As an astronomy event that everyone can take part in, we encourage all to view the partial solar eclipse which takes place on Sunday, May 20. Here’s the info specifically for San Diego:

Start of partial eclipse at 5:27:46 pm
Maximum partial eclipse (about 75%) at 6:39:57 pm
End of eclipse at sunset at 7:43:29 pm

The map below shows the path of totality and participial eclipse.

Warning! REMEMBER, DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN during the eclipse. Use ONLY approved solar eclipse filters or create a pinhole projection with a piece of cardboard with a tiny hole punched in. This works great for a lot of people to see it all at once.

Kyle Stock, Newsletter Editor and astronomy buff, is going hike to the summit of Black Mountain in Rancho Penasquitos. Anyone is welcome to join him. He’ll have different equipment for safe viewing. Contact Kyle for more information.

Press Release

For Immediate Release:

NASA’s Driven to Explore Mobile Exhibit Parked at Air & Space Museum Through Wednesday

Free exhibit explores the significance of human space exploration and allows visitors to touch a 4-billion-year-old piece of moon rock

San Diego, CA – May 14, 2012 – San Diegans now have the rare chance to touch a nearly 4-billion-year-old piece of moon rock at NASA’s Driven to Explore traveling exhibit, a multimedia experience that immerses visitors in the story of NASA. The exhibit will be at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on Monday, May 14, Tuesday, May 15, and Wednesday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The centerpiece of Driven to Explore is the opportunity to touch a lunar rock sample brought to Earth by the astronauts of Apollo 17 in 1972, America’s last human mission to the moon. The rock is one of only eight lunar samples made available for the public to touch.

Driven to Explore allows visitors to learn why we explore, discover the challenges of human space exploration and how NASA provides critical technological advances to improve life on Earth. The exhibit also details the accomplishments of the space shuttle and the International Space Station.

Since the retirement of the space shuttle, NASA is investing in the building blocks of a more capable approach to space exploration, including research and development to increase space travel capabilities. In support of these efforts, NASA is performing field tests, designing surface systems and conducting advanced human research to ensure that future missions are safe, sustainable and affordable.

For more information about NASA exploration, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

For more information about the San Diego Air & Space Museum please call (619) 234-8291 or visit www.sandiegoairandspace.org.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum is California’s official air and space museum and education center. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and it was the first aero-themed Museum to be accredited by the American Association of Museums. Now on display, “How Things Fly,” a special exhibition that examines the wonder of flight through four fun and interactive zones. The Museum is located at 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. The Museum and gift store are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with admissions until 4:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Location:
San Diego Air & Space Museum (map)
2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA

The San Diego Air & Space Museum will host its 9th Annual Space Day celebration. Space Day will feature demonstrations, giveaways, and hands-on activities with local and national space experts. Astronaut Woody Spring will be presenting and do a photo signing.

SD Space, along with the Mars Society – San Diego, will be there with displays, the Mars Astronaut Marsha White and the Mars Rover yard for all to enjoy.

Other invited presenters include NASA, Virgin Galactic, SDAA (San Diego Astronomy Association), DSN (Deep Space Network), JPL, SETI, UCSD EarthKAM, Sally Ride Science, The Planetary Society, and many others.

The Museum’s Space Galleries are open for viewing throughout the event.

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Location:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (map)
4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is holding their annual Open House.

This popular event celebrates JPL’s accomplishments with exhibits and demonstrations about the Laboratory’s ongoing research and space exploration. Many of the Lab’s scientists and engineers are on hand to answer questions about how spacecraft are sent to other planets, how scientists utilize space technologies to explore Earth and how researchers are searching for planets beyond the solar system.

The Open House is a fun and educational experience for children too, with special hands-on activities designed for kids. Admission and parking is free.

See the official JPL Open House page for details.

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San Diego Space Society members are planning a trek to Pasadena for the annual JPL Open House. Interested members should email events@sdspace.org to coordinate the rides/carpool/caravan.

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

Project PoGo kicks off with our first planning meeting to build our very own reusable suborbital payload based on the CanSat / CubeSat format.

The suborbital payload will be flown to the edge of space on a reusable rocket. This will allow data sample collection to be taken repeatedly and as well as adjustments and improvements to be made to the payload instrumentation. Our goal is to fly twice before the end of 2012.

PoGo’s payload could study a wide variety of phenomenon besides atmosphere and climate monitoring including cosmic radiation monitoring, ozone monitoring, EM field monitoring, etc.

PoGo will consist of at least two teams. One team will focus on payload development and another team will focus on launch provider selection and ground support, aka Mission Control.

Join the Team! We need people to help in the following areas:

• team leaders (x2)
• fundraisers
• promotional and media specialists
• people good with their hands
• people knowledgeable in electronics
• software programmers
• ground support specialists
• and many others.

Update: Team Leaders will be offered a free registration for a cubesat development workshop hosted by the Silicon Valley Space Center.

SD Space members and the public are invited to participate. Please email projects@sandiegospace.org if you’d like to attend.

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

Open House

Drop by the Space Travelers Emporium to see what members of SD Space are up to and enjoy morning refreshments. Check out the Space Library and Archives or see what the book club is reading. View new space art that’s on display. Talk with members about the latest space news – there’s always plenty – and current SD Space projects.  The kids are welcome to design and build their next LEGO spaceship, a mission patch or color space art for display.

Explore Science

Discover something new each week during Science Sunday.  Take part in a science experiment or demonstration. Want to see a homemade magnetometer in action?  How about building an ornithopter and watching it fly?  Maybe you’re interested in a seeing how a spectrograph can analyze objects. Each week there is something new and exciting in science to learn about.

So bring the family for a visit and stay for hours.  That’s what we invite you all to do.

Email events@sdspace.org with any questions.

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

Open House

Drop by the Space Travelers Emporium to see what members of SD Space are up to and enjoy morning refreshments. Check out the Space Library and Archives or see what the book club is reading. View new space art that’s on display. Talk with members about the latest space news – there’s always plenty – and current SD Space projects.  The kids are welcome to design and build their next LEGO spaceship, a mission patch or color space art for display.

Explore Science

Discover something new each week during Science Sunday.  Take part in a science experiment or demonstration. Want to see a homemade magnetometer in action?  How about building an ornithopter and watching it fly?  Maybe you’re interested in a seeing how a spectrograph can analyze objects. Each week there is something new and exciting in science to learn about.

So bring the family for a visit and stay for hours.  That’s what we invite you all to do.

Email events@sdspace.org with any questions.

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

Open House

Drop by the Space Travelers Emporium to see what members of SD Space are up to and enjoy morning refreshments. Check out the Space Library and Archives or see what the book club is reading. View new space art that’s on display. Talk with members about the latest space news – there’s always plenty – and current SD Space projects.  The kids are welcome to design and build their next LEGO spaceship, a mission patch or color space art for display.

Explore Science

Discover something new each week during Science Sunday.  Take part in a science experiment or demonstration. Want to see a homemade magnetometer in action?  How about building an ornithopter and watching it fly?  Maybe you’re interested in a seeing how a spectrograph can analyze objects. Each week there is something new and exciting in science to learn about.

So bring the family for a visit and stay for hours.  That’s what we invite you all to do.

Email events@sdspace.org with any questions.

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

Open House

Drop by the Space Travelers Emporium to see what members of SD Space are up to and enjoy morning refreshments. Check out the Space Library and Archives or see what the book club is reading. View new space art that’s on display. Talk with members about the latest space news – there’s always plenty – and current SD Space projects.  The kids are welcome to design and build their next LEGO spaceship, a mission patch or color space art for display.

Explore Science

Discover something new each week during Science Sunday.  Take part in a science experiment or demonstration. Want to see a homemade magnetometer in action?  How about building an ornithopter and watching it fly?  Maybe you’re interested in a seeing how a spectrograph can analyze objects. Each week there is something new and exciting in science to learn about.

So bring the family for a visit and stay for hours.  That’s what we invite you all to do.

Email events@sdspace.org with any questions.

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

Open House

Drop by the Space Travelers Emporium to see what members of SD Space are up to and enjoy morning refreshments. Check out the Space Library and Archives or see what the book club is reading. View new space art that’s on display. Talk with members about the latest space news – there’s always plenty – and current SD Space projects.  The kids are welcome to design and build their next LEGO spaceship, a mission patch or color space art for display.

Explore Science

Discover something new each week during Science Sunday.  Take part in a science experiment or demonstration. Want to see a homemade magnetometer in action?  How about building an ornithopter and watching it fly?  Maybe you’re interested in a seeing how a spectrograph can analyze objects. Each week there is something new and exciting in science to learn about.

So bring the family for a visit and stay for hours.  That’s what we invite you all to do.

Email events@sdspace.org with any questions.