On Saturday, May 26, San Antonio College will host a day of hands-on exhibits and speakers at the Loftin Student Center Fiesta Room, a presentation in the Scobee Planetarium, and star viewing at the Scobee Planetarium Observatory and with telescopes provided by the San Antonio Astronomical Society. The event is co-sponsored by Amazing Skies, an Urban Science Initiative, Inc.
The featured speaker will be Col. John Blaha, who has logged 161 days in space on five space missions. He has received numerous honors, including two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and NASA Exceptional Service Medal, among others.
Other speakers will include Bryan Snow, Director of the Scobee Planetarium, and Jennifer Becerra, NASA Education Specialist, who will introduce NASA's mission to "Ignite the Flame of Knowledge" about STS 118, a mission that includes NASA educator astronaut Barbara Morgan. Also, Art Applewhite will discuss rocket launches.
The Amazing Skies exhibit will feature videos, rocket launches, and hands-on activities for students. Day viewing will take place 6-8 p.m. and night viewing of the stars from 8-10 p.m. with San Antonio Astronomy Association (SAAA) telescopes in the parking lot and at the San Antonio College Observatory.
The schedule of events follows:
2 p.m. - Amazing Skies Opens Exhibits and Jennifer Becerra speaks (Fiesta Room)
2:30 p.m. - Bryan Snow presentation (Scobee Planetarium)
3 p.m. - Col. John Blaha, former NASA astronaut
3:30 p.m. - Art Applewhite discusses "Rocket Launches" (Fiesta Room)
4:30 p.m. - Telescopes 101 (Fiesta Room)
6-8 p.m. - Day viewing with telescopes
8-10 p.m. - Night viewing with SAAA telescopes and in SAC Observatory.
Amazing Skies is a non-profit outreach of Urban Science Initiative with the goal of increasing awareness of scientific discovery and to sustain the need for future scientists. The event should appeal to space science enthusiasts, amateur astronomers, amateur rocketeers, and students.
For more information, contact Bryan Snow at 733-2910 or go to http://www.amazingskies.org.
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