Watch this page for news of astronomical events and local events of astronomical interest.
In this issue:
The Many Mysteries of Antimatter Dr. Helen Quinn, Stanford University A Presentation of the Silicon Valley Lecture Series Wednesday, March 10, 2010 7:00 pm Smithwick Theater Foothill College
On Wednesday, March 10, at 7 pm, Dr. Helen Quinn, Stanford University, will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on:"The Many Mysteries of Antimatter" as part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California.
Antimatter is just like matter with all its properties reversed. But when antimatter meets a matching amount of matter, they destroy each other, both turning suddenly into energy. Scientists think there may have been equal amount of matter and antimatter in the early universe, and yet today we have lots of matter and very little antimatter. How and when that imbalance developed is one of the great mysteries in understanding the underlying properties of the universe. Dr. Quinn, who is co-author of the definitive popular book on antimatter, will discuss the history of our understanding of antimatter and how we use the little bit of antimatter around today to study some of the highest energy processes among the stars and galaxies. One particularly interesting possible source of antimatter is the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, mysterious material that is thought to make more of the universe than the regular matter we know and love. Dr. Quinn will discuss ongoing antimatter experiments that are helping to put limits on the nature and behavior of dark matter. Dr. Quinn is Professor of Physics at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center at Stanford and Assistant to SLAC’s Director for Education and Outreach. She has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and is a former President of the American Physical Society. Her book The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter (2008, Princeton University Press) is an engaging introduction to the world of particle physics.
No background in science will be required for this talk. Seating is first come, first served.
The lecture is co-sponsored by: * NASA Ames Research Center * The Foothill College Astronomy Program * The SETI Institute * The Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Past Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are now available in MP3 format at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html
This event is fFree and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2 and you should leave some time to get a parking sticker.
Call the series hotline at 650-949-7888 for more information and driving directions.
Foothill College Astronomy Instructor Receives 2009 Hayward Award for Excellence in Education
Foothill College Astronomy Instructor Andrew Fraknoi is one of four community colleges teachers to be named recipient of the 2009 Hayward Award for Excellence in Education by the California Community College Board of Governors. The four faculty members were selected from across the state for their commitment to professional excellence in their fields as well as their contributions to their community.
In honor of former state chancellor Gerald C. Hayward, the award honors community college faculty members who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to their students, college and profession. Recipients are nominated by their local peers and selected as winners by representatives of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. In addition to excellence in teaching, they must have a record of outstanding performance in professional activities as well as a record of active participation on campus.
Fraknoi has spent his career improving the accessibility of astronomy to students and community members being served by Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. A resident of San Francisco, he is known for his skill in interpreting astronomical discoveries and ideas in everyday language. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious American Institute of Physics Andrew Gemant Award. He was selected as California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2007. Fraknoi's Physics for Poets: Everything You Wanted to Know about Einstein but Were Afraid to Ask course received the 2005 Innovation of the Year Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College.
"I am honored and grateful for this award," Fraknoi said. "My mission in life has been to share a cosmic perspective and my love of the scientific method with students for whom science has been a challenge.
"Many august scientific societies have made official statements on the challenges to our modern understanding of science. But such statements mean nothing to the average student. It's up to those of us in the trenches of modern education--and there are few trenches as full of the nitty gritty of real life as the community colleges--to show students the real power of critical thinking, of evidence-based judgment, and of the skeptical use of their rational minds. This is the challenge I relish every quarter I teach. I thank Foothill College very much for giving me the privilege of teaching there and I thank all of you for recognizing the value in that teaching," Fraknoi said.
Foothill students praise Fraknoi's ability to translate difficult concepts into entertaining and conceptually relevant instruction. "You are one of the best teachers I have found in all of my scholastic studies," said Robin Forsberg of Fraknoi. "You share your knowledge, rather than show it off. You provide us with an opportunity to understand and enjoyŠ You are providing a great service to your students, Foothill College, and the community."
"I believe that an understanding of our place in the wider universe and the methods of science are part of the birthright of everyone living on our planet," Fraknoi said. "Yet, the way science is taught in this country can often discourage non-science majors from taking a lifelong interest--or even a course-long interest--in science. My philosophy is to show students that science is engaging, human, and part of our cultural heritage. An example of this is the interdisciplinary Physics for Poets class I have developed, where I discuss and get students involved with Einstein's work using analogies, demonstrations, cartoons, and examples from the student's own experiences, without using an excess of mathematics. Once they internalize the concepts, we read stories and a novel that are illuminated by an understanding of the science--and even play music inspired by Einstein's work."
Fraknoi does everything he can to make his classes fun, including using visuals, reading poems, recommending science fiction stories, and even doing a moon-revolution or pulsar-beam dance in front of the class.
"I try to communicate science in everyday language, drawing the students in, instead of pushing them away," Fraknoi said. "My astronomy courses stress the larger themes of the vast scales of space and time, varieties of nature, and intricate beauty of the subatomic world. I spend time in each class talking about the history of women and minorities in science, and showing what a waste it is to exclude anyone from the pleasure of science. I am so delighted when students who have not succeeded in science before tell me that, for the first time, they 'get it' and understand why people are excited about science."
"I can't tell you how fascinating it was for me to have had the opportunity to learn about stars, galaxies, and the universe from you," said former Foothill student Cathy Stepanek of Fraknoi. "Your excitement about the topic is contagious. Thank you for inviting questions and for your clear and thorough explanations. Your humor, knowledge, and the historical, cultural, and musical references were very much appreciated. I am now in awe of this universe and our ability to understand it. It is a privilege to have been your student."
Fraknoi credits his success to the numerous great teachers he himself learned from throughout his career. In fact, he feels so strongly about providing a forum for experienced instructors to share their approaches with colleagues who are new to the field that he developed the Cosmos in the Classroom Symposia, a series of workshops on new ways of teaching introductory astronomy. The first symposium began in 1996, with just a California group of instructors. It has steadily expanded and now meets every three years. The group's last meeting in 2007 brought together nearly 200 instructors from around the country for three days of hands-on workshops and networking. To defray costs, Fraknoi obtained NASA grants for scholarships, so that part-time instructors and those from colleges that serve significant numbers of minority students, but have no travel funding, could also attend. "Every good teacher of astronomy can touch the lives of so many thousands of students over the years and nurturing a new generation of good teachers is something that is very much worth our best efforts," he said.
Ten years ago, Fraknoi founded the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, which has grown to be one of the most popular events at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. For many of these free lectures, Foothill's 900-seat theater is filled to overflow capacity with crowds eager to hear current developments in astronomy from world-renowned scientists. The slate of impressive guest lecturers who have presented at Foothill College include the first woman in history to discover a planet, a U.S. astronaut, a winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, and the discoverer of the dwarf planet beyond Pluto.
Radio listeners know Fraknoi as a frequent guest on local and national news and talk programs. In Northern California, he currently appears on the Gil Gross Show on KGO Newstalk AM 810, and was a regular on the Jim Eason Show and Pete Wilson Show on the same station. He has also been a regular guest on Forum with Michael Krasny on KQED, and is the astronomer-in-residence on the syndicated Los Angeles-based Mark & Brian Show. Nationally, he has been heard on Science Friday and Weekend All Things Considered on National Public Radio.
A prolific author, Fraknoi co-edited The Planets and The Universe, two collections of science articles and science fiction stories for Bantam Books in the 1980s. His children's book on astronomy, Wonderful World of Space, was published by Disney in 2007, and features astronomy puns using Disney and Pixar film characters.
The four Hayward Award recipients, each from different areas of the state, are selected and honored annually at the March board of governors' meeting. The candidates are evaluated on their commitment to education; serving students; community colleges, including support for open access and helping students succeed; serving the institution through participation in professional and/or student activities; and serving as a representative of the profession beyond the local institution. A $1,250 cash award and plaque is presented to each recipient. In addition to Fraknoi, the 2009 award recipients are Shasta College Vocal & Choral Music Instructor Elizabeth Waterbury, Antelope Valley College Physics Instructor Christos Valiotis, and Golden West College Counselor Stephanie Dumont.
The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is a nonprofit professional organization for the faculty of 110 California community colleges. It serves 60,000 faculty members throughout the state who impact millions of students annually. For more information, access www.asccc.org.
Past Silicon Valley lecture Programs Now Available as Podcasts
The Silicon Valley Lecture Series features some of the world's leading researchers in astronomy and planetary science presenting the latest news from their fields in a non-technical manner geared for the general public. Each year, NASA Ames Research Center, the Foothill College Astronomy Program, the SETI Institute, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific partner in sponsoring six lectures for the program. These programs have become very popular, and many have played to standing-room only audiences. Past Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are now available in MP3 format at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html.
New Resource Guide on Women in Astronomy at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Website
An updated, expanded resource guide to the role women have played and are playing in the development of astronomy is now available on the web-site of the non-profit Astronomical Society of the Pacific: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/womenast_bib.html
The guide includes both printed and web-based materials, and has general references on the topic plus specific references to the work and lives of 32 women astronomers of the past and present. All the materials are at the non-technical level and thus appropriate for student papers, curriculum development, or personal enrichment.
The guide makes reference to 178 different web resources, as well as books and articles that are either in print or found in many larger libraries.
This resource guide is part of a series that can be found on the Society's web-site, on such topics as the astronomy of many cultures, debunking astronomical pseudo-science, and resources for astronomy education.
Peninsula Astronomical Society members gather for observing at the society's Oakridge Observatory each month. The Oakridge Prime Observing Nights occur on the Saturday closest to the new moon. Oakridge is a locked facility. To gain access, PAS members should obtain and complete a release form from William Phelps at (650) 493-4742.
There's a lot to keep up with in the field of astronomy and in the events of the society. In order to help us share information and help keep each other current, the PAS has established an Email mailing list. We encourage all PAS members to join our new mailing list.
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PAS member Alan Adler has written a program for analyzing spherical mirrors that are flexed into paraboloids. Alan presented a talk about this program at the most recent Riverside Telescope Makers Conference, and the program is being featured in an article being published in Sky and Telescope Magazine. Alan has made the program available for download at the TAC website.
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