EARTHRISE INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL EDUCATIONAL PROJECT, ³COUNTDOWN TO 500 COMETS²
March 1, 2007
Contact: Alan Hale, Earthrise Institute
+1 (505) 687-2075
CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The Earthrise Institute is pleased to announce its inaugural educational project, entitled ³Countdown to 500 Comets.² The project takes its name and focus from Earthrise Institute founder and President Alan Hale¹s quest to observe 500 comets, a quest he began over 37 years ago. He has recently collected his 400th comet and, in his words, ³I¹ve decided to share my quest for comet number 500 with the astronomy students of the world.²
Dr. Hale is best known as being co-discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp, which shone brightly in Earth¹s nighttime skies ten years ago. ³Comets can be among the most spectacular of objects we see in our skies,² notes Hale. ³Comets like Hale-Bopp and the very recent Comet McNaught which became bright enough to view during the daytime during January before becoming an incredible nighttime sight for our friends in the southern hemisphere have always acted to inspire us to examine the universe around us.² While Hale remarks that brilliant comets like these are quite uncommon and that most of those he observes are much dimmer, ³they are nevertheless fascinating objects for examination and study.²
Students of all ages and nationalities are invited to participate in ³Countdown.² The goal of ³Countdown² is for students to observe as many of Dr. Hale¹s next 100 comets as they are able, either by viewing them through a telescope, and/or by taking images of them with appropriately equipped telescopic cameras. Special awards will be presented to any student who successfully observes ten of Dr. Hale¹s next 100 comets. Hale estimates that it will take five to seven years for him to collect those 100 comets, and thus there are plenty of opportunities for participation.
Within the next two years the Earthrise Institute expects to establish the first operational telescope at its planned dark-sky facility east of Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Once this telescope is operating it will be available for remote-control utilization for, among other projects, imaging of comets in the ³Countdown² program.
Experienced amateur and professional astronomers, and astronomy clubs and other similar organizations, are being solicited to act as mentors and to assist in other ways with ³Countdown,² and any individual or organization so interested is invited to contact the Institute. A sponsor is also being sought to name the comet observing awards that will be provided to successful participants of the project.
Additional information about "Countdown to 500 Comets," specific information about the comets being observed, photographs and images of the various comets, and information about assisting astronomers and organizations, is available at http://www.earthriseinstitute.org/comets.html.
The Earthrise Institute, formerly known as the Southwest Institute for Space Research, is a private non-profit organization with the goals of promoting science research and education, and for using astronomy and other activities as tools for bringing humanity together. Information about its mission, programs, and activities is available at its web site, http://www.earthriseinstitute.org.
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