Astrosphere » day-to-day

Meet our Newest Team Member

Joe — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:50:24 +0000

Astrosphere New Media Association proudly welcomes our new 365 Days of Astronomy Project Manager, Avivah Yamani.

Avivah is an astronomer from Indonesia who works as a writer and communicator, with a keen interest in social science, philosophy, music, art, archaeology and history. She is involved extensively with astronomy communication with the public, enjoying the challenge of conveying complex ideas in an easy-to-understand manner. Before focusing herself in EPO and new media, she did research on dynamical simulations of planetary systems.

Joining Astrosphere, she hopes to engage more people to understand the universe through online media. Other than astronomy, Avivah loves to travel and doing outdoor activities like camping and hanging out with friends in roadside cafes. She lives in Bandung, which is a high altitude location, making the weather pleasantly cool. Avivah maintains langitselatan.com astronomy blog in Indonesia language.

End of the World…. Not! Caribbean Cruise opportunity

Joe — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:04:49 +0000

Norwegian Jewel by Stilleben

Want to see the world (not) end in style?

Join Pamela & Fraser (and many others) on a cruise around the Caribbean celebrating the “(Not the) End of the World.”

We will be sailing on the Norwegian Cruise Lines “Norwegian Jewel.”

To book:
Call Zelda (305-931-4896)
and say “Astronomy Cast sent me“

Itinerary (link to details)

Dec 16, 2012 Depart Miami
Dec 17, Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
Dec 18, At Sea Fraser & Pamela record live with you!)
Dec 19, Ochos Rios, Jamaica
Dec 20, George Town, Grand Cayman
Dec 21, ~~Worlds Ends~~ Cozumel, Mexico with excursion to ruins at Tulum
Dec 22, At Sea (Fraser & Pamela record live with you!)
Dec 23, Disembark in Miami

Anyone who travels as part of the Astronomy Cast group will get a special gift from us and will get a super secret Astronomy Cast schedule of events to augment all the awesome, scientific and skeptical events already planned for the cruise.

To join us, call:

Zelda Rosenthal REMEMBER: Say “Astronomy Cast sent me“
Cruise Shoppe Operations in Miami, FL
(305) 931-4896

More Details on the Main Cruise Webpage.

Be a 365 Days of Astronomy Podcaster

Joe — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:15:55 +0000

You, that’s correct, You can be a 365 Days of Astronomy Podcaster. We’ve had many excellent content providers, many of whom are not Astrophysicists. Storytellers, Teachers, Amateur Astronomers, High School Classes; all have gone to our Join In Page and found themselves making a significant statement about Astronomy to an audience of tens of thousands.

It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding. We will send you a cool “Podcaster” button if you like, but the real reward is knowing you have helped continue our Mission here at Astrosphere New Media Association. You will be more than a podcaster. You will be an Astronomy Communicator.

Carl Sagan said, “We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces.” A old Chinese proverb tells us “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”.

From interpreting science and technology, illuminating knowledge rather than lamenting ignorance, relaying the joy of appreciating the night sky, to explaining complex astrophysics; the whole spectrum of Astronomy awaits your voice as a guide to others. Please, visit http://365daysofastronomy.org/join-in/ and add your voice to the 365 Days of Astronomy.

AstroGear

Joe — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:39:14 +0000

Gear with a flare for education

Astrogear provides astronomy gear with a flare for education. We are the sole provider for items that support the projects of Astrosphere New Media Association such as Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy. All proceeds support their efforts to increase science education on a global scale. As we gain further support, we will begin offering more items for other projects. We appreciate your support and hope you will come to us for your future astronomy gear needs. We have a few 3XL TeeShirts available now for a limited time. Just order the shirt of your choice selecting 2XL and note in the order you actually want the larger size. Our shipping department (that’s me) will see it though.

Click the GEAR link at the top of the page.

Pamela Speaks

Joe — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:41:26 +0000

Citizen Science isn’t new. From Herschel to Humason to Levy, individual citizen astronomers have found ways to distinguish themselves by making meaningful contributions to science. In recent years, the internet has fundamentally changed how citizen science takes place by making it possible for members of the public to click through images and complete needed scientific tasks that require only limited training. Their efforts have been put to use in dozens of science papers, showing that these click-workers can become part of the data pipeline. In this talk, the field of citizen science is over viewed with emphasis placed on science emerging from the Zooniverse, and the motivations of citizen scientists is discussed. (Why do people do science instead of playing “Angry Birds”?) At the end of the talk, a new project to transform online citizen science from click working to online amateur astronomy is introduced.

Where is Pamela?

Joe — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:35:13 +0000

Where’s Pamela now? Attending the launch of the GRAIL mission, that’s where.

TAM 9 FROM OUTER SPACE

Joe — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:37:07 +0000

See Astronomy Cast’s Pamela at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas July 15 where she will be presenting a talk on “the importance of understanding Science in order to think critically about the world” .

Pamela joins other featured speakers Lawrence Krauss, Elizabeth lofts, Phil Plait, Bill Nye, and Neil De Grasse Tyson for this years conference entitled TAM 9 FROM OUTER SPACE.

People from all over the world attend TAM to experience the world’s largest gathering of like-minded science advocates and skeptics. The four-day conference features panel discussions, workshops, and presentations by leading thinkers and celebrities. Evening performances and parties for attendees round out the fun. Selected sessions will available for free as video podcasts.

Pamela will have a few AstroGear tee-shirts with her at TAM, but if you can’t see her there, you can help support our mission here at Astrosphere by going to the AstroGear site and browsing our stylish yet thought provoking collection.

TAM 2011 takes place at Southpoint Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, July 14-17.

Where Jets Pamela?

Joe — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:50:56 +0000

To Balticon, of course. The Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention runs May 27 to 30. Next Pamela jets off to: The University of Western Ontario for the 2011 CASCA conference May 30 to June 2, 2011 in London, Ontario where she gives a plenary speech on Education and Outreach on the 31st.

DotAstronomy Links

Joe — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:45:37 +0000

Virtually explore the nexus of New Media and Astronomy at the .Astronomy Conference. Here’s the links:

http://www.ustream.tv/user/dotastronomy

https://twitter.com/#!/dotastronomy

http://dotastronomy.com/

Virtually explore the nexus of New Media and Astronomy at the .Astronomy Conference. Here’s the links:

http://www.ustream.tv/user/dotastronomy

https://twitter.com/#!/dotastronomy

http://dotastronomy.com/

How You Can Contribute

Joe — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:01:44 +0000

Year III of 365 Days of Astronomy marches on, but we need your help. Assist our mission of relating Astronomy to the World with a one show sponsorship for a $30 donation, or perhaps even a seven show sponsorship for a $100 donation. All sponsorships come with the option of hearing your own pithy, poignant, priceless, timely, or droll dedication voiced by our brilliant production staff .

But wait, there’s more! You can offer your own content and have your cast heard by an audience of thousands. Go to http://365daysofastronomy.org/join-in/ for podcast rules and parameters as well as instructions on how to sponsor podcast(s) and have your dedication placed in an episode, or seven.

See Pamela at Oxford

Joe — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:38:40 +0000

See Dr. Pamela Gay’s presentation on the topic of how Astronomy and New Media work together “The Language of New Media” at the .Astronomy 3 conference April 6. http:/dotastronomy.com/ Streamed live from Oxford via upstream.tv. Follow Pamela on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/starstryder for updates.

Planck the man, Planck the Mission

Joe — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:12:15 +0000

http://twitter.com/#!/AstronomyCast

Our intrepid podcasters Pamela & Fraser have just finished preliminary production of the next Astronomy Cast. Prepare to be awed with this episode about Planck the Man & Planck the NASA Mission. Other near-future episodes being assembled and readied for launch include the payloads Decadal Survey, Extinction Events, and Geomorphology. Follow us on twitter for announcements of lift-off dates.

http://twitter.com/#!/AstronomyCast

Approved!

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:17:36 +0000

I would like to share with you some of the best words I have read this year:

Dear Applicant:
We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to you are deductible under section 170 of the Code. You are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.

I have one thing to say: WooHoo.

33 Telescopes for 33 Kids

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:01:45 +0000

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.

The waiting is almost over!

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:44:42 +0000

After over a year of working on State of Illinois and IRS non-profit paper work, our IRS liason says that we’re there!

I feel like I should write something very profound here, but all I can say is, “Wow, what an amazing sense of relief.” For any of you looking to set up a non-profit, don’t do it on your own if you have a full time job. There are lawyers who you can give reasonable amounts of money to and they will do the leg work for you.

That said – we did it! We did it on our own! And now, I can say safely, Astrosphere New Media Association – An ACTIVE non-profit.

Our paperwork is in!

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:36:42 +0000

Our paper work is in to the IRS. Now we just need to wait. Wheeeee

But while we wait we can also begin to act. Currently Pamela is madly trying to figure out how to install Pligg, so we can get some social sharing of content going on around here, and on Tuesday she and Chris will be trying an experiment in webcasting. Let’s hope for an audiance! Answering questions from you will make all of this that much more fun. Will join us for a laugh and a smile?

Hello world!

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:16:53 +0000

Welcome to Astrosphere! This little website is the virtual home of a New Media association that hopes to spread science and skeptical thinking via the internet. We have big plans, but our first (and perhaps most tedious) plan is simply to attain 501(c)3 non-profit status in the United States. In addition to filing out a frightening stack of paperwork, the filing is going to require us to write the IRS a large check. If you feel like helping us in our struggles, click donate, and please give us your address. Your donation won’t be tax-deductible, but we will send you a thank you card.