space odyssey
01.30.15 volunteer update
Click below for quick access to:
Storytelling with Uniview
Space Science Lectures & Events
Volunteer Enrichment Committee (VEC) Events
space odyssey news
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
Please click here to take this survey to help us plan trainings and learn how we can better support you in Space Odyssey, thanks in advance! This survey will close by 5 PM Friday, February 6.
HELP NEEDED: SCIENCE LOUNGE ON FEBRUARY 19
Science Lounges are a blast if you haven't worked one before.There are hundreds of interested guests about and they're eager to learn. The February 19 Science Lounge is all about rockets. On this night we need help in the following areas:
- Telescope volunteers: We'll have telescopes on nature plaza
- Space Odyssey: We'll need help with facilitating Gravity Well, Vacuum Chamber, Orbits Table, Science On a Sphere and the Mars Rover cart
These datasets are available within about one week from when I publish them in this update. Our system is updated by NOAA with the latest, greatest stuff every Monday for your viewing pleasure.
COOL NEW LAPTOP/WEB TOOL IN SPACE O
There is a program from JPL called NASA Eyes. We've loaded it onto the Space O laptops for your enjoyment. It's kind of like a trimmed-down version of Uniview that highlights NASA missions. It doesn't have nearly the capability of Uniview, but gives us another tool to use with our guests. You can find the program on the laptops by looking for the squarish, purple-colored icon on the dock. Upon booting up the program, you'll notice that it contains three modules: Eyes on Earth, Eyes on the Solar System, and Eyes on Exoplanets. You can download the program at home to check it out by clicking here. It's fairly simple to navigate overall as you just point and double-click on objects you want to view close-up and can zoom-out and cruise around just using a mouse. Here are some things to keep in mind when you use it:
1. It is hard to navigate between modules. So if you're using Eyes on Earth, and you want to go to Eyes on Exoplanets, you have to close and reopen the program. Likewise, if you're using the exoplanet module and want to go to the Earth module, you have to close the program and reboot.
2. If you're using the exoplanet module, and you fly to an exoplanet system, you'll notice that you can view travel times to the system from earth measured in various ways. But please know that the times can be incorrect. We're alerting JPL to this defect and it doesn't detract from the usability of the program, just be aware of it and let visitors know should this occur.
Those who have been testing out this program have been enjoying facilitating it with the public in various ways: at the Space Screen, or just from a laptop. If you want some help, let me or a staff person know. Have fun!
GALAXY GUIDES IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Check out Dhita Petit's Podcast and Indonesian Archaeoastronomy paper
Dhita volunteers in Space O on Friday afternoons and did a podcast recently for 365 Days of Astronomy about the Indonesian (her native country) perspective about the Big Dipper. It's a great podcast and very informative with a unique perspective. You can view the transcript and subscribe to the podcast on this page:
To read Dhita's Indonesian archaeoastronomy paper, click here:
Indonesian Archaeoastronomy
Here's Betty Jo Armstead's Skirts in Science lecture at DMNS
Betty Jo volunteers on Monday and Wednesday afternoons in SO and in her former life was a computer programmer at the NASA Glenn research facility. She was invited by DMNS's Skirts in Science group to present to them last week about her experiences. Betty gave a great talk and we learned a lot about Betty's amazing work at NASA as a pioneer woman in the field of computer programming, as well as the evolution of computer technology while she was there. We've posted her lecture on the MGG Portal on the lower right side of the homepage under Lectures and Programs:
GIRLS & SCIENCE EVENT SET-UP NEXT WEEK IN SPACE O, ETC.
We will be setting up for the Girls & Science event all day on Friday, 2/6.
They will set up pipe & drape throughoutthe southeast atrium, Science Atrium, Insects & Butterflies area, outside the entrance to Gems & Minerals, and across from the School desk against the School lunchroom wall. They should be done with set up by 3 p.m.
Catering will also be delivering and setting up tables, etc.in the sameareas and additionally Science on a Sphere area and Galaxy Theater in Space Odyssey, in front of the Museum Shop, and on the 3rd floor infill against the north railing outside of the Whales exhibit before 3 pm.
The event lasts from 9 am-5 pm and is open to all who attend the Museum.
THIS WEEK'S COOL SPACE STUFF ON THE WEB:
Neil Armstrong documentary on PBS:
Learn to be an "alien hunter" for free from Harvard:
Which exoplanet are you? Take the quiz!
Okay, this isn't "space-specific" but it's amazing weather footage nonetheless:
WANT TO MENTOR YOUNG WOMEN IN THE SCIENCES?
Anna Corts, president and co-founder of the CU-Boulder Women in Science Group announced a new mentoring program their WIS group is sponsoring in which mentors are paired with mentees. She is looking to recruit additional mentors. If any of you are interested, please look over the flyer, read the blurb below and contact Anna directly at . And please feel free to forward to other women who you think might be interested in mentoring.
Here's more about the program from Anna Corts: "The women in science group at CU Boulder is launching a coaching program this semester. We are starting with a pilot program with about 10 pairs of coach-mentee this first time. The purpose of the program is to provide a role model to the mentees, so that they have advice and support to develop more successful careers. On this program we are collaborating with Women in Computing and Society of Women Engineers from CU Boulder. We are wondering if you would like to collaborate in this program? This way we can support more women in STEM around the area and the more we are the more successful the program can be. I am attaching a document with the description of the program." Click here for more information about this program.
DESIGN THINKING
A couple weeks ago, I attended a two-day workshop here at DMNS around the idea of "design thinking." This idea is the result of work being done by Stanford's d.school. This work centers around using iterative brainstorming and informal conversations with prospective users to create design concepts that can be rapidly prototyped and evaluated. You can learn more about this on their website:
If you have further questions about d.school or this workshop, please let me know.
SCFD COMMUNITY FREE DAY CALENDAR
The Museum is offering 12 Community Free Days in 2015, made possible by the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. 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 2015 free days. To learn more about SCFD, click here.
- Monday, March 2
- Sunday, April 12 (Earth Day)
- Saturday, April 25 (Día del Niño)
- Sunday, May 31
- Monday, June 29
- Sunday, July 26
- Monday, August 17
- Sunday, September 27
- Monday, October 19
- Monday, November 9
trainings and meetings
SOS USER GROUP MEETING
Monday February 2
New time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Meeting starts in Space Odyssey Briefing Room
RSVP to Kim Grogan:
Hello All!
Our next meeting will begin at 4:30pm on Monday, February 2. We'll hold an initial Q & A with staff for the first 30 minutes and then move onto the SOS. The meeting will last until 6:00pm and then the exhibit will be available until 8 PM for anyone who wants to practice with SOS. A good chunk of the meeting will be dedicated to sharing how other volunteers facilitate the SOS so we're hoping to have 3-4 group members present 15-20 minutes of their favorite and most-effective ways of using the SOS with the public at this meeting and make this section a recurring part of these meetings. Larry Stearns from Monday morning shared his SOS wisdom at our last meeting and it was very helpful. It generated excellent discussion and ideas about how to add to and/or tweak the content and presentation. We all want this to be a fun and informative experience. If you'd like to attend the next SOS User Group meeting, please email me at . Note that we don't provide food for these meetings, but we can eat in the exhibit after 5 PM, so please bring a snack if you wish.
Please email me if you'd like to share your SOS flair at this meeting!
I look forward to seeing you,
Kim
TRAINING ON GRAVITY WELL, INFRARED AND SPECTROSCOPY
Monday February 9
6 to 8 p.m.
Space Odyssey
RSVP to Dave Blumenstock
Food and drink provided
Please join us for our first training of 2015! We'll be instructing on Gravity Well, Infrared Table and Spectroscopy. Please let me know if you can make it. You can read up on these activities ahead of time on the Portal here:
storytelling with uniview
by Dr. Ka Chun Yu, PhD Curator of Space Science DMNS
You can read all of Ka Chun's previous columns 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 science lectures & events
SCIENCE LOUNGE: UP, UP AND AWAY
Launch into an outer-stellar evening navigating the galaxy in a vehicle of your own creation. Examine what it takes to send a craft into space, learn how combustion and launch vehicles propel the most massive rockets, roll up your sleeves for Rocket Engine 101, then blast off to the bar for a cosmic cocktail. Rocket out of this world!
Date/Time:
Thursday, February 19, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Ages:
21+
Tickets:
$10 member, $12 nonmember
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, March 25.
Location:
Ricketson Auditorium
Date/Time:
Wednesday, February 25, 7 p.m.
Tickets:
FREE
KENJI WILLIAMS PRESENTS BELLA GAIA
Award-winning director andclassically trained violinistKenji Williams returns to Denver to perform live to Bella Gaia, a full-dome planetarium show that combines art, music, and science. This spectacular "living atlas" journey uses NASA images and simulates space flight, taking you on a fantastic journey around planet Earth and the space that surrounds it. Brilliant images and sound illuminate the connections between natural systems and human activities, inspiring a renewed reflection of the interrelationships of our world.
Location:
Gates Planetarium
Date/Time:
Saturday, February 28, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 28, 8:30 p.m.
Tickets:
$27 member, $33 nonmember
TALES FROM THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM:
A simulcast from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago
The past decade has seen an explosion in the discoveries of Pluto and near Pluto-sized bodies in the outer solar system, giving rise to a new classification of "dwarf planets." Like Pluto, each of these largest dwarf planets has a unique story to tell about the history and evolution of the solar system. Mike Brown, professor at Caltech and author of How I Killed Pluto and Why It had It Coming will discuss the discoveries of these objects and the new views of giant collisions, stellar encounters, and planetary rearrangement that we are gaining from their study. He'll include intriguing new evidence that there is an even larger object lurking far beyond these dwarf planets. This object, if we can find it, will finally silence the lingering questions about Pluto and planethood, for this object, if we can find it, will be the new rightful 9th planet.
Thursday, March 5
6:30 p.m.
Gates Planetarium
FREE
Seating is limited to first come, first served.
CLICK HERE FOR GATES PLANETARIUM SHOW SCHEDULE
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!
museum news and events
TEEN SCIENCE SCHOLARS INFO
The website for the 2015 Teen Science Scholars is finally up and running! If you know of any interested high school students or organizations that help students find summer internships, please feel free to distribute this link to colleagues or community members.
Click on the image to learn more about this event.
MUSEUM LECTURE AND PROGRAMMING INFORMATION
Click here for Evening Lectures
Click here for Museum IMAX information
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
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