Astronews
Special News Topics/Of Special Interest

Hamill, Sean D. "Pitt physicist leading quantum computer project."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2010 Aug. 3.

Hamill, Sean D. "Experts find new way to map universe."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2010 July 22.

Phillips, Dr. Tony. "Longest Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century."
NASA 2009 July 20.
* Wed., July 21, 2009 10:35:21.1 p.m. EDST (Time of Greatest Eclipse--July 22 in Asia)
Total Eclipse of the Sun - Visible in India, China, Pacific Ocean.
SAFE WAY TO VIEW SOLAR ECLIPSE.
Are “hand-made” or “home-made” solar filters or eclipse-viewing glasses safe to use?
How do you find safe eclipse-viewing glasses?

"400 Years of the Telescope."
To Be Broadcast: PBS-TV 2009 April 10, 10:00 p.m. EDST
(Check local PBS-TV station for other dates and times.)

"Space Station Construction Visible in Backyard Telescopes."
NASA 2009 March 17.

"Pretty Sky Alert."
NASA 2009 Feb. 26.

"Be Part Of History -- Help NASA Name The Next Space Station Module."
NASA 2009 Feb. 20.

Phillips, Dr. Tony. "Spectacular Photo-op on Saturn."
NASA 2009 Feb. 19.
Feb. 24: quadruple transit of Saturn's moons.

Cesarsky, Catherine, Pedro Russo, and Lars Lindberg Christensen.
"The Year to Celebrate Astronomy."
Sky and Telescope Magazine 2009 January.

"Biggest Full Moon of the Year." Dec. 12.
NASA 2008 Dec. 9.

"Spectacular Conjunction." Dec. 1.
NASA 2008 Nov. 24.

"Racers Get Ready! NASA's Great Moonbuggy Registration Begins."
NASA 2008 Nov. 20.

"NASA Invites Students to Name New Mars Rover."
NASA 2008 Nov. 18.

Rao, Joe. "Meteor Shower Could Spur Bright Fireballs."
Yahoo/Space.com 2008 Oct. 31.

"Halloween Sky Show."
NASA 2008 Oct. 28.

Klinkenborg, Verlyn. "Light Pollution, Our Vanishing Night."
National Geographic Magazine 2008 November.
Johns, Chris. Editor's Note
National Geographic Magazine 2008 November.
( November Magazine Cover)

Borenstein, Seth. "Scientists view both Obama, McCain as supportive."
Yahoo/AP 2008 Oct. 15.

***

Declaring Saturday, October 11, 2008 "Langley High School Day." Proclamation.
Pittsburgh City Council 2008 Oct. 14.
Related Information

Congratulating Langley High School Alumni Association on Tenth Anniversary. Proclamation.
Pittsburgh City Council 2008 Oct. 14.
Related Information

Langley High School, opened in Pittsburgh in April of 1923, was named for
Western University of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pittsburgh)
Astronomy Professor Samuel Pierpont Langley who directed the original
Allegheny Observatory for 25 years.

***

"Space tourist returns from $30M orbital trip."
CNN 2008 Oct. 24.
"Expedition 17 Crew Returns From International Space Station."
NASA 2008 Oct. 23.
Walsh, Glenn. "Fw: New Crew Blasts Off for International Space Station." E-Mail List Message.
South Hills Backyard Astronomers 2008 Oct. 13.
Crew includes Richard Garriott, son of former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott
(first son of a former U.S. astronaut to fly into space), and NASA veteran
astronaut E. Michael Fincke, who credits Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium
for his interest in becoming an astronaut. Buhl Planetarium celebrated 69th anniversary
of dedication on 2008 Oct. 24.
More information and mission updates

Controversy regarding Senator John McCain's remarks, during the second presidential
debate, regarding requested Federal funding for an "overhead projector" at
Adler Planetarium in Chicago. - 2008 Oct. 7.

"Barack Obama answers 14 top science questions."
ScienceDebate2008.com 2008 Aug. 30.

Roach, John. "Ten ancient observatories spied from space."
MSNBC 2008 Aug. 20.

Boren, Jeremy. "Pittsburgh filmmaker focuses on observatory."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 Aug. 19.
Film on history of Allegheny Observatory.

"NASA denies rumors of finding life on Mars."
Wikinews.org 2008 Aug. 5.

"Scientists puzzling over chemical found in Martian soil."
CNN 2008 Aug.5.

Covault, Craig. "White House Briefed On Potential For Mars Life."
Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine On-Line 2008 Aug. 1.

"NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended."
NASA/JPL 2008 July 31.

"Total eclipse provides rare delight."
CNN 2008 Aug. 1.

Total Solar Eclipse August 1 in Asia and Greenland
Partial Eclipse of the Sun in northern North America, Europe, also Middle East and Asia
Safe Way to View Solar Eclipse

"Partial Eclipse, Total Fun."
NASA 2008 July 29.
Sokhareva, Natalya. "Eclipse revives homemade telescopes."
News Daily 2008 July 30.

"The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower." August 12
NASA 2008 July 22.

* "Allegheny Observatory to offer tours, lectures."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 March 24.

* 2008 Feb. - Recent News of Controversy Regarding "Bodies...the Exhibition"
at The Carnegie Science Center,
Including claims of use of bodies of Chinese political prisoners
by the ABC-TV news show "20/20."

* "Sciencedebate2008
A Call for a Presidential Debate on Science and Technology"
Sciencedebate2008 2008 Jan. 11.

* 2009 - 400th Anniversary of Astronomical Telescope
and The International Year of Astronomy 2009

* ALSO -- ADD YOUR NAME TO THE UPCOMING NASA KEPLER MISSION SPACECRAFT.
Name in Space is an activity in association with the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

OF SPECIAL INTEREST

** 2006 Dec. 1 - The Boston Globe:
'The Nativity Story'
Which describes the Star of Bethlehem as conjunction of Venus and Jupiter,
one of the alternatives given in Buhl Planetarium's "Star of Bethlehem"
sky show, shown in the original Theater of the Stars 1939-1990.

** 2006 Nov. 28 - IN THEATERS DEC. 22:
"Night at the Museum" *** More info

* Observation of the Impact of Smart-1 from Hawaii
* SMART-1 Info: Euopean Space Agency (ESA)
* 2006 Sept. 5 - CNN/AP:
Europe's spacecraft hits the moon
* NEW - Graham's Corner Weblog Column by Francis G. Graham,
Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Kent State University,
Published Here at the Beginning of Each Month --
2006 July - August: THE SMART-1 IMPACT ON THE MOON
European SMART-1 Spacecraft's September crash on Moon
may be visible to amateur astronomers with large telescopes.
* News Release - 2006 Sept 1:
Space Probe Crash on Moon May Be Visible to
Amateur Astronomers with Large Telescopes Saturday Night
Graham's Corner Weblog Archives

* 2006 June - Reflections Quarterly Publication of the
Mt. Wilson Observatory Association:
ANDREW CARNEGIE VISITS MOUNT WILSON
As Recounted in Newspapers of the Time
(Poor weather obscures view of Halley's Comet
during 1910 March visit.)
By Marilyn Morgan
(Page 4 of the .pdf document)

* 2006 Aug. 28 - News Release:
Children’s Museum Ignores Roof Needs in 2002, During Capital Campaign;
Now Seeks Taxpayer Funds for Old Post Office Roof Replacement
Gutting of Buhl Planetarium facilities received priority over roof repair.

* 2006 July 13 - Port Authority Board of Directors approves "North Shore
Connector" rapid transit extension project, to serve Pittsburgh's Lower
North Side.
*** Pittsburgh's Lower North Side, originally Allegheny City,
is home to America's first publicly-funded Carnegie Library
and the world's first Carnegie Hall, Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science
(which merged with Carnegie Institute in 1987),
and it is the neighborhood where Andrew Carnegie grew-up.

* 2006 March 27 - News Release:
Science Center Misses Deadline to Reassemble
Historic Zeiss Projector; Claims Delay
Also see News Article.

* Latest news on damaged Carnegie Library clock tower
and Carnegie Library intention to relocate first U.S. publicly-funded
Carnegie Library, built by Andrew Carnegie in neighborhood of his youth.

* Latest news on construction of subway link to serve Pittsburgh's Lower North Side
(where industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie grew-up),
including original Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny (nation's first
publicly-funded Carnegie Library), Carnegie Hall (world's first Carnegie Hall),
and original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Latest news on conversion of last hometown department store, Kaufmann's.
to Macy's; earlier hometown department store, Boggs and Buhl, led to
construction of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* 2006 Oct. 20 - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Hawaii:
Subaru Earthquake Update
Regards impact of recent Hawaii earthquake on Suburu Telescope,
the mirror of which was produced by L-3 Brashear in Pittsburgh.

Howell, Donna. "John Brashear Kept His Goals In Sharp Focus."
Investor's Business Daily 2006 Oct. 18: A3.
Howell, Donna. "John Brashear Kept His Goals In Sharp Focus."
Investor's Business Daily 2009 March 5: A3.
< http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ >. Posted 2009 March 4. Viewed 2009 March 5.
(Reprint of 2006 Oct. 18 article)
(Donna Howell, Technology Reporter, Investor's Business Daily)
Friends of the Zeiss Project Director Glenn A. Walsh is extensively
quoted in this national business newspaper article, regarding the life of
famous 19th century astronomer and lens maker John A. Brashear,
who was a confidant of Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick.

"John Brashear Kept His Goals In Sharp Focus."
Investor's Business Daily 2009 March 5: A3.
(Reprint of 2006 Oct. 18 article)
Howell, Donna. "John Brashear Kept His Goals In Sharp Focus."
Investor's Business Daily 2006 Oct. 18: A3.
(Donna Howell, Technology Reporter, Investor's Business Daily)
Friends of the Zeiss Project Director Glenn A. Walsh is extensively
quoted in this national business newspaper article, regarding the life of
famous 19th century astronomer and lens maker John A. Brashear,
who was a confidant of Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick.

From the 2006 National Preservation Conference:

Preservation of Carnegie Libraries as Libraries

* 2006 Nov. 3 - 2006 National Preservation Conference, Pittsburgh
Sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with
local sponsorship (2006) by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.
Session - Carnegie Libraries: Challenges and Solutions - Presentations:
* "The Architecture of Literacy, Carnegie Libraries in the U.S."
By Mary B. Dierickx, President, Mary B. Dierickx Architectural Preservation Consultants
* "How to Save Carnegie Libraries as Libraries"
By Joe Rizzo, AIA, ALA, Principal, Hillier Architecture
* "Primary Impediments to Historic Preservation: EGO and MONEY !"
By Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss

* Pittsburgh Public Transit Agency Proposes Drastic Service Cuts
effective 2007 June 24, Fare Increase effective 2008 Jan. 1.

Huge Robot Exhibit To Prevent Display of Zeiss II Planetarium Projector

In 2002, Science Center officials had promised the City of Pittsburgh that some of this
second floor space, near the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium (now also known as the
Buhl Digital Dome), would be used for a "Final Frontier" exhibit, which would include
display of the historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projecctor,
the oldest, operable major planetarium projector in the world prior to its 2002
October dismantling. Also included in the "Final Frontier" exhibit was to be another original
Buhl Planetarium artifact, the large Mercator's Projection Map of the World, which was considered
the world's largest such map when first installed at the 1939-1940 World's Fair in
New York City.

The "Final Frontier" exhibit, which was not supposed to be dependent on the
proposed $90 million expansion project which was cancelled in May of 2003, has never
been developed. Nor has there been any word about the future of this proposed exhibit,
which was a major reason why the City of Pittsburgh permitted the Science Center to
remove the Zeiss II Planetarium Projecctor and the large
Mercator's Projection Map of the World from the original Buhl Planetarium building.
Now it seems this large, new, permanent robotics exhibit will preclude the ability to
install the "Final Frontier" exhibit next to the
Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium.

Friends of the Zeiss has always contended that the best place for the historic
Buhl Planetarium artifacts is the original Buhl Planetarium building, the only place
(due to custom-construction of the building) where the Zeiss II Planetarium Projecctor and the
10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope can be fully unitlized
to teach science to children visiting the Children's Museum.

* "Zeiss projector restoration."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2002 Dec. 30.
Regarding proposed "Final Frontier" exhibit.

* Walsh, Glenn A. "Science Center Space Lost for Display of Planetarium Artifacts."
Address. Pittsburgh City Council. 2008 April 29.
Prepared Text *** Large-Print Version

* Walsh, Glenn A. "Science Center Space Lost for Display of Planetarium Artifacts."
Address. Board of Directors, Allegheny Regional Asset District. 2008 April 28.
Prepared Text *** Large-Print Version

* Graham, Francis. " Science Center Space Lost for Display of Planetarium Artifacts."
Letter. To City and County Public Officials. 2008 April 24.

* "CMU'S ROBOT HALL OF FAME."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2008 April 19.
* Templeton,, David. "Robots coming to life in 2009 exhibit."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2008 April 10.
* Houser, Mark. "Roboworld could cement 'Burgh as robotics capital."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 April 10.
* Houser, Mark. "Robot exhibit coming to Carnegie Science Center."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review On-Line 2008 April 9.
* "Carnegie Science Center will open comprehensive robotics exhibition."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 April 7.
* Houser, Mark. "CMU at forefront in building thinking machines."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 April 6.
* "What is artificial intelligence?."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 April 6.
* "Will A.I. work lead to robots taking over the world?"
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 April 6.
* Houser, Mark. "Robots do a little networking."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008 April 9.

* 2007 Oct. 23 - Public Statement:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN ARTIFACTS:
SEMI-PERMANENT LOAN
NOT
OWNERSHIP TRANSFER
Written statement of Glenn A. Walsh to members of Allegheny County Council.

* 2007 Oct. 25 - Results of the KQV-AM 1410 News Radio Phone Poll
Do you support the county donating Lincoln’s artifacts to the Heinz History Center?
Internet Results
Yes: 310....33%
No: 623....67%
Total: 933...100%
Phone Results
Yes: 138....23%
No: 458....77%
Total: 596...100%

* 2007 Oct. 24 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Lincoln's furniture center of debate
By Karamagi Rujumba

* 2007 Oct. 24 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Allegheny County hands over Lincoln bed
By Justin Vellucci

* 2007 Oct. 26 - MSNBC/AP:
NASA to search files on '65 UFO incident
Government agency fought the move in federal court
UFO incident occurred in suburban Pittsburgh.

* 2007 Oct. 23 - The Times-Herald, Newnan GA:
Carnegie Library prospects hailed by an expert on Carnegie libraries, Glenn A. Walsh.
By W. WINSTON SKINNER
(Article appeared under banner headline, at top of first page.)
Mentions Friends of the Zeiss, The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular
Science, and the historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector.

* 2007 March 17 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Imagining the perfect playhouse
By Rosa Colucci
Including playhouse (with photo) designed to look like original Buhl Planetarium.

* 2007 March 8 - Pittsburgh City Paper:
Letter-to-the-Editor
Driven up the wall
By Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss
Regarding fragments of astronomical inscription from the Bible
previously on exterior wall of original Buhl Planetarium,
removed for large window highlighted in Feb. 22 column.

* Reuse, by The Carnegie Science Center (beginning in 2007) of original Buhl Planetarium
"Snowballs on Summer Solstice Day" promotion (from 1985).

* 2007 Jan. 15 - Pittsburgh Trib p.m., page 9:
(Excerpt from half-page, tabloid-newspaper advertisement
by The Carnegie Science Center)
"Snowball Challenge!
Anyone who brings a snowball to Carnegie Science Center on the Summer
Solstice, June 21, will receive FREE general admission. Plan ahead and
make your snowball as soon as you can!"
Reuse of original Buhl Planetarium promotion from mid-1980s !

* Pittsburgh Public Transit Agency Proposes Drastic Service Cuts
effective 2007 June 24, Fare Increase effective 2008 Jan. 1.

* "Update" Year-End Report for 2008 December:
Buhl Planetarium and Carnegie Library

* 2006 Annual News Update: Buhl Planetarium

* News Release - 2006 Nov. 28: