JPL Open House, Part 2.

There is just too much good stuff at JPL.  I still haven’t gotten through everything and I have gone three times already.

Another scale model spacecraft.  This is of Herschel a collaboration between JPL, NASA and the ESA and was and the largest infrared telescope ever launched.  Last year Herschel’s liquid helium (used to cool the instruments and see cosmic IR) ran out ending the mission.

Instruments from the Spiztez Infrared space telescope are demonstrated on a family.  Although Spitzer’s coolant ran out like Herschel’s, two short-wavelength modules are still operable and continue to be used.

The engineer for the new starshade spacecraft gave us an overview of the technical difficulties she is facing working on this spacecraft and its search for extra-solar planets.

This was by far the most intriguing exhibit to me.  This group is using low cost, everyday equipment to hunt for ex0-planets.  I think I have everything needed to join the hunt!  I am going to do a whole post on this because of the fantastic opportunity for citizen scientists to discover new worlds!  I almost had to be dragged away from this exhibit.

More to come.

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +

Norman

JPL Open House Part 1.

Among the many, many other events this past weekend, there was the can’t miss event…the JPL open house.  Restored after the sequester and budget cuts, this event should be on top of NASA’s outreach budget.  Although there is no advertising (except for a few emails and social media posts), the last event drew more than 400,000 people.

Although I don’t have and numbers for this years event, the staff people that I talked too said that Saturday had more visitors than the facility had ever had.  I was there on Sunday, and it was packed as well.  We arrived 40 minutes early and were still in line over 1/4 mile from the entrance.  There were so many people waiting that they actually opened up early to avoid problems.  When I left at noon (for another event that I needed to attend), the line of cars waiting to get in was backed up over a mile on the 210 freeway!

This year I started at the front of JPL.  There are two lanes of traffic, one takes you to the rear parking lot and one takes you to the front.  Last year we went to the rear parking lot.

At the entrance is the rover exhibit.  Above is a copy of the Spirit/Opportunity rovers that JPL uses to help them understand what is happening on Mars.

A scale model of the wheels for Curiosity. Just to the left of the picture is another booth where JPL staffers line children up and roll over them with a set of Spirit/Opportunity wheels.  It was great fun if the squeals of delight were any indication.  I have a (not so good) video, but I had to reach over three people deep to even try and get that.  It was VERY popular for kids and parents alike.

In one pavilion scale models of several satellites were on display.  The Plank spacecraft is shown above.

A mockup of the instruments on WISE and what they do was being explained to a young lady that was very interested.  It really does help that many of the staffers at JPL are women.  I think it helps overcome some of the biases that society pressures young girls to believe about themselves.  This is a concrete example of what a smart woman is capable of achieving in science.

This is just the first part.  I have a lot more pictures that I will be posting this week so you can see what you missed.

FYI, according to people at JPL, NASA is trying to get this event back on its regular schedule.  So due to the date this event was held (the beginning of the fiscal year), the next open house probably won’t be held until the  March-May 2016 time frame.

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +

Norman

Too Much Good Stuff Going On This Weekend In SoCal.

I hardly know where to begin, so we will start with the big one.

The JPL Open House is back!!!! Yeah!!! If you have youngsters that want to be run over by a Martian rover, or you want to see the place where history is continually made, this is it! Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm each day.  You MUST go if you live in the area.  More information here.

Next is the SIA Expo (Science, Imaging and Astronomy) at Pierce College in Woodland Hills on Saturday from 10am to 6pm.  Farah and everyone from Woodland Hills Photo and Telescope put on a great event each year.  Great deals.

And of course it is the monthly meeting of the Riverside Astronomical Society.  In addition to that it is quarterly board meeting and all RAS members are welcome to attend.  Afterwards we have dinner and everyone that wants to eat with us is more than welcome to come.

Another happening on Saturday near the entrance to Joshua Tree Nation Park is the 10th annual Sky’s The Limit celebration at the nature center.  More information can be found here.

 

The last little guilty pleasure for the weekend is the Bargain Camera Show.  This Sunday from 10am-3pm at the Elks Lodge in Pasadena, camera bargains galore can be found.

 

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +

Norman