space odyssey
05.23.14 volunteer update
Click below for quick access to:
Storytelling with Uniview
Space Odyssey News
Trainings and Meetings
Space Science Lectures & Events
Museum News and Lectures
Volunteer Enrichment Committee (VEC) Events
storytelling with uniview
by Dr. Ka Chun Yu, PhD Curator of Space Science DMNS
Click the links below to read Ka Chun's latest helpful articles on astronomical insights which are helpful at the Orbits Table as well as other stations in Space Odyssey. These columns are very interesting and helpful for teaching complex topics.
Click below to read the latest columns:
#11 Daily Celestial Motions
#12 H2 Regions
To read all of Ka Chun's previous columns, you can find them on the Portal Training page under Storytelling with Uniview:
NOTE: If you're having issues viewing this column in Firefox, try using Safari or Explorer as those seem to show the column in the best quality. I'm not sure about Chrome.
space odyssey news
NEW DELTA IV HEAVY MODEL INSTALLED
This model was installed above the West entrance to Space Odyssey just yesterday. The signage will be updated soon as well. For more info about the Delta IV Heavy, click here:
JOHN MATHER TALK ON YOUTUBE AND IN DMNS LIBRARY
Dr. Mather gave a great talk this past Tuesday and you'll be able to find a copy of it at the DMNS Library. And you can watch a video of a talk he gave at Berkeley in February of this year on You Tube:
GRAVITY WELL COMPUTER
This computer took a nosedive last week and we're still working on getting it back in action. No word on what caused it to stop functioning. Entropy perhaps? Gravity waves...? Jokes aside, I'll let you know when it's back up and running.
MOONROCK GRABBER ON LIS CART
Dave Lewis is finishing repairs on this as last week we found out it was about to "lose it's grip" because it had a couple screws loose. Yep, couldn't help myself there.
SPECTROSCOPY SITE UPDATE
For those who know and love ye olde spectroscopy site that we used for so many years and now are unable to due to it's outdated code, here's a ray of hope: We're looking into this once again to see if there's any way to resurrect it. I'm not making any promises of course, but if we're able to, we'll do it. I'll keep you apprised.
SCIENCE ON A SPHERE UPDATE
Thanks to your input, we've updated the verbiage on the Airplane dataset slide to better reflect things. It now reads "...about 80,000 commercial flights worldwide..."
Also the SOS User Group proposed reorganization for the iPad playlist screen is being debugged by Tom Kimball and Matt Brownell because there were some errors in it that were causing the system to crash. We'll repost it when it's ready and I'll let you know.
There is a new app for use on the SOS: NESO (NASA Earth and Space Observations). This app utilizes a vast array of datasets from NASA and allows you to interact and analyze said datasets in realtime. I only have a cursory knowledge of this app at this time, but as we learn more and are able to demonstrate it well, we'll begin showing you all how to use it. Stay tuned!
AMAZING ISS VIDEO FOOTAGE
Thanks to Dave Romero for passing this link along, it's realtime video footage from the ISS:
UPDATES ON THE PORTAL
We've updated the Space Weather page on the Portal by replacing bad links and adding new information.
BUZZ ALDRIN BOOK SIGNING IN GLENDALE MAY 24th
Click here for more details:
LAMP CART...FIXED!Thanks to Dave Lewis for fixing the orbit ring on this.it's now working again and happened to be a loose connection that caused the issue.
NASA TV OFFLINE TILL MAY
Still waiting for this to be fixed. Meantime, please use laptops to stream NASA TV if need be. Thanks for your patience!
SCFD COMMUNITY FREE DAYS
As part of the Museum's agreement to receive funds from SCFD, which account for a significant portion of the Museum's operating budget, the Museum offers "community free days" throughout the year to allow those who can't afford admission the privilege to visit DMNS. Below are the dates for the 2014 free days.
The Museum is offering 12 Community Free Days in 2014, made possible by the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. For more information, click here.
- Monday, June 2
- Monday, June 30
- Sunday, July 20
- Monday, September 8
- Sunday, September 28
- Monday, October 27
- Monday, December 1
trainings and meetings
SOS USER GROUP MEETING
Tuesday June 17th
5:30 to 8:30
Galaxy Stage/SOS
RSVP to Dave Blumenstock
Food and Drink provided
Here's the proposed agenda:
- Big news is that DMNS will be attending the annual SoS Workshop in MinnesotaJune 10.
- Bob Raynolds will present See The Seas and See The People.
- Matt Brownell will demonstrate the new iPad controller app with search capability. Stay tuned for the release of this app here at DMNS, after testing is completed.
- Dave B. will report on the meeting at the June SSUG meeting,
- NESO software and app.
- The new NESO ipad app is more useful than the older NEO software.
- Dave B. will be going to a NESO training session at the meeting in Minnesota.
- Here's a teaser from Maurice Henderson from Goddard who created NESO:
- NESO provides a richer library of high resolution earth and space data
- We can handle this higher resolution by using a pan/zoom function.
- The data sets cover extensive time horizons, and NESO allow you to create and measure time series. These time series can be animated to create SOS playable clips including zoomed pips.
- For more info about NESO, Click Here
space science lectures & events
RESERVATION INFO
Volunteers have the opportunity to attend most After Hours programs priced at the $8 member/ $10 nonmember rate for free on a space-available basis! Volunteers always receive the member rate for all other Adult Programs. As of May 12, please call Guest Services at 303.370.6000 to make a reservation. Guest Services is open daily, 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Admission to 60 Minutes in Space is free and is on a first come, first seated basis.
On the evening of the program, please enter through the same entrance as our guests and pick up your ticket from the will-call cashier. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for Adult Programs!
UPCOMING EVENTS
60 MINUTES IN SPACE
Go "behind the stories" in space science using the best images and animation available to help understand new developments. Seating is limited to first come, first served.
The next 60 Minutes in Space will be on Wednesday,June 25.
Location:
Gates Planetarium
Date/Time:
Wednesday, May 28, 7 p.m.
Tickets:
FREE
Digital Earth: Explore the World from Space
Where have we come from and where are we going? Using immersive global satellite images, geologist Bob Raynolds and space scientist Ka Chun Yu take you to the Rift Valley in East Africa. Our ancestors grew up here in lush lands, then left Africa and wandered widely, ending up concentrated by rivers, where major civilizations developed along the Nile, the Tigris, and the Indus rivers. We will discuss how today we are once again concentrating, now along the "energy rivers," where we are urbanizing and developing into digital natives.
Location:
Gates Planetarium
Date/Time:
Thursday, June 12, 7 p.m.
Tickets:
$8 member, $10 nonmember
museum news
SUMMER NIGHTS @ THE MUSEUM
This is a brand-new program occurring Friday nights at DMNS from May 30th thru August 22nd. Click here to learn about Summer Nights @ the Museum
Click here for Evening Lectures
Click here for Museum IMAX information
Click here for Museum Planetarium Information
Click here to learn about the new Discovery Zone opening June 2014
RESERVATION INFO
Volunteers have the opportunity to attend most After Hours programs priced at the $8 member/ $10 nonmember rate for free on a space-available basis! Volunteers always receive the member rate for all other Adult Programs. As of May 12, please call Guest Services at 303.370.6000 to make a reservation. Guest Services is open daily, 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Admission to 60 Minutes in Space is free and is on a first come, first seated basis.
On the evening of the program, please enter through the same entrance as our guests and pick up your ticket from the will-call cashier. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for Adult Programs!
volunteer enrichment committee
Click here for more information about VEC events:
Or see the bulletin board in the Volunteer Lounge for more info.
DaveBlumenstock
Coordinator of Volunteers for Space Science
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Phone 303.370.8344
Fax 303.370.6005
Join the Museum's Online Community