Potier, Beth

English

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
9-6-2012
New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the
Moon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22
Beth Potier
UNH Media Relations
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Potier, Beth, "New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22" (2012). UNH Today. 4036.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/4036
New England Fall Astronomy Festival
September 6, 2012 
New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UNH 
Sept. 21 – 22
DURHAM, N.H. – Astronomers of all ages and 
experiences will gather at the University of New 
Hampshire for lectures, demonstrations, games, crafts 
and, of course, observing, at the second annual New England Fall Astronomy Festival Friday, Sept. 21 
and Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The festival, hosted by the UNH physics department in partnership 
with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and organized and staffed by professional and 
amateur astronomers from throughout the region, is at the UNH Observatory on Spinney Lane in 
Durham.
“We had so much success with the first New England Fall Astronomy Festival last year we decided to 
try to make it bigger and better this year. We've done our best to expand the festival to include 
more activities for kids and their families. We feel that NEFAF is a perfect example of UNH’s 
commitment to its responsibility to the engage the community and provide educational 
opportunities and outreach to families and citizens in the Seacoast region and beyond,” says 
organizer Ian Cohen, a Ph.D. student in physics at UNH and manager of the UNH Observatory. 
The New England Fall Astronomy Festival, which runs from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Sept. 21 and 
10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 22, is free and open to the public.
The festival opens with a keynote talk by renowned astronomer Alex Filippenko, professor of 
astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley, at 7:30 p.m. One of the world’s most highly 
cited astronomers, Filippenko will speak about “Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe.” Known to 
many for his appearances on The History Channel program The Universe, Filippenko is an elected 
member of the National Academy of Sciences and the winner of numerous science awards as well as 
the most prestigious teaching award at Berkeley and the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. 
Following his talk, which is targeted to adults, the UNH Observatory and additional telescopes will be 
available for nighttime viewing.
Saturday brings a full roster of family­friendly events, including plenty of activities to engage budding 
young astronomers. Running from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., children’s activities include crafts, 
demonstrations, and hands­on activities aimed at teaching children about the Sun, moon, stars, and 
solar system. An inflatable planetarium­style dome will show two rotating children’s shows; the UNH 
LunaCats team will demonstrate its lunar mining robot; hands­on activities will include making a 
sundial and moon­phase clock. Local astronomy enthusiasts will host the popular “how to pick a 
telescope” workshops again this year.
Media Relations
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In addition, amateur and professional astronomers from around the region will bring telescopes for 
solar and nighttime observing, giving participants the opportunity to experience a range of telescope 
types and sizes. Demonstrations and introductions to the night sky for beginners and storytelling and 
myths will augment evening observing sessions. More details and program updates are at 
physics.unh.edu/observatory/NEFAF or on the festival’s Facebook page 
(http://www.facebook.com/NEFAF.UNH) or blog (http://nefaf.wordpress.com).
Food will be available for sale on site, and free parking is available nearby (see information here: 
http://physics.unh.edu/observatory/NEFAF/FAQs).
In addition to the UNH physics department and the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, the New 
England Fall Astronomy Festival is sponsored by the offices of the president and provost at UNH, the 
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at UNH, and BAE Systems, Beswick Engineering, 
the Boston Red Sox, Unitil, and Vixen Optics.
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world­class public research university with 
the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space­grant university, UNH is the 
state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.
Photographs available to download:
http://unh.edu/news/releases/2012/sept/Filippenko.jpg
Caption: Renowned astronomer Alex Filippenko, professor of astronomy at the University of 
California at Berkeley, will be the keynote speaker at the New England Fall Astronomy Festival at 
UNH Friday, Sept. 21, 2012.
http://unh.edu/news/releases/2012/sept/astronomy.jpg
Caption: At the first New England Fall Astronomy Festival at UNH (2011), New Hampshire 
Astronomical Society members brought a fleet of telescopes to introduce astronomers of all ages to 
observing the sun and stars. Inside the dome is the Observatory’s 14­inch reflector. Credit: Kristi 
Donohue, EOS.
http://unh.edu/news/releases/2012/sept/child.jpg
Caption: A young astronomer­to­be looks at the Sun through a solar telescope at the first New 
England Fall Astronomy Festival in 2011. Credit: Loni Anderson.
­30­
Media Contact: Beth Potier | 603­862­1566 | UNH Media Relations | @unhnews
Copyright © 2018, The University of New Hampshire  •  Durham, NH 03824  •  UNH main directory: (603) 862­1234. 
Media Relations is a unit of Communications & Public Affairs which is a division of University Advancement. 
ADA Acknowledgement | Contact the Webmaster | UNH Today | UNH Social Media Index
Page 2 of 2UNH News: New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UN...
2/1/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/sep/bp06astronomy.cfm.html


New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices9-6-2012New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings theMoon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22Beth PotierUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationPotier, Beth, "New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22" (2012). UNH Today. 4036.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/4036New England Fall Astronomy FestivalSeptember 6, 2012 New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22DURHAM, N.H. – Astronomers of all ages and experiences will gather at the University of New Hampshire for lectures, demonstrations, games, crafts and, of course, observing, at the second annual New England Fall Astronomy Festival Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The festival, hosted by the UNH physics department in partnership with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and organized and staffed by professional and amateur astronomers from throughout the region, is at the UNH Observatory on Spinney Lane in Durham.“We had so much success with the first New England Fall Astronomy Festival last year we decided to try to make it bigger and better this year. We've done our best to expand the festival to include more activities for kids and their families. We feel that NEFAF is a perfect example of UNH’s commitment to its responsibility to the engage the community and provide educational opportunities and outreach to families and citizens in the Seacoast region and beyond,” says organizer Ian Cohen, a Ph.D. student in physics at UNH and manager of the UNH Observatory. The New England Fall Astronomy Festival, which runs from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Sept. 21 and 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 22, is free and open to the public.The festival opens with a keynote talk by renowned astronomer Alex Filippenko, professor of astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley, at 7:30 p.m. One of the world’s most highly cited astronomers, Filippenko will speak about “Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe.” Known to many for his appearances on The History Channel program The Universe, Filippenko is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the winner of numerous science awards as well as the most prestigious teaching award at Berkeley and the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. Following his talk, which is targeted to adults, the UNH Observatory and additional telescopes will be available for nighttime viewing.Saturday brings a full roster of family­friendly events, including plenty of activities to engage budding young astronomers. Running from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., children’s activities include crafts, demonstrations, and hands­on activities aimed at teaching children about the Sun, moon, stars, and solar system. An inflatable planetarium­style dome will show two rotating children’s shows; the UNH LunaCats team will demonstrate its lunar mining robot; hands­on activities will include making a sundial and moon­phase clock. Local astronomy enthusiasts will host the popular “how to pick a telescope” workshops again this year.Media RelationsPage 1 of 2UNH News: New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UN...2/1/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/sep/bp06astronomy.cfm.htmlIn addition, amateur and professional astronomers from around the region will bring telescopes for solar and nighttime observing, giving participants the opportunity to experience a range of telescope types and sizes. Demonstrations and introductions to the night sky for beginners and storytelling and myths will augment evening observing sessions. More details and program updates are at physics.unh.edu/observatory/NEFAF or on the festival’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/NEFAF.UNH) or blog (http://nefaf.wordpress.com).Food will be available for sale on site, and free parking is available nearby (see information here: http://physics.unh.edu/observatory/NEFAF/FAQs).In addition to the UNH physics department and the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, the New England Fall Astronomy Festival is sponsored by the offices of the president and provost at UNH, the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at UNH, and BAE Systems, Beswick Engineering, the Boston Red Sox, Unitil, and Vixen Optics.The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world­class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space­grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.Photographs available to download:http://unh.edu/news/releases/2012/sept/Filippenko.jpgCaption: Renowned astronomer Alex Filippenko, professor of astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley, will be the keynote speaker at the New England Fall Astronomy Festival at UNH Friday, Sept. 21, 2012.http://unh.edu/news/releases/2012/sept/astronomy.jpgCaption: At the first New England Fall Astronomy Festival at UNH (2011), New Hampshire Astronomical Society members brought a fleet of telescopes to introduce astronomers of all ages to observing the sun and stars. Inside the dome is the Observatory’s 14­inch reflector. Credit: Kristi Donohue, EOS.http://unh.edu/news/releases/2012/sept/child.jpgCaption: A young astronomer­to­be looks at the Sun through a solar telescope at the first New England Fall Astronomy Festival in 2011. Credit: Loni Anderson.­30­Media Contact: Beth Potier | 603­862­1566 | UNH Media Relations | @unhnewsCopyright © 2018, The University of New Hampshire  •  Durham, NH 03824  •  UNH main directory: (603) 862­1234. Media Relations is a unit of Communications & Public Affairs which is a division of University Advancement. ADA Acknowledgement | Contact the Webmaster | UNH Today | UNH Social Media IndexPage 2 of 2UNH News: New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UN...2/1/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2012/sep/bp06astronomy.cfm.html

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New England Fall Astronomy Festival Brings the Moon and the Stars to UNH Sept. 21 – 22

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