"Mars Under the Stars" at Anne Arundel Community College

A free family "Mars Under the Stars" event will be at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) on Saturday August 23. This event coincides with the arrival of Mars on the August 27, when the planet makes its closest approach to Earth in 53,000 years. The public is invited to bring their own telescopes and sleeping bags to the all-night party on Saturday sponsored by the Astronomy Club and AACC, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Pascal Center for the Performing Arts and continues until dawn Sunday at the Astronomy Building.

Participants can see an exhibit about Mars exploration at the Pascal Center, bid on astronomy memorabilia at a silent auction and bid on a new telescope in a live auction. At 10 p.m. the group will move to the Astronomy Building for an all-night stargazing party to see the red planet and to raise awareness of the effects of light pollution.

One of NASA's Mars experts, Herb Frey of GSFC's Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, will be on hand to present "Mars - More than the Moon, Less than the Earth." He will discuss recent findings from spacecraft now orbiting Mars, and what they tell us about the planet's history, the current state of geologic activity, the existence of water, and possible life on Mars. He will also compare Mars with the Earth and the Moon, and will discuss the current plans for future exploration of the Red Planet. Frey is a co-investigator for the Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter on board the Mars Global Surveyor mission and is also the acting manager of the Mars Data Analysis Program for NASA HQ's Solar System Exploration Division.

A second Mars expert will discuss how Mars has been portrayed through the years in fictional and factual accounts. The speaker, Alex Storrs, is an assistant professor of astronomy at Towson University. He will also discuss the planet's popularity as "a possible abode for life."

The silent action begins at 6 p.m. and will continue after Storrs talk at 8 p.m. The astronomy-related items up for auction will include a Mars flag donated by the Mars society and the winners will be announced at 9 p.m. The live auction of the 80mm Celestron telescope will follow. Both auctions are fund-raisers for the Astronomy Club.

The campus of AACC is located on College Parkway in Arnold, Maryland. For more information about this event, contact John Kline at 410-798-6625 after
6 p.m. or 410-777-2260. Disability support services are available by calling
410-777-2306 at least 72 hours in advance.

Mars to Make a Spectacular Appearance

The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month and next, Earth is
catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest
approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may
come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars
and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not
come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as
60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within
34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest
object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear
25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as
large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the
beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth
at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at
nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. That's pretty
convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded
history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow
progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this with
your children and grandchildren. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN!!

Upcoming Training

Basic Continuous Risk Management Course

This course familiarizes the student with the fundamentals of Continuous Risk Management (CRM) using hypothetical space flight project case study with an interactive teaching approach that combines lecture with exercises and group discussion. This training is consistent with CRM requirements identified in NPG 7120.5, NASA Program & Project NASA Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements, and NPG 8000.4, Risk Management.

You will learn:

Who Should Attend

All GSFC personnel interested in learning basic risk management skills. Personnel with flight program/project management, resource management engineering, mission operations, and assurance responsibility; Professionals involved in managing, identifying, or reviewing of risks, risk management plans, or risk assessments.

Registration & Information:
Fax your completed Goddard Training Request (17-92) to Mark Goldman on 301-286-1679. Then mail the original form to Code 114.

For registration information, contact Mark Goldman on 301-286-8852.

For more information please visit the Systems Management Office Continuous Risk Management (CRM) web site at http://crm.nasa.gov or contact Steve Botzum at (301) 286-8521.

IDP FAQs

In the IDP Workshop for Supervisors and the IDP Workshop for Employees, many questions have come up around the IDP process. Under OHR's career development page, there is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that have come from both supervisors and employees. These questions have been answered by OHR staff and legal counsel. Please take time to review these FAQs at http://ohr.gsfc.nasa.gov/DevGuide/idp.htm. Questions? Please contact Tracey White.

ALL UPCOMING COURSES

To view all of the upcoming training courses, visit: http://ohr.gsfc.nasa.gov/DevGuide/Calendar/home.htm

EOY Island Party

A great DJ and a catered dinner will highlight a fun End of the Year (EOY) party at the Rec Center on September 25 at 4:30 p.m. The menu includes: 1 lb. steamed shrimp per person plus all-you-care-to-eat jerk chicken, fresh grilled burgers/hot dogs, side dishes, and beer/wine/sodas. PLUS cash door prizes! Tickets are on sale at the GEWA Store and cost $20/person til September 19. Only 200 tickets will be sold, and no tickets will be sold after September 19 (no exceptions). (Sponsored by GEWA)