Hanford Observatory

May, 2005

At the invitation of Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities MESA, LIGO joined MESA, WSU Tri-Cities and the Pacific Science Center at Pasco's May 7 Cinco de Mayo Festival to provide attendees with hands-on science and information in the midst of a variety of festival activities. MESA (Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement) is a regular presence at Cinco de Mayo, distributing literature and encouraging families and young people to become familiar with its programs. Pacific Science Center's "Science on the Go" program, an extensive but portable set of interactive family-oriented science materials, was open to guests as part of MESA's science and math outreach to families. Pacific Science Center's participation was made possible through support from Celebra la Cienca, the Self Reliance Foundation and the National Science Foundation. A number of Pasco High School MESA students assisted with the PSC exhibits. Many of these students had visited LIGO earlier in the school year through school trips coordinated by their science teacher, Shelly Stahl, and MESA staff member Laura Cook. On hand for Cinco de Mayo were staff member Nicole Castilleja-Beck (below, center) and Director Janae Landis (below, right).

The centerpoint of LIGO's festival activity was solar astronomy, with solar views available through a white-light filtered telescope and a red light solar telescope. The sun was visible throughout the day, displaying several sunspots and prominences. Polarizing filters (i.e. Fred's disjointed clip-ons), prisms and diffraction gratings contributed to the theme. Of course at LIGO when we say "Don't leave home without it," we mean the small Michelson interferometer, a great tool for starting conversations about gravity waves. The most popular exhibit was a double-length slinky that many young visitors trained to walk down the step-stool of science.

A number of visitors expressed an interest in the upcoming El Cielo en Mayo public astronomy event on May 21. Hopefully the sky will be as suitable for the stars on May 21 as it was for the Sun on May 7.