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2/10

            4:45 New Horizons

            6:00 SAGE Observations; Eclipses, the Earth-Sun-Planet Construct

            7:30 Telescope Star Party (Weather Permitting)   

3/10

            4:45 Stars of the Pharaohs

            6:00 SAGE Observations; Nebula, Planetary Formation and Exoplanets

            7:30 Telescope Star Party (Weather Permitting)

3/12     

            5:30 The Sky Above Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

4/7

            4:45 Two Small Pieces of Glass

            6:00 SAGE Observations; Celestial Navigation and Energy

            7:30 Telescope Star Party (Weather Permitting)

4/9

            5:30 The Sky Above Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

5/12

            5:30 Seven Wonders

            6:30 SAGE Observations; Stars, Clusters, Galaxies

            8:00 Telescope Star Party (Weather Permitting)

5/14

            5:30 The Moon is Angry

 

SAGE OBSERVATIONS is a monthly, informal class on observational Astronomy at the SAGE Planetarium.  The second meeting will be on February 10 at 6:00 PM.  The lessons run about 1:20 minutes followed by a star party with telescopes viewing, weather permitting.  This will continue throughout the year and is meant to be a cumulative experience.  It will be observation based, covering conceptual and visual Astronomy.  The lectures are geared for the teen-adult level, but any enthusiastic student that is interested is welcome!.
 
December 17 concluded our weekly schedule of shows presented as part of the International Year of Astronomy.  Free shows continue to be presented monthly.
Show descriptions are listed at the bottom of the webpage.
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The Youth Exploring Astronomy Essay Contest 2010 is now underway.
Now called the Pete Knight Youth Exploring Astronomy Contest
 
The 2010 flier and middle school application
 
A special congratulations to two PSD students that won in 2009, Charles Groth an 8th grade winner from Cactus Middle School
and Perseus Tong from Buena Vista!
 
For more information, please see the link for Antelope Valley Astronomy Club website:  http://www.avastronomyclub.org/

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There will be a Moon Walk at Prime Desert Woodlands on Saturday March 6, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. 
 
Other events* at the Prime Desert Woodlands have included; Native American Heritage; Valentine’s Traveling Nature Class; Bird Watching Walk; Insect Specimens; Live Reptiles
*Other events can be found at the back of the Lancaster Outlook and may or may not be free.

They are located at

Avenue K-8 & 35th Street West

Lancaster, CA

723-6230

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ANTELOPE VALLEY ASTRONOMY CLUB                {AVAC}

The Antelope Valley Astronomy Club meets on the second Friday of every month except December.  The next meeting will be October 9, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.  The meetings are held at the SAGE Planetarium. Attendance is free and you do not have to be a member to attend. For a complete list of events visit their website,

 www.avastronomyclub.org

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SHOWS AT THE SAGE

The SAGE Planetarium uses the California Science Standards in all of the regular shows. Shows are updated and revised to contain the latest information. To find out which show best matches your grade level and instruction goals, send a request to jsamarant@psd.k12.ca.us, and you will receive help to select the correct show.

The shows are also great for review before 5th and 8th grade testing.

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I get many questions regarding the process for visiting the Planetarium. Visiting the Planetarium is free for the Palmdale School District, including Head Start. All groups outside the PSD pay $125 per show and also need to make reservations. The Planetarium seats up to 130 people max. as set by fire codes. When planning a trip, please keep this in mind.

Here is an example of how to come, step by step:

1. Call or send e-mail to the Planetarium, jsamarant@psd.k12.ca.us  (661) 273-7646.

2. We will be determining a time, date and show for your group. Planetarium shows are by appointment for show times at: 8:15, 9:30, 10:35, 11:40 and 1:30. Other times can be obtained on a case by case basis. All shows meet standards by grade level.

a. You may want to ask your colleagues and/or partners if they would like to come too. The Planetarium seats 129.

b. Discount busses run to and from the Planetarium from 9:15 to 1:15. In the past the busses cost a lot less than regular field trips (around $75 per bus.)

3. Talk to the person who handles field trips for your school site (School Secretary, Vice-Principal, or Principal) to gain approval for the field trip. 

4. Schedule a bus.  A PSD transportation requst form is required for all busses (sometimes the person who handles field trips does this.) For a discount bus, you must be coming only to the planetarium. If you want to do a side trip, you must schedule a regular bus.

5. There is also Planetarium Field Trip Request Form for both groups using busses and walking trips. These will go to the Principal and Ed Services for Approval.

That's it!

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{TSPG}
TWO SMALL PIECES OF GLASS
(Grade 7 CA Science Standards) 45 min in All-Dome HD
Four hundred years ago, a simple adjustment to a child’s spyglass revealed for the first time an infinite and perplexing universe to our eyes and imaginations. Join us today as the world’s great telescopes, born of that serendipitous moment, gaze even further into the distant past – and into the future.
 
SEVEN WONDERS
(General Audience) 45 min in All-Dome HD
We will travel to Egypt to visit the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Great Pyramids, to Persia to see the original Mausoleum, to Babylon to explore the fabled Hanging Gardens, to Greece to tour the Temples of Zeus and Artemis, and to Rhodes to stand in the shadow of the towering Colossus and see them as they were when they were created.  Then travel to some of the Universe’s greatest wonders.  
Narrated by Sean Bean, Boromir from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
 
NEW HORIZONS
(Grade 3, 5, 8 CA Science Standards) 45 min in All-Dome HD
New Horizons takes audiences through the Solar System.  From breathtaking landscapes to violent volcanic eruptions to the sheer beauty of Saturn’s rings.  Explore the planets and moons of the Solar System in a majestic journey through our celestial neighborhood.  Our journey begins as we follow a comet as it travels through interplanetary space.
 
STARS OF THE PHARAOHS
(Grade 6 CA History-Social Science Standards) 45 min in All-Dome HD
In Stars of the Pharaohs you will journey to ancient Egypt and see how science was used to tell time, make a workable calendar, and align huge buildings.  You’ll learn about the connection the ancient Egyptians felt with the stars and numerous astronomical phenomena.  The show includes real photographs taken on location in Egypt.  The photographs and measurements used in this show production allows audiences to see some of the most spectacular temples and tombs of the ancient world accurately recreated in their original splendor.
Narrated by John Rhys-Davies, Indiana Jones
 
WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE
(Grade CA Science Standards) 45 min in All-Dome HD
Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion you'll witness the formation of galaxies, stars, planets and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you'll fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system. Created in 2000.\
{Rogers Logo} {fred}
THE SKY ABOVE MR. ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD 
(Ages 3 to 1st grade) 35 min., pre-recorded
Strait from the PBS Show, Fred Rogers worked with the folks at the Buhl Planetarium in PA to create this show introducing children to the planetarium. Geared specifically to younger audiences, we look at clouds, constellations, the sun and the moon. http://www.buhlplanetarium.org/buhlrogers.html  
 
THE MOON IS ANGRY
(Kindergarten through 2nd) 45 min., pre-recorded
The Moon stops moving during a Lunar Eclipse and will not move out from in front of the Sun. Johnny and his toy monkey, Raphael, ask Tinny the robot to help them to get the Moon moving again. Together, they travel to and speak with Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, a comet and finally the Moon itself to figure out why "The Moon is Angry." Produced in Portugal at the Espinho Planetarium under the title "A Zanga da Lua" by the Navegar Foundation, a NPO. http://www.multimeios.pt/themoonisangry/
 
DESERT STAR WALK
(General Audience) 45 min live presentation using All-Dome HD
A show for sky watchers of all ages.  A time to explore current events and have your astronomy questions answered.  Together, we walk the high desert under the stars see what is visible among the constellations and planets that are visible the very evening of the show. 
 
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RING WORLD
(3rd and up) 1 hour, Pre-recorded
Learn about the Cassini Mission, one of the largest spacecraft ever sent into space. It will arrive at Saturn on July 1, 2004 and should prove to be the biggest news at the time. In this show, detailed information about this mission as well as Saturn is explored in depth. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/museums/index.cfm
 
THE EXPLORERS
(all ages) 1 hour, pre-recorded  
Also available in Spanish (Los Exploradores)
Go on an expedition aboard an ancient Polynesian canoe and discover how these acute explorers used celestial navigation to discover new lands. Then, take a star guided flight into the future and visit the red planet Mars. Created at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. http://www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/explores/
 
THE STORY OF THE PLANETS 
(1st and up) 1 hour, live
Each of the planets resembles its brethren, yet has peculiarities that distinguish them as individuals. From the terrestrial planets of the inner solar system to the gaseous Jovian planets, as well as other strange bodies like the Kuiper objects and planetoids, we will see the splendors of our solar system as we tell the Story of the Planets.
 
THE EXPLORERS OF MAUNA KEA
(5th and up) 1 hour, pre-recorded
Climb atop the most massive mountain in the solar system as we travel to the big island of Hawaii and the largest telescopes on the planet. Literally the White Mountain, Mauna Kea houses the three largest visual telescopes on Earth, the Keck Telescope, it's identical twin and the Gemini telescope. Join us for the premier of "The Explorers of Mauna Kea" and find out why the hottest researchers in Astronomy journey to the White Mountain. http://www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/explores/
 
TRACKING THE ANNUAL; THE FOUR SEASONS
(Grades 3 and up) 1 hour, live
The story of Jack and Jill is about the changing seasons. A Midsummer Night's Dream happens on the Summer Solstice. We see many changes to our planet as we go from season to season and even the seasons themselves change. The Greeks had only three seasons! Find the reason for the changing seasons as we observe from outside the Earth and then from the Earth itself.
 
COSMIC CONNECTIONS
(Grades 5 and up) 1 hour, live
Nature dances around us. Whether it is the day the sun stands still, or the motion of the stars, the Ancients were in tune with the world around them. The disassociation of our modern society from this dance puts a dividing wall between us and our ancestors. Walk the path of our forebears as we gain insight into what it was to be human.
 
OTHER SHOWS AND PRESENTATIONS 
(All Grade Levels) 30 min - 1 hour, most are live
There are other shows available that match Science Standards, cover current events, take students on a tour of the night sky, etc. If you are interested in attending one of these special shows, send an e-mail to the planetarium director to discuss your needs.
 
 
 
 
Thank you,
Jeremy Amarant
Planetarium Director
SAGE Planetarium
39139-49 10th St. East
Palmdale, CA 93550
(661)273-7646