mars has no free oxygen. And, although water would boil on the surface of Mars, it wouldn't be hot -- at the freezing point. See demos of boiling water in a vacuum. And more. With Dr. Paul Doherty and educator Eric Muller.
Jan 11 (Sun) Exploratorium, Myths, 2pm. Explore the myths, misconceptions and urban legends about Mars, ranging from the face on Mars to little green men, from H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds to Orson Welles's infamous October 30, 1938 broadcast. Films -- Classic Space Animation -, 3pm. OK, it isn't Mars, but A Trip to the Moon (1903, 10 min.) by George Melies, is one of the first animated films to depict human space travel. San Francisco composer and musician Nik Phelps performs an original score. Other short films TBA.
Jan 13 (Tue) Exploratorium, Martian Snowflakes, 2pm. Dr. Paul Doherty discusses ice on Mars and how it might manifest itself in atmospheric effects, such as halos and sundogs, that also appear here on Earth. Dr. Doherty "discovered" Martian snowflakes by creating them in the lab.
Jan 14 (Wed) Exploratorium, The History of Mars, 2pm. Today Mars may be one of the best places to look for evidence of life other than on Earth. Dr. Linda Shore explores how Mars was perceived before - from ancient times to Galileo to the modern day.
Jan 15 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Jan 15 & 16 (Thu, Fri) Exploratorium, TBA--updates on important findings, 2pm. Saturday, January 17 Exploratorium Biomotion: Dr. Robert Full Discussion and Robot Presentation, 2pm Dr. Robert Full gives us a sneak-peak behind UC Berkeley's PolyPEDAL lab, a hotbed of Bay Area robotics innovation. Merging biomechanics and comparative physiology, PolyPEDAL robots can move like insects and other multi-legged crawlers-- considered for future Mars missions.
Jan 16 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 5:15 p.m., 26% moon rise 3:03 a.m. Star party: 7 to 10 p.m.
Jan 16 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Jan 17 SAS Star Party Highway 4. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.html
Jan 17 SJAA Deep-sky weekend. Sunset 5:16 p.m., 17% moon rise 4:18 a.m.
Jan 17 (Sat) Exploratorium, Playing Around On Mars, 3:30pm. With its differences in gravity and atmosphere, some of our toys may not perform as we expect them to. Will a Frisbee "fris," and will a boom box boom? We will also simulate some of the conditions on Mars right here at the Exploratorium, using swing sets and inclined planes to mimic a sense of weaker gravity. With Dr. Paul Doherty
Jan 17 (Sat) Exploratorium, Skylight Area, noon - 4pm Physics of Toys: Toys on Mars!. Physics of Toys embarks with NASA on a voyage of discovery this month. Our mission: explore what toys can tell us about the wild and wooly terrain of Mars. Join the Physics of Toys team to build robots, make a volcano, study water, and much more!
Jan 17 (Sat), 2004, at 6: 30 pm : Dr. David Grinspoon lecture on "Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life," at Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. Oakland, CA. http://www.chabotspace.org
Jan 18 (Sun) Exploratorium, F.I.R.S.T LEGO League Robot Missions, noon - 4pm. A Mars-bot made of Legos? See these Lego robots and their school-aged inventors - in action! Mars robots, as well as the science, prototypes, and blueprints behind making them. Watch the robots as they complete mini-missions such as collecting samples and navigating dunes and craters on a simulated Mars playing field.
Jan 18 (Sun) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars in museum and Webcast (http://www.exploratorium.edu/marsrover) Pop Culture Mars, 2pm >From science fiction and toys to the invasion of Mars movies.
Jan 20, 7:00pm Night Sky Fall Series #5 Robert H. Ferguson Observatory Public Observing (707) 833-6979 http://www.rfo.org
Jan 21 New Moon
January 22, 2005. SFAA annual dinner keynote speaker - Dr. Debra Fischer,
one of the leading exoplanet hunters. Advance registration and payment required. 6:00 p.m. - No-host Bar 7:00 p.m. - Dinner. Basque Cultural Center. 599 Railroad Ave. South San Francisco (650) 583-8091. Check or money order (made out to San Francisco Amateur Astronomers), along with your choice of entrée (Prime Rib-$32.50); Chicken Chasseur-$23.50; Vegetarian Pasta-$20.50 to SFAA, P.O. Box 15097, San Francisco CA 94115, by January 5, 2005.
Jan 23 (Fri) Exploratorium, How Do You Look for Life?, 2pm. One of the primary missions of the MERS is to look for evidence of past water on the surface of Mars. Why is the possibility of water existing on Mars so exciting to scientists on Earth? Was there ever water on Mars? How do we define life? Explore the answers with biologist Dr. Karen Kalamuck.
Jan 23 -7:00 - 9:00 P.M. SAS Sky Tours, San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/SkyTours.html—Saturn, Orion Nebula
Jan 24 SJAA Deep-Sky weekend. Sunset 5:23 p.m., 8% moon sets 8:47 p.m.
Jan 24 (Sat) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars Webcast Being Human on Mars, noon - 4pm Learn about the differences between life on Earth and Mars and what challenges human explorers would face inhabiting the rocky planet.
Jan 24 SAS Star Party High Altitude. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.html
January 24, Robert H. Ferguson Observatory Public Observing Solar Viewing 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 pm, Night viewing 7:00 pm - midnight, (707) 833-6979 http://www.rfo.org
Jan 24 SFAA Awards Dinner (Members Only) 6 pm open bar; 7 pm dinner; http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Jan 25 (Sun) Exploratorium, Mars Cartooning Workshop, noon, 1pm, & 2pm. A cartooning workshop on Martian life - as envisioned by you! Learn basic cartooning techniques and fun exercises that engage your imagination. with cartoonists Jon "Bean" Hastings and Paige Braddock. Classes are on a first come, first served basis. Space is limited. For ages 7 and up. Adults welcome. Journey to Mars Wrap-Up, 2pm. Exploratorium, During this mission, two rovers will land on Mars. The rover Opportunity should land today. We'll review the mission thus far and look at future missions.
Jan 25 (Sun) Exploratorium, Journey to Mars Films, 3pm In Duck Dodgers in the 24th-and-a-Half-Century by Chuck Jones, Daffy Duck and Marvin Martian go to battle over ownership of Mars in this 1953 classic. Also Jumpin' Jupiter by Chuck Jones (1955, 7 min.) and such classics as My Favorite Martian and The Outer Limits.
Jan 27, 7pm Night Sky Fall Series #6, Robert H. Ferguson Observatory Public Observing (707) 833-6979 http://www.rfo.org
Jan 30 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 5:30 p.m., 70% moon sets 2:51 a.m. Star party: 7 to 10 p.m.
Jan 30 7-9pm. Sonoma State University Public Viewing Night. Moon, Orion Nebula.
Jan 31 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Jan 31 (Sat), 2004, in celebration of the Mars Exploratory
Rovers landing on Mars, Ken Croswell will be speak on "Magnificent Mars." at Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. Oakland, CA. http://www.chabotspace.org
Jan 31 SFAA Telescope Clinic 4:30 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Jan 31 SFAA City Star Party (CSP) - Sunset 5:32 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/

February, 2004

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Feb 7 SJAA General meeting, Dr. Alex Filippenko, UC Berkeley. This is the Annual Meeting, election of Board of Directors. 8 p.m.
Feb 7 (Sat) starting 10:00 am. Northern California Historical Astronomy Luncheon and Discussion Association at the Chabot Space and Science Center. Sessions: History of Radio Astronomy (chaired by Robert A. Garfinkle, F.R.A.S), The Geology of Mars (led by Nancy Cox). http://nchalada.org/
Feb 9 "Astrobiology - A New Way of Looking at the Universe," a lecture by Dr. David Morrison, Senior Scientists, NASA Astrobiology Institute; Fellow and Science Trustee, California Academy of Science. Program begins at 7:30pm in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. For more information, call the Dean Lecture Information Line: (415) 750-7141. http://www.calacademy.org/lectures/#dean
Feb 9, 4pm. Sonoma State University lecture series "What Physicists Do." The Search for Planet X: The Sola System Beyond Neptune. Dr. Eugene Chiang of the University of California at Berkeley will describe what we know of the newly discovered Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt, a disk of planetesimals of which Pluto is but one member. In Darwin Hall, Room 108. Coffee at 3:30pm. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
Feb. 11, 2004, 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. Dr. Eugene Chiang of the University of California at Berkeley, "The Search for Planet X: Exploring the Solar System Beyond Neptune" in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hotline at 650-949-7888 for more information.
Feb 12 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Feb 13 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 5:45 p.m., 41% moon rise 2:05 a.m. Star party hours: 7 to 10 p.m.
Feb 13 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Feb 14 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 5:46 p.m., 30% moon rise 3:17 a.m.
Feb 14 SAS Star Party Highway 4. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.html
Feb 20 New Moon
Feb 20 7-9pm. Sonoma State University Observatory Public Viewing Night: Saturn, Orion Nebula
Feb 21 SAS Star Party High Altitude. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.html
Feb 21 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 5:53 p.m., 1% moon sets 7:32 p.m.
Feb 23 4pm. Sonoma State University lecture series "What Physicists Do." The First Results from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Dr. Luisa Rebull of the Spitzer Science Center, Caltech will discuss the very first results from the Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly known as SIRTF), Nasa's fourth and final great observatory. In Darwin Hall, Room 108. Coffee at 3:30pm. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
Feb 27 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 5:59 p.m., 52% moon sets 1:39 a.m. Star party hours: 7 to 10 p.m.
Feb 27 -7:00 - 9:00 P.M. SAS Sky Tours, San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/SkyTours.html—Saturn, Moon, Jupiter, Orion Nebula
Feb 28 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Feb 28 SFAA Telescope Clinic (CSP) 5 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Feb 28 SFAA City Star Party - Sunset 6:02 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/

March, 2004

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Mar 1 "Where Do We Go From Here? A Search for Other Earths," a lecture by Dr. Debra Fischer, University of California at Berkeley. Program begins at 7:30pm in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. For more information, call the Dean Lecture Information Line: (415) 750-7141. http://www.calacademy.org/lectures/#dean
Mar 3 Wednesday 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, Dr. James Kaler of the University of Illinois, "Extreme Stars: The Strangest Critters in the Stellar Zoo." in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free but parking on campus costs $2. Hot-line at 650-949-7888.
March 6 (Sat) 5:45pm and 8:15pm Film Premier showings of "Universe: The Cosmology Quest" hosted by the Sidewalk Astronomers in San Francisco on Saturday, March 6th, at the Randall Museum (http://www.randallmuseum.org), 199 Museum Way, San Francisco, CA 94114. Film includes interviews with renowned cosmologists Sir Fred Hoyle, Geoffrey Burbidge, Jayant Narlikar, Jean-Claude Pecker and Halton Arp, as well as personalities such as John Dobson, Jack Sulentic, and Nobel Laureate Kary Mullis. Seating is extremely limited as is parking in the Randall lot--carpooling is encouraged. Please RSVP to: Phil Rice (415) 497-8564 (cell) <prsfca@circlelimit.com> or <rsvp.universe.3.6.04@earthlink.net>.
March 6, 2004 6:30 pm Distinguished Lecturer Series at Chabot Space & Science Center -- James N. Gardner "BIOCOSM" -- theory that life and intelligence have not emerged in a series of random Darwinian accidents, but are hardwired into the cycle of cosmic creation, evolution, death and birth. $5 (510)336-7373, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. http://www.chabotspace.org.
Mar 7 (Sun) The Eastbay Astronomical Society annual dinner at the Chabot Space & Science Center. Speaker: Phil Plait "The Bad Astronomer." The Helen Pillans Award will be presented to Mike Reynolds. See http://eastbayastro.org.
Mar 11 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
Mar 12 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 6:13 p.m., 56% moon rise 1:10 a.m. Star party hours: 7 to 10 p.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
Mar 13 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 6:14 p.m., 44% moon rise 2:18 a.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
Mar 20 SJAA Annual Messier Marathon at Henry Coe State Park. Sunset 6:20 p.m., 1% moon sets 6:20 p.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
Mar 22, 4pm. Sonoma State University lecture series "What Physicists Do." Galaxies Like to Live Together. Dr. Roy R. Gal of the University of California, Davis will describe how galaxies are distributed throughout the universe and wat surverys of galaxy clusters can teach us about cosmology. In Darwin Hall, Room 108. Coffee at 3:30pm. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
Mar 26 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
Mar 26 8-10pm. Sonoma State University Observatory Public Viewing Night: The Moon, Galaxy Clusters.
Mar 26 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 6:25 p.m., 35% moon sets 0:25 a.m. Star party hours: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
March 27 - 7:00pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. John Westfall, Association of Planetary and Lunar Observers "A Rare Day in June: The Coming Transit of Venus" On June 8th the first transit of Venus in 122 years will take place; learn where and how to view this rare phenomenon. http://www.mttam.net/
Mar 27 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. -- http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
Mar 27 SFAA City Star Party - Sunset 6:29 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Mar 27 SFAA/Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Mar 27 SFAA/Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/

April, 2004

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April 4, Noon, Annual SJAA auction at Hoagie Park, no entry fee. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0403/f.html
April 8 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net
April 9 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. Jim Van Nuland on Telescopes and Eyepieces. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net
April 9 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:38 p.m., 70% moon rise 1:10 a.m. Star party hours: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net
April 10 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 7:39 p.m., 59% moon rise 2:15 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net.
April 12 "Mars-like Soils in the Atacama Desert, Chile, and the Limits of Life in Dry Environments," a lecture by Dr. Chris McKay, NASA Ames Research Center. Program begins at 7:30pm in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. For more information, call the Dean Lecture Information Line: (415) 750-7141. http://www.calacademy.org/lectures/#dean
Apr. 14, 2004 (Wed), 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series -- Dr. Claudia Alexander, of NASA's JetPropulsion Laboratory. "A Galileo Wrap-up: What We Have Learned about Giant Jupiter and its Marvelous Moons." Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Info: 650-949-7888
April 17 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 7:45 p.m., 1% moon rise 6:13 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net.
April 17, 6:00 pm Distinguished Lecturer Series at Chabot Space & Science Center -- World Rainforest Founder David Seaborg, "Global Environmental Issues: Problems, Consequences & Solutions." http://www.chabotspace.org
Apr 19, 4pm. Sonoma State University lecture series "What Physicists Do." Black Holes in the Cores of Nearby Galaxies. Dr. Claire Max of the University of California, Santa Cruz and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will describe how adaptive optics removes blurring from turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere and reveals supermassive black holes in the cores of nearby galaxies. In Darwin Hall, Room 108. Coffee at 3:30pm. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
Apr 23 9-11pm. Sonoma State University Public Viewing Night: Saturn, Jupiter, Star Clusters.
April 23 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:50 p.m., 20% moon sets 0:14 a.m. Star party hours: 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net.
April 24 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. The Board of Directors meets at 6:30 p.m. preceding each general meeting. All are welcome. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net.
April 24 - 8:30pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Greg Madijski, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center "Astronomy from Space" New vistas from observations from above the Earth‚s atmosphere afford us a better understanding of the cosmos. http://www.mttam.net/
Apr 24 SFAA/Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Apr 24 SFAA/Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/

May, 2004

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May 4-8, 2005. Desert Sunset Star Party at the Caballo Loco RV Ranch southwest of Tucson, east of Kitt Peak and nestled against the Sierrita Mountains. Whipple Observatory on Mt Hopkins is located to the east. Lots to do during the day and great skies at night. There will be speakers and door prizes on Friday and Saturday evenings. Details at: http://www.chartmarker.com/sunset.htm; -Pat and Arleen Heimann, ChartMarkers and More
May 6 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://www.sjaa.net/
May 7 deadline for Project Astro Astronomer applications for the 2004 - 2005 school year. Get Free Training and Materials (including "The Universe at Your Fingertips") to work with teachers and students in 4th - 9th grade classrooms. You get paired with a Bay Area teacher at a school near you. Attend a free two-day summer training workshop (August 6 & 7, 2004) to learn effective hands-on astronomy activities . http://www.astrosociety.org/baprojectastro.html -- Kristin Nelson <knelson@astrosociety.org>, Tel. 415-337-1100 ext. 101
May 7 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://www.sjaa.net/
May 7 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:03 p.m., 83% moon rise 0:04 a.m. Star party hours: 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. http://www.sjaa.net/
May 7, 9-11pm. Sonoma State University Public Viewing Night: Jupiter, Spiral Galaxies.
May 8 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:04 p.m., 73% moon rise 1:04 a.m. http://www.sjaa.net/
May 8, 2004, 6:00 pm Distinguished Lecturer Series at Chabot Space & Science Center -- Dr. Sten Odenwald, Mr. "Ask an Astronomer" himself, will be on hand to answer perplexing questions about what's new in astronomy in "Back to the Astronomy Cafe." Book signing follows lecture. http://www.chabotspace.org
May 8 SAS Star Party Highway 4. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.htm
May 10. "Finding Aliens," a lecture by Dr. Seth Shostak, SETI Institute. Program begins at 7:30pm in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. For more information, call the Dean Lecture Information Line: (415) 750-7141
May 14--7:30PM at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills--Peninsula Astronomical Society--An account of a tour of the Arecibo radio telescope facility in Puerto Rico by PAS members William Phelps and Steve Banville as conducted by SETI staff including Drs. Peter Backus and Jill Tarter. Afterwards, we will be observing Comet LINEAR from the Foothill College Observatory near parking lot #4. Foothill College website http://www.foothill.edu/ast/index.htm
May 15 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:10 p.m., 7% moon rise 4:41 a.m. http://www.sjaa.net/
May 15 SAS Star Party High Altitude. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.htm
May 19, 2004, Wednesday 7 pm: Dr. Yvonne Pendleton of NASA's Ames Research Center, will give a talk on: "In the Heat of the Night: Searching for the Heat of Infant Stars, Comets, and the Building Blocks of Life" in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information.
May 22 - 8:30pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Gordon Squires, Spitzer Science Center/Cal Tech "Spitzer-First Results from the Last of the Great Observatories" The Spitzer Space Telescope, launched in August 2003, it is giving us a new look at our universe in the infrared. http://www.mttam.net/
May 22 SFAA/Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
May 22 SFAA/Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
May 22 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://www.sjaa.net/
May 28 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:20 p.m., 71% moon sets 3:01 a.m. Star party hours: 9:30 to midnight. http://www.sjaa.net/

June, 2004

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June 5. General meeting, 8 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/
June 7. "Mars Exploration Rover Science," a lecture by Dr. Joy Crips, Mars Exploration Rover Project Scientist, NASA JPL. Program begins at 7:30pm in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. For more information, call the Dean Lecture Information Line: (415) 750-7141. http://www.calacademy.org/lectures/#dean
June 7. 10pm PDT Transit of Venus (an Astronomical Event Last Witnessed in 1882!) in the Exploratorium museum and online--Live@Exploratorium Webcast from Athens, Greece. At the Exploratorium, roving astronomers will train their telescopes on the stars, while hands-on activities and Greek music, food, and dancing will set the ambience. The 4am Transit of Venus will be available only online. http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus
June 8 at 4am PDT Transit of Venus online only. See http://www.exploratorium.edu/pr/documents/04-6Transit.html and http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus. High-resolution still images of the transit's progress will be posted to the Exploratorium's award-winning website in intervals of fifteen minutes. http://www.exploratorium.edu/pr/documents/04-6Transit.html, http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus
June 10. ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.
June 11--7:30PM at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills--Peninsula Astronomical Society--Dr. Chris DiLeonardo, Professor of Geology at Foothill College will talk about the "Geology of Venus". Appropriate for the month of the Transit of Venus. Foothill College website http://www.foothill.edu/ast/index.htm
June 11. Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.
June 11. Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:28 p.m., 25% moon rise 2:46 a.m. Star party hours: 9:30 p.m. to midnight. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.
June 12. Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:29 p.m., 17% moon rise 3:10 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.
June 12 SAS Star Party Highway 4. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.htm
June 16-20, 2004. Shingletown Star Party This is the SSP's third year. It offers some of California's darkest skies and convenient easy-highway access. The star party is held on the runway of a closed airport, so there's no dirt or tumbleweeds on the setup field. Beautiful Mount Lassen National Volcanic Park is 17 miles up the mountain. Registration limited to 300 attendees. http://www.shingletownstarparty.org
June 19. Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:31 p.m., 2% moon sets 10:32 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.
June 19 SAS Star Party High Altitude. Details see http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~sas/StarParties.htm
25 Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:32 p.m., 56% moon sets 1:28 a.m. Star party hours: 9:30 p.m. to midnight. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.
June 25-26 Santa Cruz Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
June 26 - 8:30pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Jeff Moore, NASA-Ames Research Center "Forthcoming Exploration of the Pluto System" The distant planet Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Objects will the last members of our Solar System to be visited by space craft. http://www.mttam.net/
Jun 26 SFAA\Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Jun 26 SFAA/Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
June 26. ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. The Board of Directors meets at 6:30 p.m. preceding each general meeting. All are welcome. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/.

July, 2004

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July 8 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
July 9--7:30PM at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills--Peninsula Astronomical Society--Instruments Night. This will be a session where people will bring their favorite telescopes and accessories to demonstrate for the club membership and anyone else who might be interested. An especially interesting session for those shopping for a telescope or binoculars. Foothill College website http://www.foothill.edu/ast/index.htm
July 9 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. Rob Hawley speaks on weather's impact on observing.
July 9 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:30 p.m., 40% moon rise 1:14 a.m. Star party hours: 9:30 to midnight.
July 9-10 Sonoma CAS Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
July 10 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:30 p.m., 30% moon rise 1:40 a.m.
July 10 at 7:30pm -- MT TAM Storytelling - "The Labours of Hercules: A Story Written in the Stars" with local storyteller David Ponky - Mountain Theatre on Mt Tam -- Mt Tamalpais Interpretive Association website:http://www.mttam.net or call 415-455-5370
July 16-17 San Jose AA Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
July 17--Peninsula Astronomical Society--The PAS annual picnic and star party will be held starting at 6PM at Hidden Villa Nature Center on Moody Rd. in Los Altos Hills. After the picnic, there will be a presentation to the public by Dave Rodriques of the East Bay AS, a.k.a. The Astrowizard, starting at 7:30PM. This will be followed by a star party. There will be a small admission charge to benefit Hidden Villa and it's programs.
July 17 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:26 p.m., 0% moon sets 9:11 a.m.
July 20-24 AstroCon 2004 at Doubletree Hotel, Berkeley Marina, Berkeley, California --
An historic conjunction of organizations that surround, serve, and support amateur astronomers: Astronomical League (AL), American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) , Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO). Hosted by: Eastbay Astronomical Society (EAS), Astronomical Association of Northern California (AANC), San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA). Dedicated to Dr. Janet Mattei, 1943-2004. -24, in Berkeley, California.
July 23 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:22 p.m., 31% moon sets 11:56 p.m. Star party hours: 9:00 to midnight.
July 23-24 Central Valley Astronomers Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
July 24 - 8:30pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Saul Permutter, Lawrence Berkeley Labs "Supernovae, Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe" Astronomers use exploding stars to investigate one of the biggest scientific mysteries of our day. http://www.mttam.net/
July 24- 8:30pm -Dr. Jeff Moore from NASA-Ames Research Center on "The New Horizons Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission" - Mountain Theatre on Mt Tam -- Mt Tamalpais Interpretive Association website: http://www.mttam.net or call 415-455-5370
July 24 Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
July 24 Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
July 24 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.

August, 2004

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Aug 5 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Aug 6 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Aug 6 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 8:09 p.m., 65% moon rise 11:41 p.m. Star party hours: 9:00 p.m. to midnight.
August 6 & 7 -- Project ASTRO training workshop, which will be held at the San Mateo County Office of Education in Redwood City. http://www.astrosociety.org/baprojectastro.html
Aug 6-7 Tri Valley Stargazers Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
Aug 7 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:08 p.m., 46% moon rise 00:09 a.m.
Aug 12-13 Peninsula AS Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
August 13-15--Peninsula Astronomical Society--The Annual PAS Yosemite Star Party will be held at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. This will coincide with the weekend of the New Moon and the weekend closest to the Perseid Meteor Shower.
Aug 14 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 8:00 p.m., 1% moon rise 5:50 a.m.
August 20--7:30PM at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills--Peninsula Astronomical Society--Mr Richard Bennion of Broadchoice.com will give a presentation which includes live displays of CCD images from his own telescopes on a giant screen. Foothill College website http://www.foothill.edu/ast/index.htm
Aug 20 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:52 p.m., 19% moon sets 10:26 p.m. Star party hours: 9:00 p.m. to midnight.
Aug 20-21 San Francisco AA Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
August 21 - 8:00pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Philip Plait, Sonoma State University "Bad Astronomy: Facing Down the Face on Mars" The recent spate of nonsense circulating the web involving the Red Planet will be debunked with science, simple logic and a dose of humor. http://www.mttam.net/ or call 415-455-5370
Aug 21 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m.
Aug 21, 2004, Saturday. Northern California Historical Astronomy Luncheon and Discussion Association, NCHALADA LXVIV. Morning session, Astronomical Humor, will be led by Norm Sperling who is now the editor and publisher of the Journal of Irreproducible Results. The afternoon session, Muslim Astronomy before 1600 CE, will be led by Bruce R. Mehlman. http://nchalada.org
Aug 21 Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Aug 21 Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Aug 27, 9-11pm. Sonoma State University Public Viewing Night: Moon, Globular Clusters.
Aug 28 SJAA General meeting, The Magnetic Weather and Climate of the Sun and its Environment by Karel Schrijver from

September, 2004

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Sept 2 SJAA ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
Sept 3-5 Mount Diablo Astronomical Society Yosemite Star Party http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/ArticlesForAANC/yosemite.html
Sept 10 SJAA Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
Sept 10 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:22 p.m., 11% moon rise 3:37 a.m. Star party hours: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
September 10--7:30PM at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills--Peninsula Astronomical Society--The Transit of Venus-members of the PAS who went to observe and photograph the June 8 Transit of Venus will give a travelogue of their travel experiences, mostly in Italy and Greece. Foothill College website http://www.foothill.edu/ast/index.htm
Sep 11 SJAA Dark Sky Star Party at Coyote Lake Park, Gilroy. Potluck at 7 p.m. Sunset 7:21 p.m., 5% moon rise 4:41 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
Sep 11 SFAA Annual Picnic, Mount Tam. Starts 4 pm, observing at Sunset 7:23 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
September 11--Peninsula Astronomical Society--We return to Hidden Villa for another public presentation and star party. This time, Doug Brown of the SJAA will give a presentation on the recent very successful Mars Exploration Rover missions. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html Again, we start at 7:30PM.
SEP 13 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
MAGNETIC RECORDING - Dr. Hongtao Shi of Sonoma State University will discuss the history of magnetic recording and the novel materials which promise to dramatically increase the density of magnetic data storage in the near future.
Sep 16 SJAA ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
Sep 18 SJAA Deep sky weekend. Sunset 7:10 p.m., 16% moon sets 9:32 p.m http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
September 18 - 7:30pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Pascal Lee, Mars Institute/NASA-Ames "Humans on Mars" Research in the Antarctic is being used for feasibility studies preparing the way for humans to explore the planet Mars. http://www.mttam.net/
Sep 18 SFAA/Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Sep 18 SFAA/Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Sep 20 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
Dr. Jill Tarter of the SETI Institute will describe the status of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence with telescopes today and with the new Allen Telescope Array being built in partnership with UC Berkeley to do SETI and radio astronomy 24 × 7.
Sep 24 SJAA Houge Park star party. Sunset 7:01 p.m., 88% moon sets 3:37 a.m. Star party hours: 8:00 to 11 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
September 24 (Fri) application deadline for October 2 2004 Family ASTRO Event-Leader Training Workshop at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's office in San Francisco See listing under this calendar--Oct 2, 2004. Contact Kristin Nelson at (415) 337-1100 ext. 101 or knelson@astrosociety.org
Sep 25 -- SJAA General meeting, Slide and Equipment Night. 8 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/a.html
Sep 27 -- 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets $4. Dr. John Trauger, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory "The Hubble Space Telescope" http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.html
Sep 27 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
FIRST RESULTS FROM THE CASSINI-HUYGENS MISSION AT SATURN Dr. Linda Spilker of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech will discuss the first results from the Cassini-Huygens mission, a joint undertaking by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the Saturn system.
Sept. 28 and 29 -- Build a Telescope with John Dobson! and Explore the Universe with John Dobson! Classes will be held at: Randall Museum 199 Museum Way San Francisco, CA 94114 ph: (415) 554-9600. http://www.randallmuseum.org/content_images/FallFlyer04.pdf

October, 2004

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Oct 2 SJAA -- ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
October 2 2004 Saturday -- Family ASTRO Event-Leader Training Workshop at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's office in San Francisco from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Ocean Avenue, half way between City College and San Francisco State. The workshop will prepare Leaders to use the activities in our Night Sky Adventure kit. Families build and use their own star finder and learn to identify objects in the Night Sky. See application at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/familyflyer.html. The application deadline is Friday, September 24. Contact Kristin Nelson at (415) 337-1100 ext. 101 or knelson@astrosociety.org
Oct 4 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
BRIGHTNESS ENHANCEMENT FILMS FOR LCD BACKLIGHTING Dr. David J. Lamb ('94) of 3M Company's Optical Systems Division will discuss the consumer liquid crystal display (LCD) industry and how 3M's microreplication and multilayer technologies have revolutionized the manner in which these displays are illuminated.
Oct. 6, 2004 (Wednesday) 7 pm: Apollo 9 Astronaut Russell Schweickart gives a talk on: "Asteroid Deflection: Hopes and Fears". Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public.Parking on campus costs $2. Series hot-line 650-949-7888.
October 8--7:30PM at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills--Peninsula Astronomical Society--High Energy Astrophysics-Mr. Charles Booher will give an account of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory mission and describe the upcoming GLAST mission. Foothill College website http://www.foothill.edu/ast/index.htm
Oct 8 SJAA -- Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 8 SJAA -- Houge Park star party. Sunset 6:40 p.m., 23% moon rise 2:25 a.m. Star party hours: 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 9 SJAA -- Deep sky weekend. Sunset 6:38 p.m., 15% moon rise 3:28 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 11 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
SCIENCE ON MARS WITH SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY Dr. Albert Haldemann of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech will review the adventures and discoveries made by the twinMars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity on Mars.
October 16 - 7:30pm Mt Tam Astronomy Program Dr. Emma Bakes, SETI Institute/NASA-Ames "Exploring the Meaning of Life" There is evidence for the universal formation of life throughout the cosmos.
Oct 16 SFAA/Mount Tam Telescope Clinic http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Oct 16 SFAA/Mount Tam Public Star Party http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Oct 14-17 SJAA -- Cal-Star Star Party. Lake San Antonio Regional Park. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 16 SJAA -- Deep sky weekend. Sunset 6:29 p.m., 7% moon sets 8:10 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 18 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
CLIMATE CONTROL: REDUCING THE ROLE OF CARS IN GLOBAL WARMING Dr. Louise Bedsworth of the Union of Concerned Scientists will discuss currently available technologies to greatly reduce the impact of automobiles on global warming emissions and current policy opportunities to realize them.
Oct 18 -- 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets $4. Dr. Michelle Thaller, California Institute of Technology. "In the Heat of the Night: Exploring the Invisible Universe" The Spitzer Space Telescope is returning spectacular images of what our universe looks like when viewed in infrared light. It sees through dense clouds of gas and dust to unveil clues about star formation, newly forming planetary systems, the black hole in the middle of the Milky Way, and much more. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.html
October 23 - 5:00pm MT TAM STORYTELLING- Mary Ellen Hill - "We are the Stars That Sing: The Story of the Universe" http://www.mttam.net/
Oct 21 SJAA -- ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 22 SJAA -- Houge Park star party. Sunset 6:21 p.m., 76% moon sets 2:37 a.m. Star party hours: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 23 SJAA -- General meeting. 8 p.m http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 23 SFAA City Star Party - Sunset 6:21 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Oct 25 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
TESTS FOR NEWTON'S LAW OF GRAVITY AT SUB-MILLIMETER DISTANCES Dr. Aharon Kapitulnik of Stanford University will discuss the motivation for testing Newton's inverse-square law at short distances and will describe novel devices that are used to measure possible deviations from this law.
Oct 30 SJAA -- ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html
Oct 31 SJAA -- 3 a.m. DST Ends. Set your clock back to 2 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0409/a.html

November, 2004

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Nov 1 -- 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets $4. Dr. Kevin Grazier, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory "Lord of the Rings: The Cassini Mission to Saturn" On June 30, the largest and most sophisticated spacecraft ever sent into deep space entered orbit around Saturn after nearly a seven year journey. This was the first step of a four-year nominal mission during which Cassini will explore Saturn, its rings, satellites, and magnetic environment, while the Huygens probe will make in situmeasurements of the satellite Titan. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.html
Nov 1 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
VISUALIZING HUMAN HEALTH AND DISEASE WITH MEDICAL IMAGING Dr. Bruce Hasegawa of the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California at Berkeley will show how the principles of physics and engineering guide the development of medical imaging techniques that use radiation to assess human health and disease.
November 3, 2004, (Wednesday) 7:00 pm. The Planetary Society Bay Area Volunteer Network presents MINGLING PLANETARY MICROBES: Protecting Alien Ecosystems... and Our Own. SPEAKERS: Margaret S. Race - Ecologist, Planetary Protection; SETI Institute and NASA; Christopher P. McKay - Planetary scientist, Space Science; NASA/Ames Research Center; Sandra M. Dawson - Risk Communication; NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Location: Independence High School - C Villa, 1776 Educational Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95112. In the past year, two spacecraft landed on Mars to explore its surface. Early next year, another will descend to the surface of Saturn's moon, Titan. In years to come, more missions will follow, and some will carry humans. As we expand our presence on other planets, we must consider what we might bring with us that could threaten their ecosystems. And recently, a spacecraft containing solar wind samples crashed on Earth. Eventually, when we bring more samples-or astronauts-back to Earth, what dangers could they pose to our own planet? Driving directions: http://ih.esuhsd.org/AreaMap.htm Campus Map: http://ih.esuhsd.org/campusmap.htm We will be in "C Villa". Advance tickets by mail: $2.00. (At the door: $5.00) Admission is free with purchase of a new membership in The Planetary Society. For an online printable order form, please visit http://tpsbavn.org/MinglingMicrobes.htm
NOV 5 SJAA - Houge Park star party. Sunset 5:05 p.m., 39% moon rise 0:12 a.m. Star party hours: 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
NOV 5 SJAA - Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
NOV 6 SJAA - Deep sky weekend. Sunset 5:04 p.m., 30% moon rise 1:14 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
Nov 8 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
RECOVERING HISTORICAL SOUND RECORDINGS USING OPTICAL METHODS Dr. Carl Haber of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will describe new methods to recover old mechanical sound recordings based upon optical measurements and image processing techniques.
Nov 10 - Wednesday, 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. Astronomer Eliot Quataert of U.C. Berkeley will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on: "Black Holes: The Science Behind the Science Fiction" in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information
NOV 11 SJAA - ATM class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
NOV 13 - Deep sky weekend. Sunset 4:59 p.m., 1% moon sets 5:48 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
Nov 15 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
"LIGHT BRINGS US NEWS OF THE UNIVERSE..." Professor Emeritus Tony Siegman of Stanford University will describe how the striking phrase in the title--the opening words of a 1931 Christmas Lecture on astronomy by Sir William Bragg for the Royal Institution of London--might be extended today to include recent advances in science and technology made possible by lasers and fiber optics.
Nov 17, 2004 Wednesday. San Francisco Amateur Astronomers
7:30 pm General Meeting. Randall Museum, San Francisco (http://www.randallmuseum.org)
Steve Gottlieb: The NGC and IC project - an amateur/professional collaboration (NGC/IC Project at http://www.ngcic.com/ whose goal is to re-examine the 100 to 200-year old source material used by J.J. Dreyer to compile the NGC and IC
NOV 19 SJAA - Houge Park star party. Sunset 4:55 p.m., 62% moon sets 0:37 a.m. Star party hours: 7:00 to 10:00 p.m http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
NOV 20 SJAA - General meeting 8 p.m. Speaker will be Don Machholz. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
Nov 20 SFAA Telescope Clinic (CSP) 4 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Nov 20 SFAA City Star Party - Sunset 4:55 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
NOV 21 SJAA - Fall swap at Houge Park. From Noon onward. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
Nov 22 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
BIOMATERIALS AND BIOSENSORS Dr. Enrique Izaguirre of Sonoma State University will describe the work done in biomaterials and organic biosensors with several students from the departments of Chemistry and Physics & Astronomy during the past three years.
NOV 27 SJAA - ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/a.html
Nov 29 -- 4pm, Sonoma State University lectures (WHAT PHYSICISTS DO) http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
ROBOTIC TELESCOPES AT SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY Dr. Gordon Spear of Sonoma State University will describe the nature of robotic telescope systems, describe how they are likely to change the way astronomy is done, and provide some preliminary results and experiences with such telescopes at SSU.

December, 2004

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Dec 3 SJAA - Houge Park star party. Sunset 4:50 p.m., 66% moon rise 11:01 p.m. Star party hours: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 3 SJAA - Astronomy class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 4 SJAA - Deep sky weekend. Sunset 4:50 p.m., 47% moon rise 0:02 a.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 6 -- 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets $4. Dr. Harvey Tananbaum, Director, Chandra X-ray Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory "The Chandra X-ray Observatory" The Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided an unprecedented view of the Universe at x-ray wavelengths. Recent results include spectacular images of diverse astrophysical systems such as supernova remnants and galaxy clusters, shedding (x-ray) light on mysteries involving exploding stars, dark matter, dark energy and black holes. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.html
Dec 9 SJAA - ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 11 SJAA - Deep sky weekend. Sunset 4:51 p.m., 0% moon http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 17 SJAA - Houge Park star party. Sunset 4:52 p.m., 36% moon sets 11:35 p.m. Star party hours: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 18 SJAA - General meeting. SJAA 50th Anniversary Celebration and Holiday Party. 8 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html
Dec 18 SFAA Telescope Clinic (CSP) 4 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Dec 18 SFAA City Star Party - Sunset 4:53 pm http://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/sfaa/
Dec 21 Noon Chaco Canyon: Winter Solstice Webcast - http://www.exploratorium.edu/chaco Celebrate the winter solstice at the Exploratorium. Chaco Canyon, located in New Mexico, was a major center of Puebloan culture, and is known for the Sun Dagger, an artifact that many people believe was a celestial calendar for the ancient Pueblo Indians. The webcast is the centerpiece of a day of museum activities investigating the winter solstice in the context of this fascinating landmark. This event is included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium.
Dec 23 SJAA - ATM Class at Houge Park. 7:30 p.m. http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0411/a.html