IYA 2008 -What is your club planning?

Question

Our astronomy club is starting to plan for next years International Year of the Astronomer. Has your club started planning? What are some of the things that you are planning? We are looking to the 100 hours of Astronomy in April. We are having several classes for kids at the local museum, we are planning side walk observing, we are planning hands on activities at the mall. We are close to Yellowstone, we'll have three weekends of observing next summer. We are teaching a back yard astronomy class through adult ed.

Any other ideas?

Answer 1

I got an idea to make a model of the solar system look super cool, first your going to need one of these http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/200... then get some clear marbles and a broken walkman if you can find one, you will have to find someone who can hand paint the marbles to look like planets (go to a role playing shop and find someone who can paint miniatures), now get some strong wire and mould the wire to make a frame to hold the marbles then spray paint it gun metal gray, you will have to use a dremel precision drill to put the holes in the marbles, ok now once the marbles are painted and drilled, you will need to make the wires have a reflective mirrored finish to complete the hologram, i have no idea how that will happen but the motor from the walkman will be what turns the model, well thats as far as i thought for now.

Answer 2

papier-mache models of the Solar System?

hey, I have never been good at this.

when i was 14 i did a demo on how to build a telescope from items you could buy at a five and dime.  It was NOT a good scope, but worked surprisingly well, considering.  It sure kept the audience interested... made me feel like Carrottop, except he hadn't been born yet... er, how about Rip Taylor?

Answer 3

You can set up an actual scale model of the solar system.

You make each planet in true scale size with each other and with the sun.

For example, if the sun was scaled down to the size of a beach ball, the Earth would be the size of a pea!. The scale distance to Neptune works out to be a mile or so from the sun.

You can take a "tour" of the solar system starting at the sun and stopping at each planet and discussing it.http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/so...

Heres the best site:http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_...