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Chabot Space & Science Center

"Your Place in the Universe"

Calendar of Events (Issued Aug. 1, 2001)

August - December 2001

Ask Jeeves Planetarium | Observatory | Tien MegaDome Theater | Weekend Spotlight | Lectures & Events | Education | Exhibits

Following is a sample calendar listing for Chabot Space & Science Center — under "Science & Technology," "Nature," "Things To Do," or "Attractions." Please also consider listing Chabot events under "Kids," "Films" and "Lectures."

CHABOT SPACE & SCIENCE CENTER — Indoor stargazing in Planetarium, outdoor viewing through telescopes, daily screenings in Tien MegaDome Theater, interactive exhibits and learning center. Ongoing exhibits: Planetary Landscapes: Sculpting the Solar System; Your Place in the Universe; Astronomy in California 1850-1950; Solar-B; Shadow Dance. Open Tues. - Sun. 10am-5pm. Ask Jeeves Planetarium and Tien MegaDome Theater, daytime screenings weekdays; evening screenings Fri. - Sat. 7pm-9pm. Observatory hours Fri. - Sat. 7pm-10pm. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (501) 336-7300. www.chabotspace.org

Ask Jeeves Planetarium

Chabot’s Ask Jeeves Planetarium brings the night sky to life! More than 9,000 stars are projected overhead by our fiber-optic Zeiss Universarium Mark VIII star-ball, one of the most advanced star projectors in the world. Additional special effects simulate eclipses, supernovae, black holes, and other celestial events, and a laser system brings constellations and other objects to life, augmented by a 15,000-watt, 6-channel surround-sound system. The Ask Jeeves Planetarium seats 240 people under a 70-foot diameter dome, and features live and pre-recorded shows. Led by professional astronomers and accompanied by music, planetarium shows at Chabot Space & Science Center are both entertaining and educational.

August – December 2001 Planetarium shows:

The Sky Tonight -- A guided tour of the current stars, constellations, and planets presented live. Following the program, audience members can search the night sky through the historic telescopes in the ChabotObservatories. (40 min.; Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm)

Wonders of the Milky Way -- This tour of the Milky Way galaxy, beginning with its formation billions of years ago, includes a magnificent view of our galaxy’s contents as seen from the vantage point of our Solar System, as well as wonders discovered by modern astronomy. The show’s scenes and special effects are all set to beautiful music. (40 min.)

Cosmic Catastrophes -- opens Aug. 4. Full of special effects, this show examines possible causes of mass extinctions that have occurred throughout Earth’s history. The story is told through the eyes of an alien race searching for a new home. (40 min.)

Mars Quest -- through Aug. 31. Delve into our history and fascination with the Red Planet, from Martian superstition to plans for manned Mars missions. Narrated by Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame. (40 min.)

Other Worlds! Other Beings? -- Sneak Preview August 25! Sept. 1 - Nov. 30. Presented in partnership with SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence.) Join us in this exiting search for other worlds and their thinking inhabitants.

Planet Trek -- opens Nov. 3. A journey through our Solar System taking a closer look at our majestic neighbors, the Planets.

The Star of Bethlehem -- opens Dec. 1. A live holiday presentation about the winter stars and constellations, and the Star of Bethlehem. (40 min.)

August 4 – August 31, 2001 Planetarium schedule

September 1 – October 1, 2001 

Other Worlds! Other Beings! begins
Wonders of the Milky Way continues
The Sky Tonight continues
Cosmic Catastrophes continues

October 2 – November 2, 2001 

Planet Trek begins as the daytime school program
Wonders of the Milky Way continues
The Sky Tonight continues
Cosmic Catastrophes continues
Other Worlds! Other Beings! continues

November 3 – 30, 2001 

Planet Trek continues as school program, begins weekend screenings
Wonders of the Milky Way continues
The Sky Tonight continues
Other Worlds! Other Beings! continues

December 1 - 31, 2001 

The Star of Bethlehem begins
The Sky Tonight continues

* * * See Lectures & Special Programs, below, for details on new Adult Astronomy Class, and Leonid Meteor Shower Viewing * * *

Observatory

Discover stars, planets, and colorful nebulae clearly visible in the night sky with Chabot's powerful refractor telescopes. The impressive 20" telescope, named Rachel, is the largest refractor in the western U.S. regularly open to the public. The 8" Alvan Clark refractor, named Leah, is the original 1883 instrument donated by founder Anthony Chabot. 

Telescopes are open for free public viewing Friday and Saturday, 7pm-10pm

Sky Calendar for the Coming Months:

August

• Mars continues to dominate the evening sky through August when it appears in the south embedded in the Milky Way. On Aug. 26 a first quarter Moon passes above and Southwest of the red planet 45 minutes after sunset. Chabot has one telescope aimed at Mars whenever the planet is high enough above the horizon.
• The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks the morning of Aug. 12-13. Though hindered somewhat by a last-quarter Moon, it may still be worth watching after midnight. Meteor showers are best observed well away from city lights.

September

• Look for Mars in the south at sunset, cruising across the top of the Teapot pattern.
• Saturn begins rising just before midnight throughout the month and joins Jupiter in the early morning sky.
• Autumnal equinox starts at 4:02 pm DST on Sept. 22.

October

• The Harvest Moon, the nearest moon to the autumnal equinox, occurs on Oct. 2.
• A rare dance of planets starts on Oct. 26 when Venus and Mercury close in to each other in the morning twilights. The two planets will remain close together for eleven days and are best seen by getting up early before sunrise.
• As the month ages Saturn rises in the early evening, followed a few hours later by Jupiter.

November

• The highlight of the month will be the Leonid Meteor Shower. This annual event reaches its highest hourly rate around the evening of Saturday, Nov. 17 to Sunday morning, Nov. 18. Predictions vary greatly as to where the greatest hourly rate will fall but the Leonids are generally extremely swift, bright and almost half leave trails. Best viewing is after midnight by looking east to the constellation Leo. See below.
• Saturn is now a bright object rising earlier and earlier in the evening followed faithfully two hours later by a brighter Jupiter. Saturn will be occulted by the Moon on the evening of Nov. 30.

December

• Dec. 14 will show us a partial Solar Eclipse as the Moon’s shadow causes an annular eclipse in parts of the Pacific. The Bay Area will see a partial eclipse.
• There will be a partial lunar eclipse during the morning of Dec. 30, in the hours just before dawn.
• The brightest Saturn in almost three decades will dominate the evening sky until Jupiter rises a few hours later. The ringed planet is coming up to its maximum tilt to Earth’s view and its rings are shown to us at their best view.
• The occultation of Saturn will occur on Dec. 28 as the ringed planet slides behind the dark limb of the almost full Moon.

Films in the Tien MegaDome Theater

Mysteries of Egypt -- Experience the magic and majesty of Egypt as never before. Soar over the great pyramids of Giza, cross the deathly quiet Valley of the Kings, and descend into the shadowy chambers of the sacred tomb of King Tutankhamun. (38 min.)

Solarmax -- The story of humankind's struggle to understand the Sun. Travel around the world to historical sites of sun worship, learn from scientists studying the Sun, and view a total solar eclipse. West Coast Premiere. (40 min.)

To Be An Astronaut -- Follow the rigors of astronaut training, the frantic countdown of missions, and the heart-stopping launch into space. Shot entirely on location at NASA. (23 min.) 

Antarctica -- The film transports viewers to the mysterious icy expanse of the highest, driest and coldest continent, home of penguins, seals and other exotic life forms. (38 min.) 

The Living Sea -- opens September 2001. Filmed in locations around the world, underscored by the music of Sting and narrated by Meryl Streep, the motion picture celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films, in association with Nauticus - The National Maritime Center, the Ocean Film Network, White Oak Associates, Inc., and Dr. Robert Ballard.

August 4 – August 31, 2001 Tien MegaDome Theater screenings:

Weekend Spotlight

Rockets
through September 30, 2001
Weekdays: 11 am – 1 pm, 2 pm – 4 pm
Weekends: 12:30 pm – 2 pm, 2:30 pm – 4 pm
Chabot Space & Science Center Galleries

Investigate rockets and how they work. You will make and launch simple rockets to introduce you to the science of rocketry. A sample of the drop-in workshops offered:

• Water Rockets -- Water as rocket fuel? Find out how high H2O can go in this exciting activity.
• Rocket Cars -- Construct your own air-powered car to race with your friends!
• Paper Airplanes -- Choose a paper airplane (or design your own!) and let it fly.
• Multistage Balloon Rockets -- Learn about rocket staging by building a two-stage balloon rocket. Just as one balloon runs out, the other kicks in! 
• Pop Rockets -- A little creativity, a little chemistry, a lot of rocketry fun.
• Staff Choice -- Our education staff choose and host their favorite rocket activities from the summer.

Constellations
October through December, 2001
Weekends: 12:30 pm – 2 pm, 2:30 pm – 4 pm

Come explore our featured constellation each weekend! Construct a three-dimensional model of the constellation to show the distances to stars, or make up your own picture and story for how the group of stars came to be in the sky. You can also make a star wheel to take home, and learn how to find the constellation of the day (and others!) in the sky. 

Lectures & Special Events

2001 Distinguished Lecturer Series
7:30 pm, Tien MegaDome Theater (except Sept. 20, in the Planetarium). 
Tickets: $5.00

Each lecture is preceded with an overture of classical music chosen by that evening's lecturer. A reception with refreshments follows each lecture.

Sept. 20 
Jose Olivarez, Director of Astronomy, Chabot Space & Science Center 
"Celestial Spectaculars: Events of the Recent Past and Near Future"
This program in the Planetarium consists of a beautiful overview of recent and upcoming astronomical events, such as eclipses, meteor showers, comets and the active night sky above our heads.

Oct. 15 NASA Lecture 
"NEAR Earth Asteroids" 
A research scientist from NASA will speak on asteroidal “Cosmic Catastrophes” and the history of and current research on Earth's bombardment from these comets and asteroids.

Nov. 15 
Dr. Mike Reynolds, Executive Director, Chabot Space and Science Center
"Falling Stars: The Story of Meteors and Meteorites" 
Dr. Reynolds will speak about these earth impactors and the story they tell about their long journey to Earth from origins in asteroid belt and the Oort Cloud. This lecture coincides with the annual Leonid Meteor Shower, visible Nov. 17-18 (see below).

Dec. 13 
Dr. Jeff Bennett, University of Colorado, Boulder
"On The Cosmic Horizon"
Dr. Bennett will talk to us about the 10 outstanding unsolved problems in astronomy, from the missing mass to gamma ray bursters and everything in between.

Adult Astronomy Class
Tuesday evenings, October 2 - November 6, 2001
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
$55 members; $65 non-members

This class is a general, non-mathematical overview for adults, which will cover the basics of astronomy. One hour of each session will be spent in the planetarium and one hour in a classroom. There will also be telescope time during the course of the class. For more information call (510) 336-7368.

Leonid Meteor Shower Observing at Briones Regional Park, Lafayette
Saturday night — Sunday morning, Nov. 17-18, 10pm to dawn
Tickets: $5.00 

The Leonid Meteor Shower is an annual November event. The shower of 2001 may produce meteors upward of 1000/hour, due to the position of the Earth sweeping through debris left in 1699, 1767 and 1866 by periodic Comet Temple-Tuttle. This observation event is sponsored by Chabot Space & Science Center and East Bay Astronomical Society. For more information, call (510) 336-7368.

Educational Travel Space is limited. For more info, call 510-336-7345

March 12 – 17, 2002 — Capture the Aurora! A travel adventure to Alaska dedicated to observing and photographing the aurora borealis.

November 28 – December 10, 2002 — Australian Total Solar Eclipse. Join a team from Chabot in the Australian Outback to experience the best of Australia, as well as viewing the Dec. 4 eclipsed setting sun.

Challenger Learning Center

Challenger Learning Center Community Missions
Available to the public on the second Saturday of each month, 11 am -12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 3 pm. Missions are open to adults and youth ages 11 and up. Space is limited. Cost is $15 per person ($12 members). Call 510-336-755 for reservations and information.

Rendezvous with Comet Halley 
Saturday, August 11, 11 am -12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 3 pm
Saturday, September 8, 11 am -12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 3 pm
Saturday, October 13, 11 am -12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 3 pm
Saturday, November 10, 11 am -12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 3 pm
Saturday, December 8, 11 am -12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 3 pm

Experience real-time simulated space missions as sophisticated technology puts you in Mission Control or on an orbiting space station. The scenario: Participate as a mission specialist and a mission controller in a "Rendezvous with Comet Halley" mission. Your mission is to:

1. Locate Comet Halley
2. Build and launch a probe into the tail of the comet
3. Continue research studies on board the space station 

PACCT Discovery Missions
For teams of adults and children ages 11 and older. Cost is $45 per adult/child team.
Saturday, October 6, 10 am -2:30 pm
Saturday, December 1, 10 am -2:30 pm

The scenario: You will work together as a team to design, build, and present a proposal to NASA for a STARDUST spacecraft. Before flying your "Comet" mission, your team will conduct flight readiness test and participate in a remote navigation simulation to see if your design is ready for launch. Then you are off to rendezvous with a comet!

Exhibits 

Wander through a kaleidoscope of whirling galaxies and stars to the outer reaches of the universe. Explore natural processes and patterns like craters, volcanoes, and atmospheric turbulence with hands-on exhibits. All in the Galleries at Chabot Space & Science Center.

Hubble Visions: New Views of the Universe -- extended to November 2001. Tour the universe through the eye of the Hubble Space Telescope and experience other planets, exploding stars, ancient galaxies and black holes. Learn about the telescope, its history and purpose, its anatomy and operation and how astronauts fix it and keep it maintained. A traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution.

Project Mercury -- through September 30. View a replica of the first spacecraft to launch the first Americans into space and learn about the history and mission of this important space pioneer.

Star Wars: The Art of the Starfighter -- Nov. 24, 2001 – Jan. 6, 2002. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a full-scale, forty-foot Naboo starfighter used in the making of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Interactive kiosks featuring Lucas Learning games bring the thrill of movie-making to life and explore the relationship between model making and the creative process. A traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution.

Touch the Sun -- Opening Fall 2001. View live images of the sun projected by the Solar Telescope onto a surrounding wall, watch solar movies, explore the nature of light, learn about sun mythology of ancient cultures, and find out about real-time solar energy usage from the Science Center’s solar panels. Chabot’s new solar research telescope formerly served on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

Ongoing Exhibits

Your Place in the Universe -- This feast for the senses uses 3-D technologies to give visitors a walking tour of the universe. The exhibit includes the fascinating Hologlobe, a dynamic holographic projection of the Earth's changing atmosphere, oceans, and continents, on permanent loan from the Smithsonian Institution.

Planetary Landscapes: Sculpting the Solar System -- Fourteen interactive sculptures, created by renowned artist Ned Kahn, suggest the natural processes that form the landscapes of our Solar System. Wander through a room of swirling atmospheres, bubbling calderas, and a sea of clouds. 

Astronomy In California 1850 – 1950: Telescope Makers, Telescopes, and Artifacts -- Explore California's rich astronomical history and Chabot Observatory's own 117-year history through a display of telescopes, artifacts, and the histories of their makers, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. 

The Origin and Meaning of Meteorites -- This stunning mural by artists Joy Day and B. E. Johnson is accompanied by a case of meteorite samples, where visitors can touch these ancient remnants of the birth of the solar system. 

Shadow Dance -- Partner up to create different types of solar and lunar eclipses. Activate sensors on the exhibit floor, discover the science behind an eclipse, and learn about eclipse myths, rituals and celebration found in many world cultures. This multimedia experience changes each time you visit. Shadow Dance features a manipulable Main Map - Earth, Sun, and Moon , with Earth in 11 positions with a solar and lunar eclipse. This creates 22 sections with information on eclipses. These are:

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