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posted 08/21/02

Contact:
Roy Brunett, 520-896-5112

Columbia University Biosphere 2 Observatory Announces 2002-03 Public Stargazing Season
Author and Parade Magazine Columnist David Levy to make two appearances, plus Science Fiction Writer Ben Bova highlight the New Season

TUCSON - Columbia University Biosphere 2 Observatory's public stargazing program kicks-off its third season on Saturday, Sept. 21, it was announced today.

In response to last season's success, additional Saturday evening dates have been scheduled with a more diverse group of exciting and informative presenters including Author and Columnist David Levy, Science Fiction writer Ben Bova and Comet expert Gary Kronks.

"Based on public enthusiasm for last year's program, we're delighted to be able to expand our Saturday evening stargazing events," said John Adams, associate director for public outreach. "Our location is ideal and our Observatory is first-rate. We're offering a host of presenters who will entertain the novice stargazer as well as illuminate the more experienced sky-watcher who come out to Biosphere 2," Adams said.

Evening programs will start at 7:30P., followed by stargazing at the Observatory. Visitors will have access to Biosphere 2's 24-inch telescope as well as the Observatory's smaller scopes. Admission for the Saturday evening programs will remain $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children ages 6 to 10. Children 5 years and younger will be admitted free.

This season, the B2C Observatory will offer Sunset Dinning at the Cañada del Oro Restaurant beginning at 5PM, which includes admission to the Stargazing program. In addition, overnight hotel packages will be available that include: hotel suite, dinner, stargazing admission, a Sunday continental breakfast and all inside and outside tours.

The scheduled Stargazing Program for the 2002-'03 Season is as follows:

*Saturday, Sept. 21 -- Tony and Carole LaConte StarLab

The LaConte's provide stargazing and astronomy programs throughout Arizona for people of all ages. Their programs are fun, exciting, and educational. Enjoy a multimedia presentation on the stars, constellations, the moon and planets. Learn what up-coming sky events to watch for. The presentation will include stories of the night sky and folklore from many different cultures. Following their talk, visitors will look through telescopes at the moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.

*Oct. 5 -- Scheduled: Native American Skylore Storyteller Gerard Tsonakwa

A member of the Abenaki Nation in Quebec, Canada, Tsonakwa is an author, artist, amateur astronomer and storyteller. His skylore tales are wondrous stories for people of all ages.

*Nov. 2 -- Noted Science Fiction Author Ben Bova

For more than a decade, Ben Bova has been creating novels about the human race's expansion through the solar system. From the Moon to Mars, Venus, Jupiter and the Asteroid Belt, his novels show the adventure and excitement of our advance across the space frontier. The author of more than 100 futuristic novels and nonfiction books, he has been involved in science and high technology since the very beginnings of the space program. Bova is president emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is a frequent commentator on radio and television, and a widely popular lecturer. He has also been an award-winning editor and an executive in the aerospace industry.

*Nov. 16 -- Gary Kronks on the "The Leonids"

Gary Kronk is the author of three books, Comets: A Descriptive Catalog, Meteor Showers: A Descriptive Catalog and his current project is titled Cometography spanning four volumes and over 2000 pages. Kronk was also appointed to a joint NASA and United States Air Force mission over Western Europe and the Atlantic Ocean to study the Nov. 1999 appearance of the Leonid meteor shower.

*Dec. 14 -- Author David Levy on "The Christmas Star"

David Levy has discovered 21 comets, eight with a telescope in his backyard observatory, and 13 that he shared with Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker. One of the comets, Shoemaker-Levy 9, collided with Jupiter in the summer of 1994, resulting in the greatest explosion ever witnessed on another world. Levy is science editor for Parade Magazine, and writes the column "Science on Parade." He recently was awarded an Emmy for writing the television documentary "Three Minutes to Impact." Levy has written 29 books.

*Jan. 18, 2003 -- Scheduled: Karen Vanlandingham, assistant professor, Biosphere 2 Center

Karen Vanlandingham studies interacting binary star systems. She is currently working on several projects, including a determination of the elemental abundances in the ejecta of Nova Cygni 1992. She is also involved in projects to determine orbital periods for old novae systems and characterize the physical properties of X-ray transients.

*Feb. 8 -- Dr. Charles Wood on his new book, "The New Moon: A Personal View."

Charles Wood is the director of education at Biosphere 2 Center and a planetary scientist, who also writes the monthly "Lunar Notes" column in Sky and Telescope magazine. He'll discuss observing the Lunar 100 - the most challenging, informative and interesting craters, volcanoes, scarps and oddball features on the Moon. The Lunar 100 focuses attention on the Moon, just as the 200-year old Messier Catalog guides observers to interesting galaxies, nebula and star groups. Following his presentation, Wood will point out some of the Lunar 100 objects using Biosphere 2's large 24-inch telescope. Wood has published extensively on lunar and planetary geology, terrestrial volcanology, global change, and science education technology. His 1990 book, Volcanoes of North America (coauthor Jurgen Kienle), remains the standard reference. He has trained astronauts and been a member of three space flight teams, including the Radar Mapper Team supporting the ongoing Cassini mission to Saturn.

*March 8 -- An encore evening with David Levy on "The Great Comet Collision"

*April 19 -- Tony and Carole LaConte's StarLab return to Biosphere 2 Center Observatory with another exciting and entertaining presentation

*May 17 -- Arizona State University's Dr. Paul Scowen on "Watching Stars from the Hubble Space Telescope"

Paul Scowen is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at ASU. He is an astronomer and applied physicist by training, but has a strong interest in computers and especially multimedia development for education both at the high school and college level. He has been involved with the Hubble Space Telescope for the past five years.