Beyond IYA

As the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) IYA 2009 comes to a close, those involved hope to sustain the momentum gained during the year in communicating astronomy with the public.  The IYA produced a number of excellent new media projects, creating fresh excitement and enthusiasm for astronomy and science.  A new non-profit organization and website have been created to provide a brand- new “home” to sustain IYA projects such as the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast and Second Astronomy in Second Life ™, as well as other existing and new projects.

Astrosphere New Media Association is dedicated to promoting science and skeptical thought through Internet-based technologies and distribution.  Its efforts are focused on the creation of technologies and content that enable better astronomy communications and greater astronomy content access for the public.

The projects encompassed by Astrosphere New Media include the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, Astronomy 2009 Island in Second Life, the popular Astronomy Cast podcast and a new project for 2010, We Are Astronomers.  Additionally, Astrosphere will be hosting the archival websites from the US IYA.

The Internet provides a new way for astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts to communicate and interact with the public.  Astronomy communicators can use these new forms of communication — such as blogs, podcasts, social networks, interactive data tools, and community content sites (such as wikis) – to provide the public with dynamic web content through Web 2.0 technologies.

Astrosphere New Media Association will help facilitate this “new media” and new forms of communication for astronomy.

“This project rose out of two needs,” said Dr. Pamela Gay, Executive Director. “There are many of us working together in our spare time to communicate astronomy to the world. We’re building tools, writing content, and then giving it all away. What we needed was a central advocate who could work to find us a little funding for travel and servers and just help us get what we do out to the world. Astrosphere is here to be that advocate, and to provide IYA projects a home beyond 2009.”

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is a community project that “airs” one podcast per day, 5 to 10 minutes in duration, for all 365 days of the year.  The podcast episodes are written, recorded and produced by people around the world who donate a few minutes to share their passion for astronomy.

Second Astronomy (go in world at this slurl) takes real world events into virtual realities, allowing the citizens of Second Life (TM) a way to experience projects such as From Earth to the Universe and The World at Night. In early 2010, Second Astronomy will showcase John Gleason’s h-alpha astrophotography and roll out walkable, island size Spitzer MIPSGAL/GLIMPSE image. Later in the year, new virtual ‘as the eye sees’ telescopes pop up around the island, creating a star party atmosphere and building a cultural astronomy “sky stories” experience.

Astronomy Cast takes a facts-based journey through the Universe each week with Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (Star Stryder).  The podcasts are available online or through iTunes .

We Are Astronomers is a Beyond 2009 project that looks to capture the diversity of who we are as astronomers through pictures and videos.  Astronomers include professionals, amateurs, and armchair enthusiasts.  To find out how you can help, email info@WeAreAstronomers.org.

Other new media science and astronomy projects and even skepticism projects looking for collaborators, direction, support or a “home” are welcome to contact Astrosphere New Media Association at:

Astrosphere New Media Association
P.O. Box 804
Edwardsville, IL 62025

email:info@astrosphere.org

For those of you who’d like a less virtual experience and who will be in the DC area, there are also a few events open to the public. On Monday night, at 6:30pm, Brian B. Schwartz will be talking on Science as Performance and on Wednesday night there will be a Tweetup / Meetup at a location to be announced.

Join us?

Making it 2 years in a row...

The award-winning 365 Days of Astronomy podcast is proud to announce
that the project will continue for another 365 days and is now
accepting sign-ups for participants for 2010. This is a legacy project
of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) and is being managed by
Astrosphere New Media Association.

In 2009, the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast was a major project of the
IYA, publishing one podcast for every day of the year. The podcast
episodes are written, recorded, and produced by people all around the
world. “This podcast gives a voice to everyone in astronomy –
professionals, amateurs, and those who just enjoy the amazing
discoveries and images of our Universe,” said Dr. Pamela Gay, chair
for the IYA’s New Media Group. The continuation of the project was
officially announced at the .Astronomy (“dot Astronomy”) conference in
Leiden, The Netherlands, on Friday.

The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast is now looking for individuals,
schools, companies, and clubs to submit 5 to 10 minutes of audio for
our daily podcast.

“The Universe is a big place — but the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast
brings a little piece of it down to Earth each day,” said Dr. Chris
Lintott, BBC Sky at Night.

The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast has gained a wide audience, and each
episode is heard by 5,000 to 10,000 listeners. The project was awarded
a Parsec Award for “The Best Info-tainment” podcast of 2009.

Participants can sign up to do just one episode or up to 12 episodes
(one per month, subject to editorial discretion). The 365 Days of
Astronomy team encourages people to sign up for a particular day (or
days) of 2010. A calendar of astronomical events is available on the
project’s website to provide ideas, but the podcasts can be about
virtually any astronomical topic. “We are seeking a wide range of
contributions, from simple concepts or how-to’s to more in-depth
discussions of complex concepts,” said Dr. Gay. “In 2009, we received
a wide range of contributions, from simple at-home first-time podcasts
to highly polished and professional recordings. We expect the same for
2010 and are looking to sign up a wide range of participants, from
graduate students in astronomy to science bloggers to big media
companies.”

The project is also seeking financial support from individuals and
organizations to help pay for editing and posting of the podcasts.

For more information visit http://365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Galileoscopes from NOAO

Our auction of 2 autographed Galileoscopes raised enough money to donate 33 telescopes to 33 kids. We don’t know where on the planet these telescopes will fly, but no matter where they go I’m sure the kids behind the eye pieces will be thrilled to have a chance to explore the sky with their own eyes.

We are also excited to be able to share that Galileoscope will be going into 2010! Details aren’t public yet, but when they are, I think everyone will be proud of the shape this wonderful project is taking. One thing I can share is Astrosphere will be helping them out with web hosting, and getting their new media voices heard.

This auction was our first fundraiser and suffice to say, we learned some important lessons: 1) eBay auctions are easy, but eBay buyers don’t like first time sellers. I am a first time seller. This is fixable with time. 2) eBay has special programs for non-profits. They require paper checks (which I don’t have – who uses checks?!) and the official letter from the IRS (which I’m waiting on). There will be more auctions – we have a ’scope signed by the folks from Flood(!!!) – but they will happen after we are official with the IRS and with eBay.

Three Dreamers

I know a set of men who had a dream. They wanted to see every child in the world have access to a high-quality low-cost telescope. They wanted something that would show the rings of Saturn, survive a tumble down the stairs, and just keep revealing the sky night after night after night. This is a good dream; a dream inspired by the one laptop per child project. It is a dream that could be a reality, but it needs help. These men need you to dream with them and help their dream become a reality.

Moon thru a Galileoscope (by Andreas O. Jaunsen)

The Concept is Born
The Galileoscope project was launched about the time everyone realized the 2009 International Year of Astronomy idea was about to become a UN endorsed reality. Lead by Doug Arion, Rick Fienberg, and Steve Pompea, the Galileoscope telescope team gave themselves a goal of $10 per scope and set out to design. Like the original One Laptop Per Child goal of $100 per computer, they overshot a little bit. In this case, they came in at $20 per scope + shipping (or $15 to donate). Still not bad. See that image to the right? That was taken through a Galileoscope. These are systems with excellent optics.

The Problem
There is only 1 problem with the Galileoscope: No one can get one in a timely fashion unless, well, you go bid on this or this auction. Here’s the reason for the problem: No one ever provided the start up money needed to produce that first batch of Galileoscopes. We are literally collecting money until we have enough to run a batch out of the factories, producing and shipping that batch, and collecting money for the next batch. At a minimum, we just needed one rich soul to come forward with $200k to turn the factories on and start producing scopes while we collected a round of orders. Ideally, we need just $500k to get a stock pile of scopes we can sell with 24-hour shipping, while incoming money goes to the next round of orders. But that large donation never came. That donor, that sponsor, that dreamer never stepped forward. So these men with a dream, they put in their own money to get this started, and they asked the world – Will you buy a scope? We’re sorry, but it could take 6-months to get it. But will you buy a scope please?

Looking in the box

Originally, we’d all imagined millions of orders – both personal purchases and donations for kids everywhere in the world. Just like the original One Laptop Per Child, we have the option to Buy-One-Give-One. These scopes are the price of a double-CD. Why not think they’d sell like the latest top 40 hit? With orders like that, we projected we could turn on more assembly lines, speed up the rate of production, and keep maybe not ahead, but at least keep up. But those millions of orders never came. Everyone it seemed was waiting to see one, touch one, and play with one (or to at least have overnight delivery). But without those millions, that one touchable one never came to the vast majority of people who were thinking “Maybe I’d buy one. I just want to see one first.” They are coming to those who order, one by one a few hundred thousand scattered across the world at a time. They are coming. You may have yours (comment if you do?), and I know mine are coming soon.

A Solution
The one thing this project needs to overcome the delivery problem is funding. Galileoscope itself isn’t a non-profit company (simply because they didn’t spend all the extra money to become a not-for-profit. It costs almost $1000 in fees to set up a not-for-profit for something like Galileoscope!), so they either need help from other organizations or help from someone who doesn’t care about tax deductions. Bottom line – they need finacial help, and while I haven’t found that couple hundred thousand dollar donor, I’m hoping to find maybe a couple thousand dollars of help.

Felicia Day

This is where you, the casts of Battlestar Galactica and Ghost Hunters International, as well as the wonderful Felicia Day and the new non-profit Astrosphere New Media all come into play. At Dragon*Con in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend, I got pictures of a few famous people (and a few cool costumes) with a Galileoscope. When (thanks to the great Phil Plait!) I asked Felicia Day for her photo, she just signed the box. w00t! An idea was born! We’d get signatures and give someone the chance to have the ultimate geek gift of SyFy geekery. Our wonderful volunteer Laura S. took a box, and I took a box, and between us we cornered the cast of Ghost Hunters International and Battlestar Galactica. Two Galileoscopes. Two sets of different signatures. Two possibilities to make scopes for kids a reality. The proceeds from this scope will buy scopes for needy kids, and with each scope purchased we are a little closer to a production run.

An eBay Auction
Right now on eBay we have (through Astrosphere New Media Association) two charity auctions. All proceeds are tax deductible and Astrosphere will use the proceeds to buy scopes for needy kids. The auctions are open until October 1st around 7am Pacific / 10am Eastern / 3pm London. You now have the chance to have your own scope, your own geek signatures, and to do a good thing all at once.

Now, I know there is the potential for the winning bid to not be divisible evenly by the $15 a scope costs, so I’m going to step forward and say I’ll personally round the bid amount up to buy that last telescope (I’m just a state university professor, so I can’t do anything cool like match the winning bids, but I would if I could, and if you can, would you please?) Right now, the two scopes are at

• 

  Felicia Day + Battlestar Galactica Cast signed Galileoscope

  Scope 1: Signed by Felicia Day, Michael Hogan, Kandyse McClure, Alessandro Juliani, Mary McDonnell, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon, Luciano Carro, Richard Hatch, and the BSG Science Advisor Kevin Grazier (see picture). Current Bid: $152!

• 

  Ghost Hunters Galileoscope

  Scope 2: Signed by Ghost Hunters International Joe Chin, JC Howell, Dustin Pari, Dave Tango, and 2 more (see picture). Current Bid: $66!

This means if the bidding ended right now there would be 15 scopes for kids who may never have seen the sky with anything other than their eyes. That’s awesome.

But can’t we do better?

Here is my challenge: Fandoms – Ghost Hunter Fans, The Guild / Dr Horrible Fans + Battlestar Galactica Fans – which of you can get the most scopes into the hands of the most kids? Show your fandom colors by bidding high and lending a helping hand.

Please?

We have 9 days left. Spread the word. Spread this post. Help gets scopes for kids. Help a dream.

Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh) Cool Costumed People Adam Savage and Phil Plait Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers) Galiloscope in Surly Amy's Scientific Jewelry Richard Hatch (The ORIGINAL Apollo) Steam Punk Boba Fett

Remember: The Universe is Yours to Discover.