Star Party 2011
Watch the Stars – Light the Night
About:
We are proud to present our third annual Charity Star Party a Star Party in memory of Jeff Medkeff. Astronomers Phil Plait, Pamela Gay and Nicole Gugliucci will be hosting the event and George Hrab will be performing. Listen to the promotion audio!
Buy Tickets Now!
The 2011 Atlanta Skeptics Star Party is SOLD OUT! Email us to get on the waiting list – we may have a handful of tickets that come available at the last minute.
We thank the Emory University Department of Physics for sponsoring this event.
When: Thursday, September 1, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Emory Math & Science Center, 400 Dowman Dr., Atlanta, GA 30322
Dress: Cocktail attire
Cost: Entertainment, Food + soft drinks only $55.00
Entertainment, Food + 4 beer/wine tickets $65.00
Transportation: Please visit the Transportation/Parking page for detailed directions by car and public transportation:
Food: Check out our Star Party menu!
Proceeds to go to Light the Night – the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Please join the Atlanta Skeptics on Thursday, September 1, 2011 for stargazing, food, drinks and conversations with astronomers. We are once again hosting a star party to celebrate the beauty of the universe around us while raising money for a great cause.
Who: Astronomers Phil Plait, Pamela Gay and Nicole Gugliucci will be hosting the event. Musician and entertainer George Hrab will be performing as well!
This event is in honor of Jeff Medkeff, the Blue Collar Scientist, astronomer, skeptic and friend to many of us. Jeff succumbed to liver cancer in 2008. All proceeds will go toward the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Jeff’s name.
$65 – Includes stargazing, lecture, food and 4 drink tickets (beer or wine)
$55 – Includes stargazing, lecture, food and soft drinks
The 2011 Star Party is also being sponsored by Abrupt Media, who are providing all our A/V requirements free of charge! Many thanks to Mark and his team!
More information:
Jeff Medkeff, also known as the Blue Collar Scientist was an astronomer, writer, skeptic and friend to many of us. In the late 1990′s, he began working in the field of astronomical technology as a systems engineer and software developer. He was also an asteroid hunter. As a result of his work he discovered or co-discovered hundreds of asteroids and named several asteroids after famous skeptics, including Derek and Swoopy of Skepticality and Rebecca Watson of Skepchick. There is also an asteroid 41450 Medkeff named for Jeff.
Jeff was a contributing editor at Sky & Telescope magazine and contributed to several other magazines, including Astronomy, Astronomy Heute and Consumer’s Digest. Jeff was dedicated to science education and public outreach, in response to what he saw as a crisis in science education in the United States. He was a popular and regular speaker at the Campbell Creek Science Center and the Eagle River Nature Center, and occasionally spoke at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art and other area venues. He also regularly taught short units on astronomy and physics to high-school students at the invitation of science teachers, with a concentration on scientific methodology, how we know what we know about the universe, and the consequences of uncertainty in measurement. Jeff also worked hard to make his presentations informative, interesting, and funny.
Jeff succumbed to liver cancer in August 2008. We miss him and are proud to host this event in his memory.
Listen to the August 3: 365 Days of Astronomy podcast for a tribute episode to Jeff from his friends.
Dr. Phil Plait, also known as the Bad Astronomer, is an astronomer, author, blogger, and former President of the James Randi Educational Foundation. His book, Death from the Skies!, is about all the ways cosmic catastrophes can wipe out life on Earth. His Bad Astronomy blog is hosted by Discover Magazine and was recently chosen as one of the Top 25 Blogs of 2009 by Time Magazine. Phil also helped create and hosted the three-part Discovery Channel documentary ‘Phil Plait’s Bad Universe’, which took a skeptical look at asteroid impacts, alien invasions, and nearby exploding stars.
Dr. Pamela Gay is an astronomer, writer, and podcaster focused on using new media to engage people in science and technology. She is the co-host of the Astronomy Cast podcast, with Fraser Cain. Each week, Fraser and Pamela work to take listeners on a facts-based journey through the cosmos that explores not only what we know about the universe, but how we know it. AstronomyCast is now entering its 4th year of production, and thanks to the constant new discoveries coming out of the Space Science communities, they have no plans stop recording any time soon.
Nicole Gugliucci is a graduate student at the University of Virginia, working also at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Her focus is on low-frequency radio astronomy and how our observations of the most distant objects in the universe are affected by our own planet’s atmosphere. She has wanted to be an astronomer since seeing “Contact” in theatres as a kid, and tries to find ways to bring the wonders of astronomy to everyone. She engages in hands-on outreach with elementary school children through a program called “Dark Skies, Bright Kids,” has taught a class at UVa called “Life Beyond Earth,” and blogs for Discovery Space News. Inspired also by Carl Sagan’s “Demon-Haunted World,” Nicole considers herself a critical thinking advocate, getting involved in local skeptics groups and blogging at NoisyAstronomer.com and SheThought.com.
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer, composer and heliocentrist George Hrab has written and produced six independent CDs; published one book; performed for President Clinton; shared the stage with countless numbers of musicians and acts; and has traveled across the country as drummer, vocalist, musical director, and event host for the nationally recognized Philadelphia Funk Authority. As defacto Despot-for-Life of his own original ensemble The Geologic Orchestra, he makes it a personal quest to improve the cognitive thinking skills of each and every American by reaching them through their funny bones and dance shoes. His music, skepticism and wit have been featured on many radio broadcasts, TV shows, and podcasts.
In addition to his ten-piece Geologic Orchestra shows, Geo often performs in a solo acoustic setting, wherein he re-interprets his own works, and also delves into bizarre covers. Along with superlative musicianship, these intimate shows are known to showcase his quick wit and incendiary social commentary.
George published Non-Coloring Book featuring a collection of his assorted writings, and also delivered a well received “Fan of Geology” science track lecture discussing the evidence of the earth’s age at Atlanta’s Dragon*Con convention. He’s been asked multiple times to be a featured performer at James Randi’s The Amaz!ng Meeting in Las Vegas, was a special guest/performer in the Galapagos on the JREF’s Amaz!ng Adventure, and was the first American to present at TAM London.
He also produces a weekly, award winning podcast called The Geologic Podcast which features humor, sketches, and skeptical / free-thinking commentary through various weekly segments. He was asked to write the theme song to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast and premiered the song “FAR” at the 213th American Astronomical Society Meeting in Long Beach California. His Occasional Songs for the Periodic Table, a 118 part song cycle featuring a song for each element of the periodic table has been described as the first “true geek symphony.”
George is considered one of the preeminent skeptic/science/atheist/geek-culture music icons currently living in his apartment.
The Emory Observatory
Few pieces of modern scientific equipment have the majesty of an astronomical telescope. The gleaming white, yellow and black DFM Cassegrain telescope housed in Emory’s new observatory is no exception. Located within the silver dome atop the Mathematics and Science Center, it is the centerpiece of the physics department’s new astronomy program and one of the major attractions on campus.
Like all modern telescopes, this Cassegrain is fully controlled by a computer system and custom software. The Telescope Control System (TCS) is located in a separate room built directly beneath the observatory where astronomers can work comfortably in spite of the extreme summer and winter temperatures often found in the dome. Most of the actual work goes on in the control room where a thick batch of cables travels downward from the telescope to the TCS. In addition, there is also a terminal inside the dome where astronomers work side-by-side with the Cassegrain. Learn more here.
The Atlanta Skeptics is a social organization that brings people together to discuss skepticism, science, and critical thinking. We feel strongly about being active in our community to do positive work and make charitable contributions. All our events are managed and coordinated by a team of volunteers.
