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Maria Mitchell Association Monthly e-Comet Newsletter
MAY 2023
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Dear Friends –
Welcome May! There are many exciting things happening this month! I hope you take advantage of this month’s Science Speaker Series featuring Dr. Gordon Jones, who will illustrate phenomena such as the popping of ears on airplanes and the buoyancy of ships. Dr. Nia Imara will take us on a fascinating journey to explore the intersection of art and science and how culture influences both endeavors.
If you love wine then join us, alongside our resident astronaut, Retired Capt. Dan Bursch, for an incredible farm to table accompanied by Far Niente wine pairings, on May 19. If you would like to stargaze, then meet us for sweet treats and sips of cognac on May 20 or swing by for Tito’s Yappy Hour and bring your dog down to 33 Washington Street on May 21 in support of NiSHA (Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals) - Rosie and I will be there.
At the end of the month, we will welcome thirty-five new interns to Nantucket for an unforgettable summer experience. We are grateful to have this brilliant bunch join us for the summer to learn from us and support our operations. Each year, these students contribute their time, passion, and expertise and always leave us better for knowing them.
Join us this summer for our expedition to Polpis Harbor, where we will be immersed in nature, watch the sunset, enjoy a beautiful dinner, and dance to Fleetwood Macked (cannot wait!) at our annual Stargazer Gala. This year, prepare for incredible auction items (trip to Portugal anyone?) and an immersive performance from our class of 2023 interns; we promise an unforgettable experience!
I hope you find time to be outdoors, listen to the birdsong, enjoy the blossoming trees, and see the star filled sky.
May every sunrise hold promise, and every sunset hold peace,
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Joanna Roche
Executive Director
jroche@mariamitchell.org
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SAVE THE DATE: The Stargazer Gala
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Caravan with us to the shores of Polpis Harbor, to a field of tents, where we'll dine and dance under the very stars that have guided the explorers before us.
This incredible night is made possible with thanks to our sponsors! We hope you will join us in support of our biggest event of the year. Tickets on sale now!
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Stargazer Gala Sponsorship Opportunities Available | |
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Sponsorship opportunities for the Stargazer Gala, are now live. Please click here if you are interested in becoming (or returning as!) a sponsor this year.
As a reminder, your sponsorship enables us to:
- Serve over 20,000 learners of all ages each year through 525+ public programs
- Provide award-winning, STEAM-based summer camps and after-school programming
- Offer year-round science curriculum in Nantucket's public and private schools
- Conduct and publish internationally acclaimed scientific research
- Maintain our facilities and collections where science and history come to life
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Winemaker Dinner: Friday, May 19
As May rolls around, we are so thankful for our relationships and the people who support our initiatives all year long – even from as far away as Napa Valley.
On Friday, May 19th, a group of MMA fans, including US Naval Captain (Ret.) and NASA Astronaut, Daniel Bursch; the infamous Chef and SeaGrille proprietor, EJ Harvey; Fog Town Farm proprietor, Aiden Feeney; Far Niente Winery winemaker, Nicole Marchesi; Nantucket Meat & Fish Market General Manager, Ethan Potter; and our own astronomer, Dr. Regina Jorgenson, have teamed up to present a delicious and magical evening that will make for great memories. And, you're invited!
Read more here.
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Stars, Sips & Sweets: Saturday, May 20
Enjoy an evening under the stars with after dinner drinks by Remy Martin Cognac and French pastries by Sandrine Wallace at the Maria Mitchell Association’s famed Loines Observatory where the stars take over for the night!
MMA Astronomer, Dr. Regina Jorgenson, will guide you through the constellations and let you peer at distant celestial bodies through our telescopes. Learn more about the constellations, phases of the moon, the planets and why eclipses happen. Transportation is available upon request by the Maria Mitchell Association. Pick up location is the Nantucket Visitor Services & Information Bureau at 25 Federal Street at 7:45 pm.
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MMA SCIENCE SPEAKER SERIES | |
Join Us On Wednesday, May 10 | |
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At 7pm EST as we welcome Dr. Gordon Jones as one of our featured presenters for the May Science Speaker Series.
"Lessons From A Bed of Nails: The Physics of Floating"
Using child-friendly demonstrations in his presentation, Prof. Jones will use a bed of nails, a vacuum bazooka, and a floating bowling ball to explain why our ears pop in airplanes and why heavy ships float.
Gordon Jones is the Stone Professor of Physics at Hamilton College. After studying atomic physics at Williams College, he received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics at Princeton University in 1996. He then combined these fields working with neutron beams at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Learn more here.
This talk is complimentary and presented via Zoom, please pre-register.
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Join Us On Wednesday, May 24 | |
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At 7pm EST as we welcome Dr. Nia Imara as one of our featured presenters for the May Science Speaker Series.
"Interconnected: A Journey Through Inner and Outer Space"
How do art and science connect? As an astronomer and visual artist, it’s a question Dr. Nia Imara is often asked. Her astronomy research aims to illuminate how stars are born in vast “stellar nurseries” residing in our Milky Way Galaxy and beyond. Her art is steeped in black culture and centers on people. How do the two go together?
In this presentation, Dr. Imara will invite the audience on a journey through inner and outer space and share some of what inspires her as an artist-scientist. In doing so, she will explore some potential connections between art and science and how culture plays a major role in both of these uniquely human endeavors.
Learn more here.
This talk is complimentary and presented via Zoom, please pre-register.
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Bird On!
By Ginger Andrews
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May is when we think of warblers. We dream of warblers, males in their full breeding plumage, bejeweled, radiant as they catch the light. Sometimes dreams they remain. We never know when a late Spring storm may blow in, preventing trees from blooming, insects from flying, pollinators from pollinating. Our tendency towards a late and chilly May makes some Islanders mutter “Mayvember!” as they haul the long johns back out during a surprise visit from Arctic air. | |
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Owl Prowl
Night-time has always had a mysterious appeal which brings out a whole new cast of avian and other creatures. It requires patience and a shift of consciousness from sight to hearing. Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews, as we listen for calls of a variety of nocturnal animals and birds. We will watch for owls as they begin their nightly activity. While an owl sighting is not guaranteed, you will certainly be able to observe several fascinating nocturnal animal species.
Cost Per Participant: $30.
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Earth Story Walk and Talk
Carl Sagan once wrote, "The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena." While that may be true in terms of physical size, the Earth's 4.6 billion-year history is anything but small. Join the MMA's Scientist-in-Residence, Dr. Rich Blundell, on a journey through the extraordinary story of planet Earth. Each stride of this 4.6km (2.9 mile) walk will account for approximately one million years of Earth and human history. Along the way, we will stop to explore the major thresholds of geologic time and also reconsider how the events and processes of deep time have led to our current global state of existence. By considering the broader scales of the Earth's story, we will gain new insights to interpret the science in more meaningful ways.
This program is designed to be interesting for inquisitive adults.
In the case of inclement weather, we will hold the event indoors at the Maria Mitchell Association Research Center at 2 Vestal Street.
Pre-registration is required for this event.
Cost Per Participant: $25
Contact email: rblundell@mariamitchell.org
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Look Up Program:
Unlock the Wonders of the Night Sky at the Look Up Program
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Loines Observatory is a truly unique location, for both Nantucket and beyond, and should be experienced by all Nantucket residents. The MMA’s "Look Up" Program provides the opportunity for every student in the Nantucket school system, public and private, to visit Loines Observatory and learn from our professional astronomers.
May Look Up Dates: May 4, 11, 18, and 25. For more information click here.
Complimentary, please pre-register.
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View of the telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea. | |
MMA Astronomers Travel to Largest Ground-Based Optical Telescope in the World for Research | |
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In mid-April, the MMA’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Astronomy Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellows, Fiona Powers Özyurt and Michele Woodland, traveled to the site of the largest ground-based optical telescopes in the world, the Keck Observatory located on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
Power Özyurt and Woodland joined in on this most recent observing run as part of the Fast and Fortunate for FRB Follow-up (F4) Collaboration, founded by the Maria Mitchell Association’s Director of Astronomy, Dr. Regina Jorgenson and her collaborators, and funded by a competitive grant from the National Science Foundation.
“This experience was definitely a dream come true for me. One of my favorite parts of astronomy is observing, and being able to observe with the largest optical and infrared telescope in the world was definitely high up there on my bucket list! It can be fun to reduce, analyze, and make conclusions from your data after it has been collected, but seeing your data be collected in real time and having complete command over every aspect of the instrument is unmatched,” said Powers Özyurt.
“During our observing run at Keck we obtained spectra of multiple different Fast Radio Burst host galaxies located a few billion light years away,” said Woodland. "This opportunity gave me the chance to understand and appreciate the intricacies of acquiring the data that I then reduce. There are so many tiny little steps that go into it and it is so easy to mess up. I have a lot of respect for people who do this often,” continued Woodland.
Further details from their trip, also called an "observing run" in astronomers' parlance, can be found on the MMA's social media!
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Looking Skyward:
JUICE Mission Will Take a New Look at Jupiter
Jupiter and its moons are the focus of a new European Space Agency mission. CAI's John Basile talks with Regina Jorgenson of the Maria Mitchell Observatory on Nantucket about this new effort to understand a distant part of our solar system.
Listen here!
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The Nature of Nantucket and The Star Report
Check out our own podcast, "The Nature of Nantucket," brought to you by 97.7 ACKFM. This program airs on 97.7 every Sunday at 7:20am. You can listen to full episodes on Apple or Spotify. While you're there, don't forget to check out our weekly "Star Report," written and presented by the MMA Astronomy Research Fellows.
Listen here!
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Maria Mitchell's Attic
Learn more about Maria Mitchell and the MMA with "Maria Mitchell's Attic," a blog written on a weekly basis by MMA Deputy Director and Curator, Jascin Leonardo Finger.
Read here!
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Stop by the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum Gift Shop and check out our new books, toys, and fun socks! Friday through Sunday, or shop online anytime! | |
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The Maria Mitchell Association creates opportunities for all to develop a life-long passion for science through education, research, and first-hand exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island.
Support the Maria Mitchell Association:
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