A network of amateur astronomy clubs around the U.S. who hold events for the public (e.g. star parties, planetarium shows, classrooms, etc.). The Night Sky Network is a nationwide coalition that regularly shares their knowledge, time, and telescopes to bring amazing aspects of astronomy to you (it’s essentially a one-stop-shopping site to find a club or event in your town). The network is a partnership of amateur astronomy clubs, NASA, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the Astronomical League.

Project owners + coordinators:
Night Sky Network team

To learn more, visit: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

To participate, find a club with upcoming events near you at: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/club-map.cfm

Screenshot by Andrew Hoppin

NASA CoLab Island is a dedicated space in the online virtual world of Second Life. After downloading the Second Life application, you can enter Second Life and visit NASA CoLab Island any time, 24/7.

People or groups with ideas for building space-related 3D projects in Second Life can apply to host their project for free on NASA CoLab Island. Projects built on NASA CoLab Island in the past have ranged from a simulated Lunar lava tube habitat built by the Oregon L5 Society, to a 3D interactive information center built for NASA’s LCROSS mission.

NASA CoLab Island is also the gathering point for a vibrant online community of NASA and non-NASA space enthusiasts in Second Life. Community organizing meetings are held every Tuesday at 1pm Pacific Daylight Time.

Project owners + coordinators:
Andrew Hoppin

THE DEADLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT HAS PASSED.

To learn more, contact: andrew.hoppin@gmail.com or send an instant message within Second Life to “Drew Frobozz”

To participate, visit: http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/slmeeting

A four-day event designed to bring astronomy to the public around the world. Whether it’s a few hours on one day or a 100-hour marathon event, how groups choose to participate is up to them. One of the key goals of 100 Hours of Astronomy is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. Plans should fit the resources and enthusiasm that’s available and typically range from telescope viewing get-togethers, live science centers, research observatory webcasts and sidewalk astronomy events. All activities and events during 100HA will bring astronomy to a new audience.

100 Hours of Astronomy will take place from 2-5 April when the Moon goes from first quarter to gibbous, good phases for early evening observing. Saturn will be the other highlight of early evening observing events. While groups worldwide will be planning their own events, 100 Hours of Astronomy has its own global events that organizations worldwide will take part in:

• Opening Event: A VIP event at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia will feature one of Galileo’s telescopes.
• Live Science Centres Webcast:  Select science centres will participate in a live webcast featuring discussions on current topics in astronomy on 2 April. Live observations will be made by visitors to select science centres using telescopes operated remotely over the Internet.
• Live 24-hour Research Observatory Webcast:  Astronomers at professional research observatories around the world will take viewers inside their telescope domes and control rooms during a live 24-hour webcast on 3 April.
• 24-hour Global Star Party: For 24 hours on 4 April, telescopes (including solar telescopes) will be made available for public viewing by astronomy clubs and observing groups free of charge.

Project owners + coordinators:
Jennie McCormick
Mike Simmons, sponsorship opportunities

THE DEADLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT HAS PASSED.

To find an event near you, visit http://100hoursofastronomy.org/find-events

To create your own event, visit http://100hoursofastronomy.org/eventsmain

To stay up-to-date on this project, subscribe to 100 Hours of Astronomy mailing list

Whether in someone’s living room, a swinging nightclub or a world-class science museum, Yuri’s Night events all have one thing in common – people who are excited about space exploration and who want to join together to celebrate it. The public is encouraged to create their own Yuri’s Night event!

“Let’s go!”

These were the words spoken by Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin as he embarked on the historic first manned space flight on 12 April 1961. Twenty years later on 12 April 1981, the US launched the first space shuttle flight. We think that’s something worth celebrating – so we do! Every year on April 12th Yuri’s Night is celebrated all around the world – last year there were nearly 200 events or parties held in over 51 countries worldwide – and this year looks set to be even bigger. The range of events is as diverse as the people who hold them – even the residents of the International Space Station have been known to join in the fun!

Project owners + coordinators:
Loretta Hidalgo, co-creator
George Whitesides, co-creator
Tim Bailey, assistant director
Jason Cranford Teague, internet strategist

THE DEADLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT HAS PASSED.

To find a Yuri’s Night in your neighborhood, visit: http://yurisnight.net

To register your own event, visit: http://yurisnight.net/register-for-2010/

To stay up-to-date on this project:
• follow @yurisnight
• look at flickr.com/groups/yurisnight
• install itunes.apple.com/us/app/yuris-night/id358035432?mt=8

Free Space is the first forecasting game from Signtific Lab. Help us imagine what the world will be like when personal satellites, or cubesats, are as cheap and easy to launch as a website is today. The massively multiplayer thought experiment starts on March 9 at 6pm PT and will end March 12 at 2pm PT.

Signtific Lab is a public laboratory under the Institute for the Future for developing and sharing cutting edge ideas about the future of science and technology. Signtific Labs invites scientists, engineers, designers, developers, researchers, technologists, and creative thinkers of all kinds to join the lab and help us uncover, together, what is impossible to uncover alone.

Project owners + coordinators:
Jane McGonigal, director of game research and development
Natalie Villalobos

THE DEADLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT HAS PASSED.

To participate before March 12 at 2pm PT, 2009, visit: http://lab.signtific.org (click on “create your player” under Trial 3)