Central Florida Astronomical Society - NASA Night Sky Network

CFAS was accepted into the NASA Night Sky Network (NNSN) early in 2004. As a member of the network, we have renewed our commitment to community outreach. Members of NNSN receive materials that facilitate instruction of particular concepts and NASA programs. In return for these materials, NASA expects its NNSN members to perform and report upon outreach events using the materials it supplied. Between March and October CFAS made 9 presentations around the area.

Fortunately, events are easy to present and report back to NASA. An event need only consist of a few participants and need not be publicized in advance. Examples of events may include: a docent at Orlando Science Center presenting a 15-minute event on how extra-solar planets are found or a series of presentations at the Harmony Dark Sky Festival, UCF Public Viewing nights or AstroFest.

The teaching material is engaging and easy to present. A short video is provided in each package explaining the program expectations and how to host an event.

Here's a list of our current inventory:

• Getting started with the night sky network and the outreach toolkit.
• How do we find planets around other stars?
• Why do we put telescopes in space?
• How do stars and planets form?
• Where are the distant worlds?
• Our place in Our Galaxy
• A Universe of Galaxies
• Telescopes as Time Machines

We've been asked to Beta Test the Black Hole Survival Outreach Toolkit. In this kit is an introductory presentation for the club, Where are the Black holes?, Gravity and the Fabric of Space, Championship of the Universe, and Black Hole Explorer.

If you're interested in presenting material from the NNSN, please contact me and we'll make arrangements for you to obtain the materials you wish to present.

Tony Urzi kronenpj@netzero.net
CFAS NASA Night Sky Network Coordinator