[meteorite-list] NASA Ames Family Night Homes in on Comet Impacts

[Ron Baalke]

Nick Veronico/Jonas Dino				July 11, 2005
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650/604-1939 or 650/604-9000
Email: nveronico at mail.arc.nasa.gov, jonas.dino at nasa.gov

Media Advisory: 05-40AR

NASA AMES FAMILY NIGHT HOMES IN ON COMET IMPACTS

NASA Ames Research Center, located in California's Silicon Valley, 
will host 'Cosmic Impacts,' the second installment in its highly 
successful Family Night Education Series, on Saturday, July 16, 2005. 
The event features exhibits and hands-on activities for the entire 
family, presentations by NASA experts, and 'galaxy viewing' where the 
public can see the moon, planets and other celestial objects through 
a field of telescopes (weather permitting). Media representatives are 
invited to attend the event.

'Cosmic Impacts' is free and open to the public. The doors of the 
NASA Exploration Center open at 6:00 p.m. PDT and will remain open 
until 10:00 p.m. Telescope viewing will continue until 11:00 p.m. 
PDT. To reach NASA Ames, exit at Moffett Boulevard from U.S. Highway 
101. Turn right over the overpass and follow the parking signs.

Schedule of Events

6:00-10:00 p.m. PDT	NASA Exploration Center
		Family exhibits and activities

7:00 p.m. PDT	Scott Sandford, NASA research astrophysicist
		Presenting the latest images and results from the 
                Deep Impact mission's July 4 rendezvous and 
	        impact with the comet Tempel 1.

		David Morrison, senior scientist, NASA Astrobiology Institute
		Presenting NASA's efforts to locate and identify 
                near-Earth asteroids that could pose an impact hazard 
                to the Earth.

		Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut
		Presenting the B612 Foundation's innovative and 
                exciting plans to demonstrate how impact hazards to the Earth 
                could be addressed by changing the orbit of an asteroid.

8:30-11:00 p.m. PDT Galaxy Viewing
		Join local amateur astronomers to view the impact 
                craters on the moon and other celestial bodies.


Ames Family Nights are sponsored by the NASA Ames Education Office 
and are designed to engage the community in scientific exploration 
and to inform the public about NASA research and technology.

For more information visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/

For more information about the NASA Ames Education Office, visit:

http://quest.nasa.gov

-end-