National Radio Astronomy Observatory - The Very Large Array

National Radio Astronomy Observatory - Very Large Array

The last stop on our 2015 holiday excursion was to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory - also known as the Very Large Array (VLA). It is an amazing site that covers a large area in Southwestern New Mexico. While there I was fortunate enough to take a video of the dishes changing tracking alignments as they went about their constant research. If you have seen the original TV series "Cosmos," the movie "Contact," or many other shows or movies you will have seen the iconic radio telescope dishes spread across the New Mexico desert patiently canvasing the skies for astronomical secrets. The VLA consists of 28 identical radio telescope antenna dishes - each one about 82 feet in diameter - on movable bases that are carried along special "Y"-shaped series of railroad tracks expanding 23 miles in each direction. The dishes are moved into a series of four different configurations depending on the objects being studied. Radio telescopes can conduct their research rain or shine, day or night.  

In the late 1920s, Bell Laboratories began planning a system of transatlantic wireless communications. They needed to know about sources of radio waves that might interfere with their plans, and put a young physicist, Karl Guthe Jansky, on to the task. In 1930, Jansky built his now famous “merry-go-round,” a bridge-like structure that held antenna wires set on a spinning base. A motor turned his merry-go-round throughout the day and night to listen for radio static interference, and indeed, he found plenty coming from distant thunderstorms …and the center of our Galaxy.

A radio antenna had shockingly discovered radio waves coming from space, turning it into a radio wave detecting telescope. And that’s how we came to call our field of science radio astronomy!

The VLA site and Visitor Center are open daily from 8:30am until sunset. The only exceptions may be the weather.  The Very Large Array Radio Telescope facility is a two hour drive from Albuquerque, 50 miles west of Socorro, New Mexico. The Visitor Center features an award-winning film narrated by Jodie Foster, plus exhibits describing radio astronomy and the VLA telescope. A self-guided walking tour path features large, informative signs and takes you to the base of one of the giant dish antennas where you can appreciate the true size of the antenna dishes and watch it slowly track across the sky.

Admission is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for Seniors (65+), ages 17 and under are free. Socorro & Catron County Resident Adult bringing out-of-town paying guest is free. On the first Saturday of each month, enjoy "First Saturday Guided Tours" at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00. No reservations are required, simply show up at the VLA Visitor Center 15 minutes before the desired tour time. 


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118884/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52QLi8x_eFMA2NUB9sTfLA
http://www.vla.nrao.edu

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

While on our New Mexico holiday adventure our next stop was the National Museum of Nuclear Science and Industry in Albuquerque.  The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is a  resource for the history and science of the military and civilian nuclear program in the United States. The museum includes a variety of scale models of nuclear weapons, exhibits from the Manhattan Program (including a scale model of "the gadget" detonated at the Trinity test on July 16th 1945 at Trinity Site in New Mexico ushering in the Atomic Age), and exhibits of civilian and medicinal uses of the Atom. The exterior yard includes military aircraft (e.g. B-52, B-47, B-29, F-16), missiles (e.g. MX, Peacekeeper, Titan II, Minuteman, Thor, Polaris, cruise missiles), as well as a 280mm Atomic Cannon (fascinating in itself).  The Museum was chartered by Congress in 1991 as the official Atomic Museum of the United States and includes many educational exhibits on nuclear energy as well as the legion of scientists who worked to understand and unleash the power of the Atom. And ... as always ... exciting through the gift shop is a welcome treat for geeks!

http://www.nuclearmuseum.org

Los Alamos, New Mexico - The Manhattan Project National Historic Park

Los Alamos National Labs

This holiday season my family traveled to Los Alamos, New Mexico to explore the birthplace of "Trinity" (the first atomic weapon) as a supplement to watching the outstanding WGN America TV series "Manhattan" which just concluded it's second season. Los Alamos is located in Northwestern New Mexico and the journey from Albuquerque through Santa Fe and then up to the labs in the mountains can be beautiful itself. The "downtown" historical district is just a few square blocks but contains a lot of important history to view.

Our first site to see was the Bradbury Science Museum, named for one of the head scientists - Noris Bradbury - who helped guide Los Alamos after the end of WWII. After entering into WW2 (and fearing Germany was already working on an atomic weapon) the US began a secret project, code named the Manhattan Project, to build an atomic weapon. The "Manhattan" (@manhattanWGN, #ManhattanWGA) TV series does a great job chronicling the development of the atomic bomb from the perspective of the scientists and their families who moved out to the "middle of nowhere" - only known as Post Office Box 1663, Santa Fe - and were not able to know what their spouses / parents were working on day and night. Robert Oppenheimer is known as the "father of the atomic bomb" and you can see his house and many artifacts of his work at Los Alamos during this fascinating era. Once he came to understand the full implications of what he had helped create, however, he spent the rest of his life trying to stop any use of the weapon (which itself is a fascinating story). The museum contains many fascinating exhibits about Los Alamos (before and after it became a research lab), the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, and some of the research they conduct for both military and civilian projects today. 

In Los Alamos you can see the current Los Alamos National Lab (you can see the gate, but cannot get onto the lab grounds). The Fuller Lodge which began as a boys school eventually would become housing for members of the Manhattan Project including visiting scientists - many Nobel Prize laureates - and General Leslie Groves (the top military leader of the Manhattan Project -- a project so secret that even Harry Truman, Vice President of the US, did not know about it until FDR died suddenly mere months before the initial test of the bomb). The tour and museum presents a balanced view of the history of the development of the atomic bomb and the civilian uses of atomic energy and worth a visit and discussion on the drive home. If you enjoy hiking there are many excellent locations including the Bandelier National Monument nearby.

http://www.lanl.gov

http://www.lanl.gov/museum/visit/about-museum.php

http://www.visitlosalamos.org/the-manhattan-project-national-historical-park/

Kartchner Caverns

Kartchner Caverns

A few months ago my family and I went to tour the Kartchner Caverns, South of Tucson, AZ. We had a wonderful day trip and explored Tombstone on an extended loop back home. There are several points of interest there... but that's another blog.

Kartchner Cavern is a living cave, meaning it is still an ecologically and geologically active cave environment. The cave has an average temperature of 72° Fahrenheit (22° Celsius) and 99% humidity year-round. There are a series of doors used to control access and keep the cave environment stable. Most areas are dimly lit and some passages may pass through narrow or enclosed areas. The cave has been carefully developed to provide a stunning tour highlighting the various geologic formations within the cave system and yet preserve the fragile cave environment. Our tour included the Throne Room which included a dramatic light show highlighting the various features of the cave throughout. 

There are several options for tours. The tour we chose has been open since 1999 and is half of a mile in length and takes approximately an hour and a half to complete, 50 minutes of which is underground. The park guide was very knowledgeable as to the history of the cave from current state, to its discovery in the 1970s, and its geologic history.  Be sure to check your Arizona forecast though - the day we went we were unprepared for snow and while it may be warm in the cave the outside park was quite chilly. 

Sadly pictures are not allowed inside cavern except for special photography tours. The visitor center includes a lot of exhibits to make up for the lack of pictures in the cave. 

Enjoy the adventure!

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/tour_info.html

ASU Gammage -- Bill Nye the Science Guy -- Family "Geek Out" Fun

Bill Nye -- "Your Place in Space" hosted by ASU's NewSpace

Recently my family and I had the pleasure of seeing Bill Nye the Science Guy at ASU Gammage.  The venue was "Sold Out", and with good reason. Bill Nye is as informative and inspiring as he is entertaining.  The evening started with Bill Nye talking about his family's contribution to science growing up and his father's passion for Sun Dials which Bill was able to carry forward and have them included on the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity but not to tell time - they are used to calibrate the cameras using the Sun's shadow on the gnomon. He then made a passionate presentation about the importance of funding space exploration and supporting the Planetary Society. Bill Nye is VERY funny and does a great job communicating science to the young and old. The second half of the evening was a panel discussion about how people, young and old, scientist and lay-people, can get involved in the modern space era. The panel was moderated by Planetary Society President Dr. James Bell and included representatives from education, space research institutions, and private industry who are leading the next phase in space exploration. If you ever get a chance to see Bill Nye or Dr. James Bell in person, do it.  

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

I took my family on a tour of the Colossal Cave in Southern Tucson and we enjoyed descending into a geologic treasure with rich history.  The regular tour is about a half mile long and generally takes about an hour with several stops where the guide shares details about the cave's geologic formation, use by bandits in the late 1800's, and its development by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s (as part of the Works Project Administration during the Great Depression).  The tour guides are wonderful -- there is so much history here (including a story about how the caves were a location for filming a special Sesame Street episode)!  No special clothing needed, the cave always stays a comfortable 70 degrees year round. I would recommend good shoes though - it may only be a half mile, but, it is cave with some uneven footing. 

Take a camera as pictures are welcome. From the posters you will even see that quite a few movies were filmed here. Even Big Bird had an adventure here when Sesame Street was here back in the 70's. The gift shop has a lot of cool treasures for any budding geologist and patches for Girl Scouts afflicted with "patch fever." ;-)

If you are feeling very adventurous there are a few other tours available -- Daytime Ladder Tour, Night Time Ladder Tour with Optional Dinner, Wild Cave Tour and a Candlelight Tour. The caves are near Kartchner Caverns State Park which will be our next tour. 


http://colossalcave.com
Colossal Cave Mountain Park
16721 E. Old Spanish Trail
Vail, AZ 85641

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Open House - Pasadena, CA

JPL Open House - an Out of this World Experience!

In early October we made the 7-hour drive out to Pasadena, CA just to attend the annual Jet Propulsion Laboratory Open House and it was an incredible event for the family. JPL has played a critical part in the exploration of our Solar System since it's founding and has helped design, develop, and manage most of the exploratory missions to Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and beyond over the past several decades. JPL has been front and center for the Mars "Viking" landers, the ongoing Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions, Saturn's "Cassini" mission, the Mars "Spirit" and "Opportunity" rovers, the Mars "Curiosity" Mars Science Laboratory, Pluto's "New Horizon's" mission (now exploring the Kuiper Belt), and the "Dawn" mission to Ceres and Vesta (two of the Dwarf planets orbiting in our Solar System between Mars and Jupiter). JPL helps invent the technologies needed to explore and understand our Solar System and our place in the Universe.

JPL hosts their annual Open House one weekend a year in the Fall and the event is filled with tours of the JPL facility in Pasadena including the Spacecraft Mission Control facility (where they monitor the daily operations of over a dozen different space missions), some of their research labs (where they create the technologies needed to explore the planets and space), the Vehicle Assembly Building (where they prepare the spacecraft for launch), and countless displays of the technologies and spacecraft they built. The tours start at 9AM and when we arrived at 7:30AM the line was already wrapping half-way around the facility. After entering through the security checkpoint (this is an active research and mission control facility) you are in a courtyard area with many different items on display including working versions of the Mars rovers (which they use for test purposes before they let the real rovers on Mars engage in potentially dangerous activities like driving down steep slopes). As tempting as it is to stand in awe of these incredible machines before us we decided to head directly to the Spacecraft Mission Control building for that tour. The controlled tours (the Mission Control, the Vehicle Assembly Building) and the movies are first-come-first-serve and the lines fill up quick. We were able to get into the Mission Control and watch some of the engineers monitor the health and locations of the various current missions and seem some of the live data feeds from these spacecraft. Afterwards we went out to explore more of JPL and see exhibits on past, present, and future missions.  They had information and activities for all ages and lots to see and do and learn -- too much to try to take in during our one day stay.

One of the best parts of the Open House was meeting and talking to the JPL staff members who were all over (they wore red t-shirts and were easy to see, but being a Star Trek fan I had certain reservations seeing people associated with spacecraft wearing red shirts --- think "away team members" in the original Star Trek series). We were able to meet and talk to all sorts of people who contribute to the success of these missions and help us learn more about the Solar System -- engineers, mission controllers, researchers, project managers, accountants ("no Bucks, no Buck Rogers"), and other supporting roles. Each had a story to share about their work. We met an engineer who has worked on the Saturn Cassini mission for two decades (starting back when it was just an idea on paper), a young female mission specialist who helps design the orbits for the Cassini spacecraft, an optical engineer who has worked for JPL for 41 years and helped with the aging systems for most of the spacecraft "out there" now. Each person was gracious with their time and answered as many questions as I had (... and I had a LOT). I think that this was one of the least appreciated parts of the Open House - the ability to meet the people behind the missions and see how JPL needs all sorts of talents to make a mission successful.

We plan to attend next year's JPL Open House because there was too much to see and do in the limited time we had. Some tips for next year are:

• Arrive at least 2 hours before they open in order to find parking and be near the front of the line so you can immediately head to one of the two most restricted facility tours - Spacecraft Mission Control or the Vehicle Assembly Buildings.
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes -- you will be walking a lot and standing in a lot of lines (but they seem to go fast).
• Ask questions of anyone wearing a JPL shirt and badge -- they rarely get asked about their roles and have great stories to share.
• Be inquisitive -- there is so much to take in and so it helps to stop and take a minute or two to drink it all in. 
• Hit the food vendors BEFORE lunchtime because those lines get very, very long too. 
• Hit the gift shop early because they have a lot of really cool things (NASA and JPL clothing, gifts, glasses and mugs, pins and magnets, etc) but the gift shop gets overly crowded quickly and thus hard to see all of the merchandise. 
• Before you leave, be sure to swing by the Public Information auditorium where they have life-size mockups of some of the spacecraft including the Voyager spacecraft (it is HUGE) and a replica of the famous "golden record" that Carl Sagan and others created as a primer about Earth and humanity for any aliens that eventually encounter this intrepid spacecraft currently exploring beyond our Solar System.