RIP Mimi Burbank - a wonderful person

Mimi and one of her favorite activities - playing with the kids !


It is with great sadness I share with you that my good friend and a good supporter of Astro Book Drive, Mimi Burbank passed away on 28th of November 2010, just few days after her 69th birthday.

Few months back my friend, Larry Klaes introduced me to Mimi and suggested that she could use some help via my project - Astro Book Drive, which works on getting astronomy reading materials to groups in developing countries. Ever since the introduction, Mimi and I have been good friends and in regular contact, we have never spoken via phone or met in person. It was always via email and Facebook. I dearly regret that I missed two opportunities saying hello to her on Skype.

Even though it was only been few months since I got to know Mimi, I learned that she's genuinely caring person about life in Uganda and tried everything in her capacity to improve it. I was always amazed at the strength she had.

We were discussing ways of improving Astronomy in Uganda and how I could help them to get some materials. She went to meet Dr. Simon Anguma and Dr. Edward Jurua at Mbarara University to discuss these further and explored the idea of setting up an Astronomical Society for Uganda and how Astro Book Drive could help them. As a result Simon and Edward took forward the idea of setting up the society. Mimi and I decided it was best to start the book drive in January 2011.

Though she's not with us anymore, the book drive for Uganda will continue as planned and it will be dedicated to Mimi - a wonderful person, may she rest in peace.





Ask an Astronomer

It's not usual to have professional astronomers visiting Sri Lanka, in fact the number of Sri Lankan Professional Astronomers are probably less than a dozen and most of them resides abroad except Prof. Kavan Ratnatunga, a retired research astronomer who's settled in Colombo enjoying his hobbies and serving as the President of Sri Lankan Astronomical Association. Of course whenever any of our astronomers visit Sri Lanka for holiday, I never miss the opportunity to get hold of them and organize events locally. It's not everyday you meet an astronomer, and students find it fascinating to meet and discuss astronomy with a "real" astronomer.

Other than the Sri Lankan astronomers, we have been visited time to time over the years by a foreign astronomer - Michael Snowden - who's very fond of Sri Lanka, and a long term friend of late Sir Arthur C Clarke. I met Micahel through Prof. Kavan in 2005 and ever since we have been good friends and done quite a few programs together. In his last visit in March 2010, I organized a discussion session called "Ask an Astronomer" for few high school students which turned out to be very well received. The objective of the session was to gather couple of students who are serious about pursuing higher studies in Astronomy and give them an opportunity to interact with an astronomer directly, learning, raising their questions, sharing their views...

Michael returned last month again, and as usual I organized couple of events with him. We managed to do another session on "Ask an Astronomer" with 6 high school students. The discussion started with Michael talking about Exoplanets - a much discussed topic these days and then the students got the opportunity to join the discussion raising questions and talking various aspects of Astronomy. Also another important subject discussed during the session was higher education in Astronomy! Each student talked about their field of interest in astronomy and was advised how they can achieve it, what are the available options, etc... Overall the session went well clearing some doubts, sharing more knowledge and most of all inspiring them to continue the path to higher education in Astronomy.

This was a much needed session as Sri Lanka currently is in a critical place as there are only 2 students doing higher studies in Astronomy or related fields. Although the interest in astronomy among students is high, many hesitant to continue that enthusiasm to do higher studies mainly due to lack of guidance, financial support, less awareness of opportunities, etc... Via Sri Lanka Astronomical Association, we hope to hold more of these sessions to help the students and encourage them to pursuit their dream.


The session was also a part of "ET are you out there - Voyager Campaign" and was held on the 30 October 2010 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo.

Michael Snowden with students.




John Dobson webcast videos available!

John Dobson


Perhaps no name is better known in the global community of astronomy enthusiasts than that of John Dobson, popularizer of the widely-used Dobsonian telescope design that now bears his name. Now age 95, he has had a lifetime of outreach and activism. His determination to bring astronomy to the people was a driving force behind the creation of the sidewalk astronomy movement.

Dobson, who paved the way for astronomy outreach beyond professional facilities, was interviewed in the first episode of a new series of webcasts, "Living Legend Series" - a project of Astronomers Without Borders - on Saturday, November 13, 2010.

Watch the 5-part webcast videos:


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5






Astronomers Without Borders' Events for December 2010

To keep you busy in the coming month - December 2010, Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) has organized two great events.



Event: Cosmic Treasures: Online Observing Event with Virtual Telescope
Date: December 9
Time: 22:00 UT
URL: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/online-observing/495.html

Cosmic Treasures is an online event giving you a unique opportunity of experiencing Universe through the Virtual Telescope at Bellatrix Observatory in Italy. You will be able to see beautiful cosmic treasures of the Universe such as galaxies, nebulae and clusters of stars in real time, with live commentary by astrophysicist Dr. Gianluca Masi.
This is a free event and open to anyone. You can also chat with others online during the event, interact with the Dr. Masi in real time, or just watch and listen while exploring the Universe. Experience One People, One Sky as we share the sky together.




Event: Seasons without Borders 4
Date: December 21
URL: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/seasons-without-borders/488.html

When the Northern Hemisphere will experience their “shortest” day while the Southern Hemisphere will celebrate their “longest” day of the year, AWB invites astronomy groups around the world to join in with the 4th Seasons Without Borders event to celebrate solstice which will occur on December 21st, 2010, officially at 23:38 UTC.


Join with AWB in December to explore the beauty of Universe and enjoy the feeling of One Sky One People.


Follow AWB on Twitter and join the Facebook page and group.




Save the Dates: April 2011 is Global Astronomy Month


April 2011 will again be a busy month for amateur and professional astronomers, educators and astronomy enthusiasts as Global Astronomy Month (GAM) returns for its second edition. The annual event, organized by Astronomers Without Borders, celebrates the Universe in the spirit of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 cornerstone project "100 Hours of Astronomy."

Astronomy clubs, science centers, schools, educators, and other astronomy enthusiasts worldwide are invited to reserve dates in April 2011 for public outreach, hands-on activities, observing sessions and more while sharing the enthusiasm with others across the globe during Global Astronomy Month. Everyone is invited either to join the global programs or initiate their own activities during April 2011.

This is the second edition of GAM, after its launch last year, when Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) coordinated seven global events dedicated to remote observing, fighting light pollution, world peace, observations of the sky and cultural manifestations, as well as encouraging the organization of local events.


GAM2010 Trailer

A growing list of global programs are scheduled for GAM 2011. The month kicks off with the lord of the rings on April 2/3, designated as Saturn Watch. With the planet at its closest to Earth, it's a perfect night to admire the unequaled beauty of the ringed planet. On April 9 the Global Star Party will unfold as darkness sweeps around the Earth. This is the night to set up your telescopes and share the wonders of the sky with others. From April 10 to 16 it's Lunar Week as our gaze turns toward Earth's natural satellite. Just as the Moon has captured our imagination for millennia, it never fails to fascinate with close-up views of its craters and mare. Educational and cultural events dedicated to the Moon are also planned. On April 17 we switch from night to day, dedicating ourselves to our closest star on SunDay. The month closes on a high point with a peak - of meteors. On April 21/22 get comfortable in something warm and spend the night scanning the sky for meteors caused by debris left behind by Comet Thatcher. An incredible show awaits during Lyrids Watch.

More programs are to come as GAM grows with every group of people that joins us in the celebration of the Universe. Among these are Remote Observing Programs and a Cosmic Concert.

If you need another reason to join us during Global Astronomy Month, try these:

* GAM lets your science center or astronomy club participate in an internationally recognized project;
* GAM provides several events to attract visitors to your institution or astronomy club;
* GAM allows you to connect with your local community, including public authorities and the media;
* GAM gives you the chance to inspire young people to look up and wonder. Show your commitment to educating young people.

"There's something for everyone", says Mike Simmons, President of Astronomers Without Borders. IYA2009 showed the way to involving more people than ever," and GAM is riding that wave of excitement in the discovery of our Universe."

Join the celebration in April 2011 as Global Astronomy Month brings together thousands of passionate individuals and hundreds of organizations worldwide to share their enthusiasm in innovative new ways, connecting people through a great sense of sharing the Universe! It's a month of celebrating Astronomers Without Borders' motto - One People, One Sky!

Save the dates - April 2011 is Global Astronomy Month.

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More information:

* Website: http://www.gam-awb.org
* Twitter: http://twitter.com/GAM_AWB
* Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Astronomy-Month-2011/139709899412771

Astronomers Without Borders


Astronomers Without Borders is dedicated to fostering understanding and goodwill across national and cultural boundaries by creating relationships through the universal appeal of astronomy. Astronomers Without Borders projects promote sharing, all through a common interest in something basic and universal - sharing the sky.

For further information please contact:

Mike Simmons
President, Astronomers Without Borders
Chair, GAM2011 Working Group
mikes@gam-awb.org
+1 818 486 7633

Thilina Heenatigala
GAM2011 Coordinator
thilina@gam-awb.org
+94 716 245 545

Oana Sandu
GAM2011 Public Relations Coordinator
oana@gam-awb.org
+40 724 024 625