Send Amy to Space! from Jonathan Jackson on Vimeo.

By simply clicking on this link: voteforamy you can help me make this lifelong dream a reality!!!!

www.sendamytospace.com

Why does space matter? Why should we put our hard earned money into something that seems so intangible when there are so many other issues that need our attention here on Earth?

I get this question a lot since I work with educating the public about space. I thought back on what got me excited about space and astronomy and why I eventually decided to study physics in college.  It all pointed back to an experience I had on a field trip to NASA when I was in the third grade.  As I followed my fellow classmates around rooms filled with old mock ups of Apollo mission space crafts, old astronaut suits kept behind glass, and small artifacts left over from past missions, I stumbled across a book filled with signatures of people who wanted to be astronauts.  I will never forget adding my signature to that book.  In eighth grade I went to Space Camp. I chose to study physics and astronomy in college. Two years ago, I applied to the educator astronaut program at NASA.  Now I educate children and the public about space and astronomy.

Space is the final frontier.  It holds the biggest questions that have yet to be answered.  How did the universe begin? How will it end? What makes up the majority of the mass of the universe? Space represents hope and inspires us to dream. It allows us to ask questions and inspires us to want to find the answers. What do we have left if we don’t allow ourselves to dream? Last September on the official first day of fall, I walked my first grader to school. As she was putting away her bicycle, I heard kids shouting.  I thought someone fell off their bicycle or there was a car accident.  Lo and behold, everyone started to point up to the sky in excitement.  It was the space shuttle flying over her school!  Parents and kids stopped and watched in awe.  The fact that the adventure of going to space inspires young and old is enough proof for me that looking up to the sky and dreaming of what can be allows for great things to take place down here on Earth.

Help me to inspire our future generation of space explorers by voting for me to win a chance to go to space in the Axe Apollo Space Academy Competition.  By simply clicking on this link: voteforamy you can help me make this lifelong dream a reality!!!!

Attention all schools and interested parties!

I will facilitate an inspiring astronomy program for your students in exchange for your vote for me to go to Space!  (Any donations to the Austin Planetarium’s efforts to build a planetarium here in the great city of Austin will be greatly appreciated. Help them to inspire our future generation of space explorers! Click here to donate: donate.) To see available programs that I can bring click here: programs. Contact me if you are interested: amy@starryskyaustin.com

Register starting December 3rd for the Stargazing course I will be teaching for UT Informal Classes at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.  There is a 10% discount for Wildflower Center Members.  Click here to register: REGISTER.

Click here to read about the course: COURSE INFO.

What a beautiful night last night!  This special groups of Girl Scouts you see in the photos above have been together since they were in first grade!  We met at Brushy Creek Lake Park: a great location for an unobstructed view of the night sky. They definitely earned their Night Owl Badge last night!  They braved the cold and it was worth it.  We saw the beautiful full moon and Jupiter was right above it!  We got very close to a deer on our night hike while we were practicing our fox walk and heard some nocturnal animals up and about.  We shared personal experiences about what it is like to work at night and learned about people who work the night shift.  Thank you girls for a great evening!

AP Photo/Statesman.com, Ralph Barrera

Last month on the official first day of Fall,  I walked my first grader to school. As she was putting away her bicycle, I heard kids shouting.  I thought someone fell off their bicycle or there was a car accident.  Lo and behold, everyone started to point up to the sky in excitement.  It was the space shuttle flying over her school!  Parents and kids stopped and watched in awe.  Do we honestly have to justify spending money on the space program?  The fact that it inspires young and old is enough proof for me that looking up to the sky and dreaming of what can be allows for great things to take place down here. Here is the video clip I took of Endeavour flying over Cedar Creek Elementary that morning:  shuttlestillinspires

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All systems go for International Observe the Moon Night, THIS Saturday night, September 22nd. If the skies stay clear, I’ll be on Pfluger bridge with my telescope.  Come experience the beauty our Moon has to offer!