The Astronomy Festival on the National Mall 4000 participants in 2023
Inside the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building Sponsored by Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY Organized by Dr. Donald Lubowich, Coordinator of Astronomy Outreach
Started in 2010 with co-sponsorship by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, Assistant Director for Space Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, participated and opened the 2023 event. TV interviews about the 2023 AFNM: https://wjla.com/features/7news-mornings/the-astronomy-festivalon-the-national-mall# https://youtu.be/7Zb5KG9c8ZE https://www.wusa9.com/video/tech/science/celebrating-all-thingsspace-science-at-the-astronomy-festival-on-the-national-mall/6513862ec7-55e3-4768-aad7-0ef4429d4055
• The AFNM is the largest astronomy outreach event in the US. - Reached over 30,000 people since 2010. • 30 science and education organizations,100 educators, 15 telescopes, and 60 tables with activities and demonstrations. Meet astronomers and scientists. • The 2023 AFNM is presented in association with the Smithsonian Solstice Saturday events. • Sponsors (Supernova level) ePlanetarium®, George Mason University, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory; (Nova level): American Astronomical Society, Associated Universities, Inc., and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory • Focus Features presented Wes Anderson’s new film Asteroid City, about a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention featuring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks.
Participating Organizations in 2023 Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Ball Aerospace & Technology, Carnegie Science, DayStar Filters LLC, ePlanetarium, Focus Features' ASTEROID CITY, International Dark Sky Association, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Maryland STEM Festival, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Solar System Ambassadors, National Air and Space Museum, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NSF’s NOIRLab, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Science Foundation, The Natural Philosopher LLC (featuring educator Dean Howarth as Sir Isaac Newton), Port Discovery Children's Museum, Project Caelus, Sky and Telescope Magazine, The Society of Physics Students, Unistellar, U.S. Naval Observatory, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
Participating Organizations in 2023: • Organizations bringing Telescopes: Goddard Astronomy Club, National Capital Astronomers, Northern Virginia Astronomy Club,
• Colleges and Universities: George Mason University, Georgetown University, Rice University, University of Maryland, University of Virginia Dept. of Astronomy
Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, Assistant Director for Space Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, Assistant Director for Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, opened the AFNM and Office took this image. Space Policy,White House of Science and Technology Policy, opened the AFNM
Activities and Demonstrations • Make a comet • Preparing for the 2024 total solar eclipse • Planetarium show about eclipses • Radio astronomy and black hole images • Composition of stars from spectral analysis • Jigsaw puzzle: full Moon and NASA’s “Blue Marble” Earth image • Draw you own constellations • Types of telescopes • Touch a meteorite • Space Weather
Image: J. Saldana
Image J. Saldana
Image: J. Saldana
Image: Bob Moore
Long lines to get into the building and to look through telescopes
Image: Ezinne Uzo-Okoro
Free Planetarium show on Eclipses
Image: Glen Langston
Long lines to look through the telescope • Telescope views of the Sun and Moon during the day • Telescope views of the Moon, Venus, and the multicolored double star Albireo at night • The Unistellar telescope with an electronic imager gave images of 100,000 stars in the M13 star cluster and the recent supernova in the spiral galaxy M101
Image: Bob Moore