Equipment
Lynn uses 5 telescopes varying from 6cm to 28cm:
Nasa/JPL Solar System Ambassadors Program for US Citizens & English-speaking people living abroad in the Benelux & Northern Germany
About the Solar System Ambassadors Program...
The Solar System Ambassadors Program is a public outreach program designed to work with motivated volunteers to communicate the excitement of NASA - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) space exploration missions and information about their recent discoveries to people in their local communities.
There are almost 500 Ambassadors in 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico - and now also in Europe - bringing the excitement of space to the public. Ambassadors are space enthusiasts from various walks of life who are interested in providing greater service and inspiration to the community at large. The Solar System Ambassadors Program builds on and expands the outstanding efforts undertaken during the original Galileo Ambassadors program. JPL missions exploring Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Asteroids, Comets, Earth, the Sun and the Universe now come together to expand the program's scope to the Solar System and beyond. Volunteer ambassadors are selected by JPL based on their backgrounds and on their plans for public outreach activities. JPL provides ambassadors with educational materials and training. However, the opinions of Ambassadors are not necessarily those of NASA or JPL.
The Solar System Ambassadors Program is sponsored by the JET PROPULSION LABORATORY in Pasadena, CA, an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and a lead research and development center for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Further information about the Solar System Ambassadors Program is available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador.
The program in the Benelux & Northern Germany...
Many US citizens live and work abroad for portions of their lives, quite often in the period when they are also raising children. While citizens living within the United States & Puerto Rico have for many years had access to the rich information provided by this program, Americans, American schools and international schools located in foreign countries have typically had a more difficult time accessing the same information.
Lynn van Rooijen-McCullough was first selected as an Ambassador in Europe for 2010. Although born in the United States, Lynn has lived and worked abroad for more than thirty years, and spent more than 25 in the Benelux area. She hopes to be able to provide both US citizens and other interested persons residing in the Benelux and Northern Germany with the same exciting information on NASA-JPL missions as has been available to citizens living within the United States through the Solar System Ambassadors Program. Lynn's contact information can be found on the JPL website: http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Lynn_van_Rooijen-McCullough.htm. You can also mail her directly.
How does the program work?
Lynn is available for presentations and other activities with schools and clubs, in both the English and Dutch languages. There are no costs for the presentations. For locations more than 50 km away, a reimbursement for travel costs would be appreciated.
Subjects for presentations and activities can be developed together with the schools or clubs in question, to fit their specific needs & interests. Some of the topics that are already available (and so can be given on short notice) include:
Depending on subject, time of day and weather, presentations can, if relevant, be combined with viewing through a telescope, either at the time of the presentation or on a subsequent evening. Solar - and on some days, Lunar - viewing can be combined with daytime presentations. In some cases, a robotic telescope located in a dark area on Earth can also be accessed on-line during daytime presentations. For tailor-made presentations and activities, please get in touch at least four to six weeks prior to your requested presentation date to allow adequate time for preparation.
Currently planned public activities...
October 29 & 30, 2010, 20:00 - 22:00: Star Party Evenings:
Together with other members of the KNVWS 't Gooi, Lynn will be present with telescope in Huizen, NH, during the first Star Party Evenings of the Fall. We should be able to observe Jupiter & its moons, the Andromeda galaxy, globular clusters and many other objects. Lynn will also point out the area that the Kepler Mission is currently searching for exoplanets and explain how these are being detected. Entrance is free & everyone is welcome!
Click here for more information on KNVWS 't Gooi Star Parties.