Galaxy Central At Waimea, Hawai`i On Spring Equinox Eve

Situated in the foothills of Mauna Kea (B) -- the world's preeminent center of astronomy -- Waimea, Hawai`i will be Galaxy Central for the evening of Mar 19. Two events will showcase the benefits of astronomy and science education for Hawai`i. 'Galaxy Education in the 21st Century' is the theme of the 'Galaxy Forum Hawai`i - Waimea,' sponsored by the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) and Space Age Publishing Company as part of an international series of Galaxy Forums in 2009. The event will feature presentations and discussions of innovative models and initiatives for Galaxy / astronomy education in Hawai`i schools and community, such as the Galaxy Garden (TL) and the ILOA Galaxy First Light Imaging Program (TR). CFHT astronomer Jean-Charles Cuillandre (BR), Hawai`i cultural practitioner Ali`i Kimo Pihana (CR), renowned artist / educator Jon Lomberg (CL), and a representative from ILOA are featured speakers at the event, which will also include a panel of local educators. Immediately following the Galaxy Forum, W M Keck Observatory, a global leader in Galaxy research, will be hosting a lecture by Alan Tokunaga (BL) of the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. The lecture is part of the 2009 Mauna Kea lecture series, which features presentations by Directors of each of the observatories atop Mauna Kea. Keck's lecture series will culminate in December with a presentation by a representative of the 30 Meter Telescope, which may be the next facility built on the island's majestic summit. (Credit: ILOA, Galaxy Garden, Keck, IFA, CFHT)

The European Space Agency (ESA) Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) is set to launch Monday at 17:21 local time (14:21 GMT) via a Rockot vehicle from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia. GOCE and its 3 instruments will investigate Earth's gravitational field (BR) with unprecedented resolution and accuracy and derive measurements of ocean circulation and sea-level change. An onboard gradiometer will create a high-resolution 3-dimensional map of the planet's geoid. The data will greatly improve our knowledge and understanding of Earth's internal structure, as well as provide much better reference data for ocean and climate studies. The map will also assist in measuring heights of various features and topographical landscapes across the globe. 45 European companies are contributing to the GOCE project, which is led by Thales Alenia Space of Italy. Daniel Muzi (BL) of Italy is the project manager, and has been since GOCE was selected for implementation in 1999. The spacecraft will orbit Earth from an altitude of 260 km in a polar, Sun-synchronous orbit for a planned mission of 20 months. The mission is the first in a series of ESA Earth Explorer missions, designed to promote research on Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and interior. Follow-up missions include the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite in the summer and CryoSat-2 in late autumn to measure ice sheet thickness. (Credit: ESA)