(Event) Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center Dedication, Hawaii

When : June 30, 2004 - Noon-5 PM Hawaii Time
What : Blessing/Dedication for the MKAEC
Whe University Park for Science and Technology, Hilo, Hawaii
Who : The Public, various dignitaries, lots of astronomy folks!

From what I've been told, there will be:

* Tours of some observatory base facilities in University Park, which
could include any or all of Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Gemini
North, Subaru (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Joint
Astronomy Center (UK Infrared Telescope and James Clerk Maxwell),
University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, and the Submillimeter Array
(Smithsonian-Harvard-Taiwan).

* Exhibits from some or all of those observatories, as well as Waimea-based
ones (Keck, Canada-France-Hawaii) and possibly NRAO/Very Long Baseline
Array.

* Hawaiian Cultural Exhibits

* Solar Viewing

* Hands-on Telescope Mirror Grinding (learn how to make your own!)

Aaaaaand, of course, it's right about an hour from University Park up
Saddle Road to the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy (the
"mid-level" facility at 9,300 feet - higher than many observatories
elsewhere), and conveniently, the Visitor Information Station there
has a public stargazing program from 6 to 10 PM.

So all you have to do is get yourself to Hilo (airport code ITO),
get a car from a rental company that doesn't mind you taking it up to
the VIS, swing by the MKAEC dedication, then head up to the VIS. A
good 9 hours or so of astronomy stuff.

(I'll be at both events, as a VIS volunteer.)

-Dan

--
Dan Birchall, Hilo HI - http://dan.birchalls.net/ - images, words, technology