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Bad Astronomy

Posts Tagged ‘star party’

Star party to kick cancer’s butt

atlanta_starparty_logoIf you’ll be in the Atlanta area on September 2 — the night before Dragon*Con — then I strongly urge you to attend the Second Annual Atlanta Skeptics Star Party. This is a charity event to raise money for the American Cancer Society Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in memory and honor of our friend Jeff Medkeff, an astronomer who died of liver cancer two years ago. Jeff was a good man, naming asteroids after noted skeptics, and did a lot of work to promote critical thinking.

Last year’s event was fantastic: there was a full house of people listening to short talks by Pamela Gay and me, and then migrating outside to view the heavens. This year, the speakers include Fraser Cain (from the newly remodeled Universe Today), Pamela once again, and musician George Hrab (who made a typically over-the-top cool promo for it).

I won’t be there this year — months of travel for my TV show have made me long to be home for more than a week at a time — but I hope some BABloggees will be able to attend. And don’t forget: Surly Amy and I have teamed up to raise money for the event as well. It’s a great night, a fun time, and a way to help us all kick cancer’s butt.

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August 1st, 2010 7:12 AM Tags: American Cancer Society, Atlanta Skeptics, Dragon*Con, Fraser Cain, George Hrab, Jeff Medkeff, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Pamela Gay, star party
by Phil Plait in Astronomy, Cool stuff | 8 Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >

Video from the White House star party

This video from the White House star party held the other night makes me smile. A lot.


Wow, that’s quite a star lineup! I wish I could’ve been there too. Maybe next year…

And the quote of the night from the President, who said this in response to a young girl who was 14 when she discovered a supernova, and a high school sophomore who found a rare type of pulsar:

NASA’s equipment is some pretty powerful stuff. But astronomy also depends on the curiosity and contribution of amateur astronomers. [...] If they can discover something great, so can any of you other students who are here tonight. All you need is a passion for science.

Damn straight. And awesome.

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October 9th, 2009 12:30 PM Tags: President Obama, star party
by Phil Plait in Astronomy, Cool stuff | 38 Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >

White House Star Party

This is pretty cool: tonight, President Obama will have a bunch of professional and amateur astronomers over to the White House to show the First Family and a group of middle schoolers the sky. The event coincides with the International Year of Astronomy and World Space Week.

And may I say? It’s so so cool to finally have a President who respects science. Yay!

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October 7th, 2009 2:30 PM Tags: President Obama, star party, White House
by Phil Plait in Astronomy, Politics | 62 Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >





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