易胜博官网

Award-winning author and playwright Dava Sobel will kick off the third New England Fall Astronomy Festival at the University of 易胜博官网 Friday, Sept. 13, 2013. Sobel, author of 鈥淭he Planets,鈥� 鈥淕alileo鈥檚 Daughter鈥� and 鈥淟ongitude,鈥� will deliver a free keynote lecture on the subject of her latest book and play, 鈥淎 More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos,鈥� at 7:15 p.m. on the grounds of the 易胜博官网 Observatory (Spinney Lane in Durham, on the western edge of campus).

The festival, hosted by the 易胜博官网 Physics Department in conjunction with the 易胜博官网 Astronomical Society and other astronomy clubs throughout the region, continues through Saturday evening, Sept. 14 with star-gazing, astronomy-related activities, and science talks geared to the public. The festival is free and open to all, with many activities targeted to children and families.

鈥淎fter all the amazing success and fun we鈥檝e had with the festival the past two years, we couldn鈥檛 stop,鈥� says event organizer and 易胜博官网 Observatory manager Ian Cohen, a Ph.D. student in physics at 易胜博官网. 鈥淲e鈥檙e ecstatic to have Dava Sobel join us this year.鈥�

鈥淭he entire astronomical community from throughout New England drives this event, helping us introduce astronomy to families around the region,鈥� adds John Gianforte, an instructor of astronomy at 易胜博官网 and lecturer at Granite State College and an organizer of the festival.

Sobel will sign books following her talk Friday night, then participants can stay to star-gaze at the 易胜博官网 Observatory and with telescopes provided by the region鈥檚 dedicated amateur astronomers.

NEFAF gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday for a day of family astronomy-related activities. Sobel will be on hand throughout the day, and 易胜博官网 researchers and astronomy experts will discuss a range of astronomy topics of particular interest to young scientists. Activities include hands-on science, astronomy games, and model rocket building and launching (participants can buy and create their own rockets from FlisKits). Star-gazing resumes Saturday evening, and meals and snacks will be available for purchase both days.

Patrons can meet Sobel at a fundraising reception Friday evening (5:30 鈥� 7 p.m.) at the Elliott Alumni Center on campus. For information and tickets, which cost $50 each or $80 per couple and include hors d鈥檕euvres, beer, wine, and reserved seating for her talk, go to http:// nefaf2013reception.eventbrite.com/

More details and program updates are at physics.unh.edu/observatory/NEFAF or on the festival鈥檚 Facebook page ().

In addition to the 易胜博官网 physics department and the 易胜博官网 Astronomical Society, the New England Fall Astronomy Festival is sponsored by the Offices of the President at 易胜博官网, the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at 易胜博官网, the NH Space Grant Consortium, BAE Systems, Beswick Engineering, Silvertech, Inc., Exeter Events and Tents, and Science Distance Learning.

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