BACKYARDASTRONOMY.ORG HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY NASA TO DO PUBLIC OUTREACH



BackyardAstronomy.org (http://www.BackyardAstronomy.org ), located in
Burbank, California, has been selected by NASA to be a member of the Night
Sky Network, a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy societies committed
to sharing their time, their telescopes, and their enthusiasm for astronomy
with their local communities. BackyardAstronomy.org recently received their
first Outreach ToolKit from NASA. ?Entitled "PlanetQuest", the kit is
designed to help amateur astronomers answer questions about how scientists
hope to find Earth-like planets circling other stars. Club members will use
the Outreach ToolKit at public astronomy nights, during classroom visits, at
youth group events, and at other public events catering to students of all
ages.




Membership in the Night Sky Network includes training for club members,
special opportunities for working with NASA scientists and educators, access
to a dedicated website for communicating with other Night Sky Network
participants, and public recognition by NASA for their outreach activities.

"NASA is very excited to be working closely with the amateur astronomy
community," said Michael Greene, head of public engagement for NASA's
Navigator Program based at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
California. "Amateur astronomers want more people to look at the sky and
understand astronomy, and so do we. We have a strong commitment to inspiring
the next generation of explorers. Lending support to the energy that the
amateur astronomy community brings to students and the public will allow
NASA to reach many more people."