 Action Sun image by Bernard Kelleghan On May 4th 2012 children from St Cronans Stargazers Astronomy Club in Bray took the sun from the sky and brought it down to Earth. We used a 10ft X 8ft plastic sheet, crepe paper, acrylic paint washable glue and plenty of energy. It was a very cloudy day but a brief look at the sun in the early am gave me a good view of the large sunspot in Active Region 1471. I took the rest of the data from the space telescope Nasa Solar Dynamics Observatory. ‘The sun now’ on its website shows the status of the sun in many light views in real time.
By building the sun the children were literally exploring the physical features of the sun with their hands in mini scale.
Exploring astronomy via art is a very varied learning for all participants. Even finding out a little about what we see in the sky during our entire lifetimes is enhancing for life. Understanding where we are helps us understand who we are.
Art expressing unique awe and wonder at the magnificence of our stars role, in every second of every day of our lives is unavoidably beautiful.
Astronomy and Art are for everyone, each person has something to express, each has their own life journey to make, to live, to experience. The action of bringing the Sun to the ground, bringing it down to Earth is a deep experience that can only have a positive effect. Action Sun invites children to be creative, expressive, and informed.
During the activity I emphasised to the children the dangers of looking at the sun. Action Sun is a very safe way of exploring our star in a way that enhances a child’s knowledge and encourages curiosity and further learning.
During the making of our sun in Bray we had just finished the photosphere when spontaneously some of the children bowed down to the paper sun. This was a funny happy moment, so totally unexpected, it came out of nowhere. When we were carrying the finished sun into the school, the smallest child began singing ‘here comes the sun’ I was amazed that a 2012 child would know that song and even more surprised that he sang away. The singing soon became a group effort as we struggled through the double doors into the hall.
Action Sun supports Art in the curriculum as it uses mixed media to create the sun. We used paint and paper to convey action ,and explosive movement on the solar disc. Action Sun enables children to use the characteristics of the materials to make the structures and features on the solar disc. Making the sun in this way is both creative and explorative.
Making is the technological component of the Science Curriculum. Action Sun provides the child with an opportunity to make the sun, and thereby investigate its properties in their school yard.
Action Sun is a cooperative activity encouraging social skills and group learning. The goal is to bring the sun to Earth to examine it and observe it safely. We were not just aiming for an understanding of the subject matter but were making connections between head, hand and heart while cultivating the capacity to discover systems. Observation and wonder equals sustained learning.
Action Sun supports Geography in primary education as the Solar System is part of the lesson plans. The Sun is the central hub of our solar system and is therefore one of the most important objects in our daily lives.When the Action Sun piece was hung in the hall , the children said ' the suns up , the suns up' with smiling faces, what a happy moment.
On this occasion Action Sun was funded by Dublin City of Science 2012 Many thanks to Paedar O'Briain and Paula O'Donnall for their invaluable help on the dayMany thanks to my husband Bernard for taking the image above , a wonderful job.Many thanks to principal Maeve Teirney for saying YES !Many thanks to John for hanging the sun in the school hall, a big job. !Many thanks to the Bray People for covering the event in the paper
This was also a NASA Sun Earth Day Venus Transit registered event.
The childrens work also had the honour of being Astronomy Sketch of the Day
on May 5th2012
Next Action Sun will be on May 19th at Kilkenny Castle National Drawing Day 2012
Whats up for May 2012 from Jane Houston Jones
 Windmill in central Leiden ‘ 'The Rhine is one of the longest rivers in Europe' this long lost primary school fact popped into my head as I ate my delicious Goats Cheese, Nuts and Honey Salad. I was sitting on the deck surrounding my hotel in Leiden, watching Dutch families enjoying the waterway. Their Sunday picnics were neatly arranged onboard, as they glided along in the welcome sunshine.
When I arrived in Amsterdam some hours earlier I admired the fact that the train station was in the airport and then the bus station was in the train station in Leiden. This was joined up thinking and so was the week ahead of me.
Professor George Miley and Pedro Russo had invited me to come to Leiden University to take part in a UNAWE workshop and series of talks with other like minded individuals. It turned out to be a very eclectic mix of outreach educators all with a common affiliation too UNAWE or AWB or both. In the invited group of 59 individuals there was 26 countries represented. It was inspiring to be part of such an erudite gathering of minds and intentions.
I was particularly pleased to be asked to give a PechaKucha 20X20 presentation about my new activity for children called Action Sun. This Art/ Science activity is designed to bring the sun to Earth in real time using paper paint and energy.
A PenchaKucha talk is 20 slides with 20 seconds to speak about each slide. The slides change automatically so you have to stick to the subject and get your points across in double quick time. Twelve other PenchaKucha's followed mine from a wonderful bunch of presenters. 2. Jaya Ramchandani (India): Universe in a box
3. Grace Kimble (UK): Evaluation
4. Angela Perez (Colombia): Astronomy Clubs for Children
5. Claudio Paulo (Mozambique): Astronomy education in Mozambique
6. Cristina Olivotto (Italy/Netherlands): Space Camps for Children
7. Catalina Movileanu (Romania): UNAWE Romania
8. Premysl Velek (Belgium): Scientix
9. Eric Chisholm (Canada): Astronomy & Art projects for Children
10. Avivah Yamany Ryadi (Indonesia): Transit of Venus 2012 and Children
11. Thilina Heenatigala (Sri Lanka): UNAWE Sri Lanka
12. Mponda Sibuor (France ) Astronomy in Tanzania 13. Carla Natário (Portugal/ Netherlands): Transit of Venus 2012 UNAWE Project Timor-Leste
To my delight Action Sun was very well received and I hope it will be part of Dublin City of Science 2012 shortly.
The activity I have created helps groups of children to understand the sun and some of its features safely without the need for viewing the solar disc visually. I have developed both an outdoor and indoor version all of which will be extremely colourful and I hope satisfying to the children who will take part in it over the next few months.
It was an honour to hear talks given by scientists and educators who had a wealth of experience over many years in outreach. It was a joy to meet several people who were only known to me via e mail and with whom I had engaged on interesting astronomical projects. One of the most useful activities of the week for me was talking part in the evaluation working groups and meeting up with some people who were very adept at that aspect of outreach education. One of the most uplifting experiences was seeing the vast numbers of children and young people being touched by astronomy in many ways. Professor Mark Baileys Human Orrery in Armagh , Olayinka Fagbemiro (Nigeria) with her enormous smiling childrens group in Africa. Marcello Souza's fun energetic outreach in Brazil , Mponda Sibuor beautiful work in Tanzania all stick in my mind. It was also amazing to listen to Maria Luchetti tell her story of twenty years doing creative but very practical astronomy outreach teacher training at the Rosa Sansat teacher training facility. (via translator Rosa Ros (Barcelona, Spain)
Before I left the University I recorded a piece to camera for Brazilain TV via Marcelo de Oliveira Souza and a piece to camera for 365 Days of Astronomy for UNAWE via Jaya Ramchandani . The entire experience gave me new eyes to look at both myself and others. It gave me a huge respect for outreach education being carried on in Africa and other countries with many difficulties in their everyday lives. The group attending the workshop week were collectively delighted when Professor George Miley founder of UNAWE was presented with The Order of the Lion (the Netherlands highest honour) at the official opening of the talks at the old observatory in Leiden.
What's Up for April 2012 from Jane Houston Jones
Here in the slide show is a selection of my solar inspired paintings Some are available as originals and some are available as limited edition Giclee prints
This selection is directly linked here to my blog for Pivot Dublin Contact me if you would like to buy some of my work - skysketcher@gmail.comTwitter @skysketcher
Facebook Deirdre Kelleghan
 Deirdre Kelleghan , Susan King and Dermot Day with some of the children who took part My first encounter in Ladyswell National School was a firm hand shake and an invite into the office by Principal Dr Daithi O Murchu. On the wall a very impressive triptych caught my eye and initiated a wonderful conversation with Daithi the artist which I felt could have gone on for hours
However I was there at the school to begin the first of three recording sessions at the request of Phoenix FM a local community radio station. Teacher Ray Keenaghan was to give up his classroom for three consecutive Friday mornings to facilitate my workshops Deadly Moons, Rapid Rockets / Wicked Robots and STARSAREUS. The three classroom based drawing workshops were to be finished off with a visit to Dunsink Observatory. The observatory visit included a short talk on the South Telescope , Dunsink Observatory itself, Hamiliton and a revisit to the solar system , stars and planets. That was a busy evening , but I enjoyed every second of their little smiling faces.
Over the course of the workshops, sixty drawings were produced with gusto, pride and fun by the children who took part. I also had the pleasure of several interviews for smaller groups who chatted away to me about their interesting thoughts on Moons, Stars and Robotic space exploration.
As an extension of the project Susan King community liaison officer for the station arranged for the drawings to be on exhibition in Blanchardstown Library, you can see them from February 6 th until February 17 th if you are in the area.
Serendipity paid a visit to this whole effort as it has often done several times in the past. During this period Eric Crisholm (Head of outreach | Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics) and UNAWE point of contact for Canada , requested me to send some Deadly Moon drawings for an exhibition hosted by The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
How perfect !! So I took the opportunity to send images (via Drop Box) of all the Moons from Ladyswell National School plus a selection of Moon drawings from other groups. These Moons will be on exhibition as part of The National Science Art Exhibition in the National Convention Centre Vancouver Canada from February 16th till February 20th how cool is that?
The three radio documentaries will be broadcast on Phoenix FM during February Workshops developed and presented by Deirdre Kelleghan Huge thanks to Ladyswell National School for taking part and to the teachers who were very
supportive during and after school hours.
The series was produced by Phoenix FM and made with the support of The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Producer Susan King - Sound Dermot Day Follow Phoenix FM on Twitter @925_PhoenixFM
Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixFM.DublinMany thanks to Hilary O Donnell DIAS for facilitating the Dunsink Observatory visit You can contact Hilary directly via the link above to arrange a visit for your school to the observatory during the year.
What's Up for February 2012 from Jane Houston Jones - Mars and Comets
 GRAIL A & B in orbit around the Moon _ New Years Eve drawing Ye know drawing is sometimes like an itch I have to scratch. When an idea takes even a fingertip hold on my mind it will sit there in silence forever or until I deal with it. As a result I have a backlog which I am sure would take several years to achieve. Most days new notions for visual experiments snap crackle and pop in my head. Lunar drawing, for the most part it is for my learning pleasure and enjoyment. It would be very rare for me to produce a drawing that was not directly from my telescope observations. On a New Year break (minus telescope) I was inspired to sketch in celebration of the NASA Grail’s mission to the Moon. Some time ago I was sent a NASA facts sheet about GRAIL – Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission. I used the little moon image on the back of the sheet to inform my ink drawing. “Grail is a Discovery Class mission that will unlock the mysteries of the Moon. By globally mapping the lunar gravitational field to unprecedented accuracy and resolution, the mission will peer deep inside the Moon to reveal its internal structure and thermal history. “ My drawing materials were new to me and oh boy they are wonderful, Inktense blocks by Derwent. Little sticks of water-soluble ink, can be used with a little water or just as sticks of colour or grated or any combination of these. There was no white ink stick, OK now I could have left the paper do the white for me but I like using white over darker colours. I had brought a white gel pen with me; it was past its best, so I cut into the tube to make use of the ink that remained for my ejecta rays. For the Grail’s I used two tiny pieces of foil from the neck of a Champagne bottle. Cheers Grails how appropriate I giggled as added the shiny orbitors to the blackness of space around my Moon drawing. GRAIL's A & B went into lunar orbit on New Years Eve and New Years Day . They will bring us lunar secrets held for eons.Eyes On the Solar Syestem follow it here MoonKam is the public outreach part of the missionEyes On the Solar System you can follwo this and other missions here January 3rd / 4th I made efforts to observe and sketch the Quadrantid meteor shower; however cloudy conditions put an end to that idea. The irony was that my location was much darker than home and I had a clear view to the north with no obstructions, such are the trials of Irish observing.My husband and I had a wonderful wild winter week in Lisdoonvarna .We went walking in the rugged rocky landscape of north Clare. It is always in my opinion very important to be aware of our planets place in space as we observe and explore outwards. It’s Important also to take time to wallow in the beauty of this Earth. Doolin Cave an extraordinary experience, 80 feet underground in pitch black , like being in space within the planet and then the lights turn on to reveal the jaw dropping two colour stalactite, 25 feet long , weighing in at 20 tons with a three meter natural plug anchoring it to the ceiling of the chamber. The vision was a fantastic surprise, and then very unexpectedly a second chamber 100 feet down with a ceiling that looked so like many HiRISE Mars images.It was as always a tonic to stand within yards of huge Atlantic waves crashing into both each other and the cliffs near Fanore Beach. There is an Earthy pleasure in tasting sea salt on your own face and standing in a gale full of sea foam bubbling like jelly Guinness on a limestone beach in winter.
We stayed at Trident Holiday Homes Lisdoonvarna We had a super meal for our wedding anniversary at The Wild Honey Restaurant in Listoonvarna
We visited Doolin Cave and Allwee Cave You can download the fact sheet here in pdf form and learn more about the GRAIL mission in a pdf here
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What's Up for January 2012 from Jane Houston Jones
 MSL on the Atlas V on the Pad _ On the evening pre launch NASA tour we were privileged to stand within 150 yards of the Atlas V with MSL perched on top. Silhouetted against the sun this 191 foot assemblly of scientific ambition stood a little less than half the height of the Apollo Saturn V. At 363 feet The Saturn V was the largest rocket ever built and is more comparable height wise to the familiar stainless street sculpture the Spire of Dublin which is 398 feet. After an unlimited photographic bonanza we left the launch pad to head back toward the Vehicle Assembly Building. On our journey groups of red haired hogs appeared , munching in the evening grass as the sun set on an unforgettable day.
Ahead, an invite to a Marstini party and a visit to an Observatory. The party was in a suburban house were everyone seemed to take it for granted that there was a swimming pool in the patio. The Gale House (named in honour of the landing place for MSL Gale Crater ) was occupied by a large group of Tweeps who had somehow managed to put a very cool party together. It was nice to meet up with other folks who had been in touch with me via Twitter before I left Ireland. @TashaVerse such a good welcome , Jen Scheer @flyingjenny said hi because @commanderbyrne had told her too oh !! what a twangled world the Twitterverse is. :-) @Joi_the_Artist showed me some of her richly coloured drawings while I sipped my Marstini before being introduced to @MarsCuriosity and several others whose @ names have escaped me. After some delicious food, I headed to the BCC Planetarium and Observatory with Jane @jhjones for to join in the public evening. The indoor Moon set up impressed me, I wanted to bring it home to Ireland. In the observatory we looked at Jupiter through a 24 inch scope, while soft spoken astronomers called out the positions of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. On the roof I looked at Orion rising on its side, the words of Robert Frost’s poem never rang so clear and true. The constellation looked like it had fallen down the sky, or perhaps it was me who had tumbled down the planet. The sideways view caused by the clockwork artistry of the workings of the night sky.
Next morning I was picked up at 6am on the dot by @Stephist and was twittering away by 06:25.
@TheScienceGuy Bill Nye looking very dapper spoke about everything . The chief administrator of NASA Charles Bolden gave an impassioned talk about MSL being the precursor of future human Mars missions. Lori Garver the deputy administrator of NASA spoke with great excitment. Astronauts Leyland Melvin @Astro_Flow and Doug Wheelock @Astro_Wheels conducted the astronaut only sport of 'let’s have a midair chest crash just because we can' , and William James Adams @iamwill joined them to speak about education . The Black Eyed Pea star has invested millions of his own dollars in educational programs for young people. @Camilla_SDO said hello to me at the mornings Eyes on the Solar System demo. During the launch group photo that cheeky chicken came flying through the air for me to catch so it could preen its feathers bang on centre of the photo front row.
At T minus 30 I hugged the blow up MSL beside the countdown clock and was then asked to give my thoughts to camera by Lou Braga @Photog4NY so I did. It was very surreal to be there beside this iconic digital clock as I had watched it for years on TV following various launches from Apollo to that pending moment. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 the moment was real, the Atlas V with MSL ascended in silence. I looked at it rise and in that muted moment my past present and future merged. The sound followed and engulfed me totally. I watched till the smoke trail dissipated into imperceptible particles before returning to continue tweeting. After spacecraft separation and a huge cheer in the twent, I sat down at my table. 54 years of tears decided to pick that moment to flow. I knew then I was in the right place in my life.
On the plane home as I eased back time to my reality the winder came off in my hand, a timeless moment but for me time had truly stood still when the silent rocket left this planet for Mars.
The Star Splitter a poem by Robert Frost
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My MSL launch video made using my camera for stills and my mobile for sound.
What's Up for December 2011 from Jane Houston Jones
 The Astronaut Memorial at KSC _ On Thanksgiving Day we returned to Kennedy Space Centre . Jane @jhjones wanted to share with me the memorial wall to fallen space explorers. This magnificent structure of polished granite reflected the blue sky, white cumulus, and the American flag amongst the Astronaut names which were pierced by sun beams of remembrance.
Our morning included a pseudo trip to Mars, the Exploration Space experience, and of course mini Tweetups with pink tagged busy Tweeps including @bphuettner @Conductor222 . Lunch with the enigmatic #labcoatbear in the rocket garden was unmissable, another opportunity to enjoy some Florida rays and good conversation.
Afterwards a long walk on Cocoa Beach was fresh, warm and therapeutic. Somehow I resisted urges to run into the sea which was so inviting. This beach is like a gigantic version of Keel on Achill in Ireland, it included formation flying pelicans adding a Jurassic feel to the wildness.
Flounder with lots of Florida shrimp at the very Hemmingway 'ish Sunset Waterfront Bar & Grill completed our day, we were joined by some of Jane’s colleagues just after the sun bowed out spectacularly on the space coast.
NASATweetup at the Twent Friday November 25th
At the badging office circa very early I met two of the dynamic Stephanie’s @schierholz and @stephist with @doug_ellison . Then I introduced myself to the other foreign nationals including @FailedProtostar for transport to the NASA base. Fully processed and complete with @LockheedMartin souvenir sweatshirt I came to stand within a few yards of the VAB. The Tweetup Twent was huge and accommodated tightly the 150 Tweetup worker bees :-) many of whom were already tweeting away at a rate of knots. Within a short while I had access to KSCCOMM- PRESS Wi -Fi via my encryption key - my Twitterportal to the world was open for business. Trent Perotto @NASA and @NASAJPL gave a welcoming talk and he was followed by Dr Jim Green, and a host of other NASA/ JPL science and engineering glitterati. My Tweeting was too my delight being picked up and RT'ed at home in Ireland , in the UK and USA. A fast lunch before an amazing tour of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the VAB, and my ’ have to see’ moment the Saturn V rocket.
Bus 2 was my ride for the afternoon, our guide was a wonderful passionate young woman Kimberly Goudace. I have to admire the professionalism of all NASA and JPL staff who together made the Tweetup event an unforgettable experience. If any of them had to be at their work at 4am, 5am, 6am they were on duty with a smile and a positive attitude even if they were in unfamiliar time zones. Kimberley did not even have a job; she was a former Space Shuttle engineer who still carried out her work to the n’th degree.
As we walked through the VAB her enthusiasm and knowledge filled the enormous void as she led us to the penultimate surprise, a close up view of Endeavour. This shuttle was being prepared for its museum 'shelf life after space' trip to California. The Saturn V experience for me was joyous and profound, nothing could have prepared me for the encounter and size of this lets go to the Moon vehicle. My first reaction was how will I get this into my camera? Then I made a spontaneous unscripted video ( below) where all my knowledge of the rocket went out the window as years of anticipation poured out forever.
At launch pad 34 we were kindly allowed to walk around and ponder the loss of life at this place. The past’s devastation visible in deconstructed remains of tormented concrete and twisted metal.
The beautiful sunset light yellowed the bareness and touched our souls as crepuscular rays created nature’s memorial to the Apollo 1 astronauts lost to a fire in the challenge of exploring space. LAUNCH COMPLEX 34Friday, 27 January 1967 18:31 Hours
 Crepuscular Rays viewed from launch pad 34 My spur of the moment Saturn V encounter video :-) I was 12 again in a second.
_A few images below , check them out !!!
 A Saturn 1 B rocket on dispay in the Rocket Garden at KSC _ Beaded drops of Irish rain rolled of the wing as the Airbus 330 lifted off, destination Orlando International Airport Florida. An unusual blue November 360 sky received the plane as the Sugar Loaf mountain receded below on the horizon. To Bach’s Oboe Concerto (D minor) I watched the wing flex in turbulent air as the journey continued somewhere over the Atlantic. Clumpy clouds echoed lunar landscapes below as I browsed the available in-flight entertainment.
At MCO airport near the Hertz car pick up point I met with my long time friend Jane Houston Jones @jhjones a lovely warm welcome full of joy and smiles. Our hotel was close to Kennedy Space Centre, the heat was most appreciated by me coming from a cold Irish winter. November sunshine instantly set my vitamin D levels on the rise, the Florida sun and my face met at every available moment.
Kennedy Space Centre Day 1 Wednesday 23rd
As I was a foreign national (an alien) I had to get extra official badges from NASA so I could participate in the Tweetup (Friday /Saturday) and have the right to be in very restricted areas at the launch site , accompanied by NASA personal.At the KSC I wandered in the Rocket Garden and yes I was in the zone, walking down the gantry as if I was going to enter the Apollo capsule for real. Visually there was a riot of textures and shapes that took my eye into future paintings celebrating the power of rockets that leave this planet for other worlds. Christmas trees, Christmas carols and Christmas wreaths around NASA logos in the heat seemed surreal as I explored the attractions of all things space.
One of the most engaging was the Hubble 3D IMAX movie narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, oh boy that was fantastic. It included several images of M16 the pillars of creation in 3D which for me was super. I had being drawing it several times for kids at my @ScienceWeek workshops STARSAREUS just before I left Ireland. The movie showed me more detail than I’ve ever seen before, now it’s parked in my head forever. The air conditioning was cold in the theatre I could not wait to get back outside to the bright light and cosy heat.
I met and chatted to several Tweetup people on my walk around , we all had pink badges so we were very visible to each other anywhere we went. Beside a full size model of Curiosity I met a lovely couple, the Lanza’s.They had a daughter who had worked on the Chem Cam on MSL. They were very proud of this fact, we engaged in conversation about the incredible adventure ahead of this robot and how important the science will be for future manned missions to Mars. I took instant delight in the wheels of Curiosity, Opportunity and Sojourner, beautiful engineering, visually stunning space architecture, well displayed at Exploration Space.
Jane kindly got me a ticket to the MSL Guest Briefing at 4:30pm, just before that we met Scott Maxwell i.e. @Marsroverdriver Scott drives the Mars rover Opportunity from planet Earth!!! Off planet driving :-)
At the MSL @MarsCuriosity briefing I was proud to stand for the first time in my life to the singing of the American National Anthem. Excellent NASA speakers outlined the mission, its tasks, goals and mechanisms. Excitement levels climbed as the reality of my visit began to hit home with several days left to the launch.
We enjoyed, no actually enjoyed is too bland a word for the pleasure of eating rock shrimp for dinner that evening at Florida Seafood all washed down with some American beer. Sleep came later to the sound of palm trees blowing in the wind.A few images below from that first day , check them out !!!
A few images from Day 1 Mars Science Laboratory Launch Tweetup buildup
 Back in April I told my mam, that I had put her name on a spacecraft called Curiosity for a journey to Mars. She said ‘what good will it do me? I told her that her name will travel approximately 150 million miles into space and land on the red planet in August 2012. Her name will join millions of forward thinking people who have been inspired to send their names on this adventure into the future.
I have a vision I said to her, that when in time humans build a sustainable habitat on Mars, a museum housing the pre pioneers will display their names along with the robot explorers. She looked at me after I explained the mission and its purpose and she said to me as she often did
‘You’re mad ‘but she had her little bird smile on and was soon sleeping peacefully.
We can only imagine that a display many hundreds of years ahead will be spectacular. The future is ours to dream about, dreams are our nets cast forward in time to pull us along and help us grow.
Mara Science Laboratory aka Curiosity , is one of our best chances to date to find evidence for life on another world. What an incredible twist that would be in our human trials and tribulations to understand our Universe.
Mam died from cancer on July 16th, 2011, on November 25th Mars Science Laboratory will launch from Cape Canaveral carrying a special tiny payload, a microchip of names and dreams. I think my family would agree with me that it is more satisfying and uplifting that we look at Mars and think of her going into the future instead of in the past. 4990 Irish people (including me) put their names on Curiosity out of 12,464,445 people worldwide.
I feel totally blessed that I have been invited to what is called The Mars Science Laboratory Tweetup. This adventure will tick the box on one of my top ten bucket list, must do in life things.
With weeks to go to the launch and months to the landing we will be widely informed about this spectacular mission. August 2012 will see the cruise stage punch into the Martian atmosphere to deliver mankind’s heaviest robot to the surface of the red planet. MSL will land at Gale Crater hopefully to the silent applause of rock locked microbes ready for their moment in history An interesting fact was put my way by my dear friend Jane Houston Jones. On Mars there is a crater called Wicklow named after the county in Ireland where I live. Jane and I will meet up once again at the MSL launch; it’s been five years since Jane visited me in Wicklow. It is so poignant that we should meet at this event, one of the most important missions in robotic space exploration and science.
Apollo 11 on TV was my first watershed eye opener toward my continued interest in space exploration. To be actually at the MSL launch and to also see a Saturn V rocket for myself will be my second booster shot / watershed for the future.
The MSL entry decent and landing sequence planned for 2012 has to be the most exciting landing ever conceived in the history of robot advantures. It reminds me of Space 1999 a TV series by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson that I loved back in the 70’s (they used sky cranes). It also has all the drama of an action thriller. Oh if only a camera was in place at Gale crater to bring us live coverage of this historic space epic. I cannot wait, to see how this mission and my visit to Cape Canaveral unfold; you can follow my visit via my Tweets.
Deirdre Kelleghan is @skysketcher follow also @MarsCuriosity and @NASAJPL and @NASATweetup
What's up for November 2011 from Jane Houston Jones - Mars Science Laboratory
 Mars Science Laboratory aka Curiosity Launches on November 25th 2011 October 5th 2011 St Peters Boys National School Walkinstown Dublin 12
Clare Mercier from the Schools Completion Programme invited me to do two workshops at St Peters for World Space Week. As usual I was warmly welcomed at this school which is close to where I grew up as a child. I set up my gear in the community room and soon 41 boys from fifth and sixth classes trundled into the room and took up what seemed like every single space available.
They listened carefully to all my tales of Moons far and near, they commented freely and enjoyed the images. At one point the sun shone a beam through a slit in the blinds and took Titan down to a ghostly glow on the screen. A cheer went up when the dark clouds of Earth closed down the light and Io then on screen was revelled in its structured wonder.
Moon drawing ensued on tables, chairs and benches. Calls for Our Moon, Enceladus, Titan and Europa were interspaced with calls for white pastels and longer views.
Ever helpful boys cleaned up and also helped me to get my gear upstairs for the next workshop.
Third and forth classes came together for Rapid Rockets Wicked Robots, an interactive white board was available and very welcome. This workshop is about the history of space exploration via drawing, from Sputnik to Mars Science Laboratory also including the recent JUNO and GRAIL space explorers. Some boys took pride in knowing the names of a least two of the Apollo 11 astronauts, and all got very busy producing their choices of rockets or robots on paper.
JUNO was popular, as was the privately built Virgin Galactic Spaceship 2. I had included the Lunar Electric Rover even though it’s not a robot or a rocket. This moon truck has such a sense of adventure look to it and I was pleased that two boys did drawings of it. There were far to many drawings created to take photo's of them all , a selection are in the slideshow below.
All the Deadly Moons produced and all the Rockets and Robots produced are now on exhibition in the school hall. Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, the National Coordinator for World Space Week will honour St Peters with a participation certificate for their efforts.
Jane Houston Jones - This month it's more about Moons. Not only our Moon,
but you can also see Jupiter's four moons.
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