Come join us for Far Out Friday in Second Life (R) streamed live from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago! The first Friday of every month we’ll host a live streamed lecture on ‘Astronomy 2009′ island, an island that celebrates the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Guests may have an opportunity to get their questions answered by the speaker at the conclusion.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Astronomy%202009/50/200/31/

Avatars enjoy the Far Out Friday lecture on the grassy hill.

Join us on Friday May 1 from 5-6pm SLT and enter our FREE raffle for a real life Galileoscope! Rules at above SLurl.

“Smashing Atoms for a Living and the Particle Physics Energy Frontier”
Herman B. White — Fermilab
May 1, 2009
5:00 p.m. SLT

The general study of the Physics of Elementary Particles and Fields for most people is often constrained by the complex nature of the subject and limited exposure to the basic constructs of the general ideas, language and experimental methods. Planting the ideas of particle physics is fascinating, but sometimes only smashing atomic particles together allows you to harvest the understanding. We are now approaching a new particle accelerator energy frontier in the transition from the Fermilab Tevatron accelerator to the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This presentation will provide an introduction to the basic concepts, some technical apparatus and a perspective on the general scale of particle physics that explores the very small underpinnings of the most fundamental constituents of our very large universe. The new popularity of this academic effort has also spawned new ideas, concerns, and even movies including internet rap music with a physics theme. Dr. White will lead you to this new frontier and bring you up to date on the progress of starting the world’s newest particle accelerator.

Dr. Herman B. White has been a particle physics scientist with Fermilab for the past 34 years. He completed undergraduate studies at Earlham College, graduate studies in Nuclear and Accelerator Physics at Michigan State University, and Elementary Particle Physics at Florida State University and Yale University. He was a Resident Research Associate in Nuclear Physics at Argonne National Laboratory, an Alfred P. Sloan travel fellow at the CERN Laboratory, and a University Fellow at Yale. His research has covered a range of topics in Particle and Nuclear Physics, as well as work with accelerators and particle beams. For many years, Dr. White has maintained involvement with many communication efforts to bring information, concerns, and focus about physics and physical science research to the U.S. Congress and governmental agencies in Washington and elsewhere, including service on advisory panels for the U.S. Department of Energy, The National Science Foundation, and The United States National Academies.

Come join us for Far Out Friday in Second Life (R) streamed live from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago! The first Friday of every month we’ll host a live streamed lecture on ‘Astronomy 2009′ island, an island that celebrates the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Let’s all give the Adler a friendly welcome to Second Life for their first event!  Guests may have an opportunity to get their questions answered by the speaker at the conclusion.

Location in Second Life:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Astronomy%202009/50/200/31/

FRIDAY MARCH 6 WE WILL HAVE 2 LECTURES!

Lecture 1:
The Galileo Wars: Thirty Years and Four Centuries
Br. Guy Consolmagno — Astronomer, Vatican Observatory
March 6, 2009
5:00 p.m. SLT on ‘Astronomy 2009′ island under the blue star dome!

Everything you know about the Galileo affair is wrong. But the truth doesn’t make anyone look any better!
Recent research ties the Galileo trial of 1632 to the politics of the 30 Years War, while the four centuries of conflict over Galileo following that trial have shaped the public conception of what astronomy is, and how it is done. We will examine the politics and the science that fed into the Galileo controversy; the response of scientists and educators in the hundred years following his trial; and what present day conceptions about Galileo have done to our modern understanding of science and its role in society.

Dr. Consolmagno has served as chair of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society and president of Commission 16 (Planets and Satellites) of the International Astronomical Union. He has been with the Vatican Observatory since 1993, where his research explores connections between meteorites, asteroids, and the evolution of small solar system bodies. In addition, Dr. Consolmagno curates the Vatican meteorite collection in Castel Gandolfo. Along with more than 100 scientific publications, he is the author of a number of popular books including Turn Left at Orion (with Dan Davis), Worlds Apart (with Martha Schaefer), Brother Astronomer, and God’s Mechanics.

For more information: http://adlerplanetarium.org/fof/index.shtml#lectures

Lecture 2:
The Quest for Our Origins: The Search for Other Worlds and Life in the Universe
Scott Gaudi — Prof of Astronomy, Ohio State University
March 6, 2009
6:15 p.m. SLT on ‘Astronomy 2009′ island under the blue star dome!

We are privileged to live in a remarkable time. For the first time in human history, we are beginning to glimpse answers to some of our oldest questions: Are there other worlds out there? Are there other solar systems like ours? Do those systems contain Earthlike planets? Do those planets harbor life? Dr. Scott Gaudi will provide a guided tour of the golden age of the exploration of extrasolar worlds and the search for extraterrestrial life, focusing on the hunt for analogs to our solar system, and the search for the ‘pale blue dot’: another world just like our own.

Scott Gaudi earned his B.S. from Michigan State University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. He was a Hubble Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, and a Menzel Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, before joining the faculty in the Department of Astronomy at the Ohio State University in 2006. He was named one of “20 Scientists to Watch in 20 Years” by Discover Magazine in 2000, and he was named one of Astronomy Magazine’s “10 Rising Stars of Astronomy” this past year. His research is focused on the search for, and characterization of, extrasolar planets using a variety of techniques. He designed and is currently teaching a popular undergraduate course on ‘Life in the Universe’.

For more information: http://adlerplanetarium.org/fof/index.shtml#lectures

ASTRONOMY 2009 ISLAND OPENING EVENT!

When: Tues Jan 6, 2009 starting at 7:30pm, 8:00pm full island opens
Location: Astronomy 2009 island!

Go here to be teleported!  http://secondastronomy.org/Astronomy2009/

Join us on Astronomy 2009 island for the official island opening and to share in the International Year of Astronomy 2009 USA Opening Ceremony!

Island access begins at 7:30pm SLT followed by a live feed of the USA Opening Ceremony from the AAS Meeting in Long Beach, CA. At 8pm we will have a short ribbon cutting ceremony accompanied by fireworks and a champagne toast! The island fully opens at 8pm.

Our January theme for Astronomy 2009 is “Astronomy Inspired Art and Imagery” and will showcase a virtual exhibit of From Earth to the Universe (http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/), IAAA’s Artist’s Universe (http://iaaa.org/), The World at Night Photography (http://twanight.org), free astronomy image texture packs, and Astrophotography Corner featuring Adam Block’s astronomical images.  Throughout the month we will roll out our Cultural Astronomy Storytelling Circle, interactive telescopes, dark sky awareness exhibits, and much more!

http://astronomy2009.org
http://astronomy2009.us

See you all there!

The New Media Task Group of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 is happy to announce that we will have a presence in Second Life® made possible through the generous support of sponsors, including Interstellar Studios, Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, and individuals who have graciously donated L$ (Linden Dollars) for our project. Our island (tentatively named Astronomy 2009) will reside within The SciLands, a mini-continent of science and nature themed islands.

Adrienne Gauthier (SL: Ourania Fizgig) of Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona will be managing the IYA2009 SL presence under the auspices of the IYA 2009 New Media Task Group managed by Dr. Pamela Gay of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the popular Astronomy Cast.

Why the International Year of Astronomy?

Excerpt from http://www.astronomy2009.org:

The vision of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery. All humans should realize the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society.

The IYA2009 activities will take place at the global and regional levels, and especially at the national and local levels. National Nodes in each country have been formed to prepare activities for 2009. These Nodes establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres, educators, and science communicators.

What Will IYA 2009 Bring to The SciLands and Second Life?

The IYA 2009 island will contain several permanent exhibits as well as hosting our collection of “traveling” exhibits.  The portable virtual exhibits/interactives/info booths can be placed in a variety of science and non-science locations in-world. Our cadre of proposed permanent attractions include (but are not limited to): A multi-media theater, a digital-style planetarium, a Dark Skies demonstration area, a Sidewalk Astronomy experience with a variety of small telescope models, and a unique implementation of the From Earth to the Universe astronomical imagery project. To encourage repeat visitors and word of mouth advertising, we are planning to deliver new or updated content frequently with the goal of installing a new experience every month. Special one-time events, guest speakers, and astronomy themed design contests will also help draw an audience.

The proposed IYA multi-media theater and digital planetarium will showcase real world features, like excerpts from the “400 Years of the Telescope” film or NASA Live TV. This will also be a venue where we can display real world science presentations remotely and ask real astronomers to discuss their discoveries with Second Life residents. We are encouraging real-life astronomy visualization specialists and planetarium developers to participate in the development of our island, bringing real data into the virtual world.

We are currently working with the Dark Skies awareness group and the project Let There Be Night to implement a thought provoking experience for visitors that helps to illustrate the dark sky problem. People will be able to explore light pollution and dark skies in ways that are not physically possible in the real world.

The Sidewalk Astronomy exhibit will take visitors on a narrated journey of the cosmos via small telescope models. Not only will they see the inspiring images from the world’s greatest observatories of today but they will also be able to compare today’s views on the universe to what Galileo saw with his eyes and recorded in his sketchbook. Sidewalk Astronomy will have an easily portable model that can be placed in non-science areas (like a mall or dance club) of Second Life.

The IYA 2009 virtual space will be a dynamic presence in Second Life as it evolves and grows during the year. We will begin with a modest presence of a few key exhibits and then add to them as the year progresses. Initial builds include the multi-media theater, Sidewalk Astronomy, From Earth to the Universe image display, vast collection of astronomical image textures mined from the world’s greatest observatories, astronomy themed design contests, and the Dark Skies ‘Let There Be Night’ interactive. We would like to have a continuous development and delivery model as we hope to bring a new exhibit or experience to the community every month. We hope to bring real life IYA projects into Second Life as either permanent exhibits, traveling exhibits or events. Such ideas under development are: creating a Second Life art exhibit for The World at Night, celebrating globally the UNESCO opening ceremonies and fireworks events, holding a Second Life component to the 100 Hours of Astronomy, bringing astronomy to many cultures and languages via the Astronomy and World Heritage and Astronomers Without Borders projects, as well as brainstorm and create innovative and immersive activities that only a virtual world can realize. Why look at a flat image of the Ring Nebula when you can fly into a warehouse sized stellar remnant of illuminated gas and dust and see a shining diamond up close and personal?

The UNESCO Opening Ceremonies celebration (January 2009) in real life will bring with it the opening of our Second Life island.