Dave's Universe

Michael Bakich and Dave Eicher to attend Celestron Perspective

2013-05-13T15:33:00Z

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-MISC/2425.Antares.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-MISC/2425.Antares.jpg"]Antares region. // Ivan Eder[/caption]Some 60 people will attend an event next month in Los Angeles that is the first of its kind. Telescope manufacturer Celestron will put on an event called Perspective in which they host an invitation-only audience of telescope dealers and astroimagers at a fancy oceanfront hotel in Redondo Beach. The two-day conference, slated for June 19 and 20, will include talks and seminars by well-known astrophotographers including John Davis, Christopher Go, and Warren Keller.

The event also will feature workshops by telescope and imaging experts, a Celestron factory tour, hands-on demonstrations, new product announcements, special awards, and camaraderie.

Not only will Michael and I be attending, but we’ve also been asked to emcee the awards dinner on the final evening. So I can only warn you that we’ll be invoking the spirits of George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield.

It should be a really fun night and a fun event, and I’ll keep you posted about further plans as I hear of them.

Eclipse report from Jay Pasachoff

2013-05-10T18:25:00Z

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Eclipses/3302.2013_2D00_Australian_2D00_annular_2D00_eclipse_2D00_Kier.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Eclipses/3302.2013_2D00_Australian_2D00_annular_2D00_eclipse_2D00_Kier.jpg"]Credit: Ruben Kier[/caption]Today’s annular eclipse was visible widely across Australia and other areas of the South Pacific, and early reports have it as a big success. I take pleasure in sharing the report sent by Jay Pasachoff, astronomer at Williams College and a longtime contributor to Astronomy:

We can report good success in observing 4 minutes 20 seconds of annularity at the eclipse today, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. On one side of the road, there was a turnoff to a hill that carried a radio repeater, and about 100 people had gathered there in the very early morning in anticipation of the 8:05 a.m. annularity, not to mention the beginning of the eclipse at 6:55 a.m. A wide variety of telescopic and photographic equipment was on view. Most of the people present were Australian amateurs or tourists. Several teams of Japanese amateur astronomers also were deployed north of Tennant Creek, though not at this location.

There were clouds in the sky, and much of the eclipse was viewed through thin clouds, though rarely after the first few minutes was the Sun obscured. The clouds thinned considerably before annularity, which were observed in a pretty clear sky. The air cooled noticeably when the Sun was almost entirely covered, and the shadows sharpened because they were being cast by a thin crescent of Sun.

We now look forward to the next total eclipse of the Sun, which will be visible from Gabon, Africa, on November 3. Another annular eclipse, on April 29, 2014, will have its annularity visible only from an inaccessible ocean spot off Antarctica, but Australia will see about 60 percent coverage.

If you have any images from the annular eclipse, submit them to the Astronomy.com Reader Photo Gallery or email them to readergallery@astronomy.com.

Another Brian May 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS!

2013-05-07T19:41:00Z

Yesterday, I shared a cool 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS sent by Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May. Today, I have the good fortune to share another image Brian sent me.

You may know that Brian is very much into stereo photography (see “Brian May’s world of stereo astro imaging,” Astronomy, January 2012), and he has produced these very cool shots with images taken by a number of astroimagers. You can view them by relaxing your eyes, at the right distance, until the images blend together and you see the comet floating in front of the starry background.

You can also use an OWL viewer to do this properly, without having to defocus your eyes. See the London Stereoscopic Co. website for more info on OWL viewers (which were designed by Brian) and on astronomical 3-D photo sets. (Hey, you might want some of the 3-D Queen shots taken by Brian and others, too.)

This impressive picture shows PANSTARRS was shot by Jamie Cooper of Northampton, United Kingdom (And happy birthday, Jamie! — May 6.)

Enjoy!

Brian May’s amazing 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS

2013-05-06T19:31:00Z

Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May sent some 3-D images of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) the other day. These are absolutely incredible and will blow your mind when you see them in the right way.

You may know that Brian is very much into stereo photography (see “Brian May’s world of stereo astro imaging,” Astronomy, January 2012) and he has produced these very cool shots with images taken by a number of astroimagers. You can view them by relaxing your eyes, at the right distance, until the images blend together and you see the comet floating in front of the starry background.

You can also use an OWL viewer to do this properly, without having to defocus your eyes. See the London Stereoscopic Co. website for more info on OWL viewers (which were designed by Brian) and on astronomical 3-D photo sets. (Hey, you might want some of the 3-D Queen shots taken by Brian and others, too.)

This impressive picture shows PANSTARRS with a wide fan-shaped tail and was shot by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo in mid-February 2013.

Enjoy!

Uwingu announces Adopt-a-Planet Campaign

2013-05-03T16:53:00Z

I think most of you are familiar with Uwingu, the company started by planetary scientist Alan Stern and friends that are raising grant money to fund astronomical research. Astronomy magazine is a partner in this project and strongly supports Uwingu’s activities. Please see the following release sent to me by Alan — and please support it if you can. It is a highly valuable resource for the future of astronomy.

Thanks.

Uwingu Launches World’s First
“Adopt-a-Planet” Campaign

Uwingu is Funding Space Research and Education Grants

Boulder, Colorado — Today, space company Uwingu announced the launch of the world’s first “Adopt-a-Planet” campaign. This open-ended campaign gives anyone in the public — worldwide — the opportunity to adopt exoplanets in astronomical databases via Uwingu’s website at www.uwingu.com. Proceeds from the name and voting will continue to help fuel new Uwingu grants to fund space exploration, research, and education.

Astronomers have detected and confirmed over 700 planets orbiting distant stars. Called “exoplanets,” these planets have been given technical names such as “HD 222582 b” by astronomers, but not memorable human-friendly names, like the constellations or comets have. Via the Adopt-a-Planet campaign, Uwingu, working with the public, plans to create names for many or even all of these fascinating distant worlds.

In Uwingu’s Adopt-a-Planet campaign, any nominated name that reaches 1,000 votes will qualify its namer to adopt the exoplanet of their choice with that name. Winners can choose which planet they would like to name from exoplanet lists created by astronomers.

Adopted planets and the planet’s name’s originator will be publicized by Uwingu. Additionally, the namer will receive $100 in Uwingu store credits, an adoption certificate, and links to in-depth information about their adopted planet. The first 10 names to reach adoption status will receive $500 in Uwingu naming/voting credits as a bonus.

Uwingu will also give recognition to names that reach thresholds of 100 and 500 votes as they climb toward adoption eligibility.

“This is a great way for the worldwide public to connect to the sky and space!” said Uwingu CEO and astronomer Dr. Alan Stern. Stern continued, “In our Adopt-a-Planet campaign, every person who nominates a planet can win, and at their own pace, knowing they are funding space research and education along the way.”

Uwingu’s current “baby book” of names is growing daily, with over 1,240 names submitted to date.

Seneca on comets: an excerpt from “Comets: Visitors From Deep Space”

2013-05-02T16:29:00Z

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Comets/2117.Hale_2D00_Bopp.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Comets/2117.Hale_2D00_Bopp.jpg"]Hale-Bopp // Credit: Michael Stecker[/caption]My book, Comets: Visitors From Deep Space, will be published this fall by Cambridge University Press. Here’s a taste of a historical chapter centering on observations by the Roman philosopher Seneca . . .

Enjoy!

The Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, aka Seneca the Younger (ca. 4 B.C.–A.D. 65), summarized the early take on comets — as opposed to the always visible parts of the heavens, the Sun, Moon, etc. — in one of his writings. “No man is so utterly dull and obtuse,” he penned, “with head so bent on Earth, as never to lift himself up and rise with all his soul to the contemplation of the starry heavens, especially when some fresh wonder shows a beacon-light in the sky. As long as the ordinary course of heaven runs on, custom robs it of its real size. Such is our constitution that objects of daily occurrence pass us unnoticed even when most worthy of our admiration. On the other hand, the sight even of trifling things is attractive if their appearance is unusual. So this concourse of stars, which paints with beauty the spacious firmament on high, gathers no concourse of the nation. But when there is any change in the wonted order, then all eyes are turned to the sky. . . . So natural is it to admire what is strange rather than what is great.”

“The same thing holds in regards to comets,” continued Seneca. “If one of these infrequent fires of unusual shape have made its appearance, everybody is eager to know what it is. Blind to all the other celestial bodies, each asks about the newcomer; one is not quite sure whether to admire or fear it. Persons there are who seek to inspire terror by forecasting its grave import. And so people keep asking and wishing to know whether it is a portent or a star.”

Seneca wrote about comets and much more in his famous work Natural Questions (Naturales quaestiones, in Latin), written about the year A.D. 63. And he wrote about them under considerable pressure from Emperor Nero (A.D. 37–68), who had begun his life of wretched excess, total immorality, and criminality — and who had already arranged for the deaths of his mother, his wife, and his stepbrother. An imperial advisor, Seneca was accused of embezzlement and wrote in a manner of bald flattery toward the emperor.

Seneca mentioned recent comets, recalling “one which appeared during the reign of Nero Caesar — which has redeemed comets from their bad character.” He later referred to “the recent one which we saw during this joyous reign of Nero.” The flattery worked only for a short time. Accused of complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy, a plot to kill Nero, Seneca was forced to commit suicide. Nonetheless, his writings about comets published in Natural Questions continued to influence thinking about the celestial visitors for many years to come.

Seneca believed that comets were not fiery apparitions but permanent creations of the natural world that would last and be seen for short periods because of their movements. He mentioned the observation of a comet during a solar eclipse and therefore believed many comets may move close to the Sun in the sky and be hidden by its glare. Impressively, Seneca proposed that comets move in circular orbits and travel around the sky, becoming invisible when they move behind planets. One of the chief arguments for comets being atmospheric, and not distant celestial bodies, came from the fact that their appearances and motions differed greatly from stars and planets.

For this, however, Seneca had a rational retort. “Nature does not turn out her work according to a single pattern,” he wrote. “She prides herself upon her power of variation. . . . She does not often display comets; she has assigned them a different place, different periods from the other stars, and motions unlike theirs. She wished to enhance the greatness of her work by these strange visitants whose form is too beautiful to be thought accidental.”

Seneca then looked forward to a distant future, realizing that understanding would deepen over the ages. “The day will yet come when posterity will be amazed that we remained ignorant of things that will to them seem so plain. . . . Men will some day be able to demonstrate in what regions comets have their paths, why their course is so far moved from the other stars, what is their size and constitution. Let us be satisfied with what we have discovered, and leave a little truth for our descendants to find out.”

As Roman philosophers went, Seneca was an impressive scientist in the making. He stood up for careful, analytical observations, and even though his conclusions were primitive, the analytical part was a big step forward. In fact, his belief in the periodic orbiting of comets caught on, finally, with Edmond Halley — more than 16 centuries after Seneca’s death.

Astronomy Foundation seeks corporate fundraiser

2013-05-01T18:28:00Z

The Astronomy Foundation, the nonprofit entity started as a telescope industry association to promote the astronomy hobby, seeks a volunteer person to help with corporate fundraising. The position would involve seeking and building funds for the group from corporate and private donations in order to build its treasury and enable astronomy-related activities such as outreach, star parties, assisting astronomy clubs with projects, and the like.

If you are such a person or may know of a person who could help the Astronomy Foundation, please contact Vice President Karen Jennings.

Founded in 2009, the Astronomy Foundation consists of officers and a board composed of telescope industry executives and amateur astronomy notables, including President David J. Eicher of Astronomy magazine; Vice President Jennings of the Delmarva Stargazers in Delaware; Secretary Richard Hedrick of PlaneWave Instruments; and Treasurer Frank Dibbell, a retired engineer and astronomy activist. The board of directors holds these officers plus Vic Maris of Stellarvue Telescopes, Mike Reynolds of Florida State College, Scott Kardel of the International Dark-Sky Association, and Craig Weatherwax of Oceanside Photo & Telescope.

Guest blog: Audrey Fischer on the International Starry Night

2013-04-29T20:02:00Z

The International Starry Night celebration will take place August 10, 2013, coinciding with the Perseid meteor shower.[/caption]Amateur astronomer and activist Audrey Fischer of Chicago is well known as an influential friend who combats light pollution tirelessly. Now, Audrey, Michael Uberty, and collaborators are putting on a terrific event slated to coincide with the Perseid meteor shower this year — the International Starry Night. And there’s also Starlight Week. Audrey has been good enough to contribute the following description, and I invite you all to participate with yourselves and your astronomy clubs as much as you possibly can. Enjoy!

You can contact Audrey Fischer at audreyfischer@sbcglobal.net and Michael Uberty at muberty@gmail.com.

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Star+parties/8686.starry_2D00_night_2D00_poster_2D00_update0412.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Star+parties/8686.starry_2D00_night_2D00_poster_2D00_update0412.jpg"]The International Starry Night will take place August 10, 2013, a date that coincides with the Perseid meteor shower.[/caption]

Invitation: International Starry Night — a celebration of starlight! August 10, 2013
and
Starlight Week, August 11—17, 2013

Friends,

I write this to you now, as the first rays of the early sunrise streak across my table, keyboard, hands, and face. The life-renewing sunrise is something to which every person on this planet can connect. However, it is the starry night that connects us to the universe and to each other. Starlight has been cherished throughout every culture of human ancestry for thousands of years, but we are losing it rapidly within only a few decades.

The National Park Service study predicts that by 2025, 90% of people in the contiguous U.S. will never see the starry night sky even once in their lifetime. It is similar for most populations the world over. It is time to unite on a global level to stop the exponential increase of harmful light pollution and restore starlight for present and future generations.

You are invited to join in the very first International Starry Night, a special celestial event to view the Perseid meteor shower and celebrate the starry night sky. This is an invitation that we hope people of all ages, colors, and walks of life will put their hearts into, in their own unique ways, to become part of a special synergy that will finally restore the hidden wonders of the starry night.

International Starry Night — a celebration of starlight, August 10, 2013. This will be celebrated officially the first Saturday of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids have always been many astronomy organizations’ favorite time for public outreach. United together, these events synergistically can have an even greater impact as registered International Starry Night and/or Starlight Week events. Please register your event at www.starry-night.org. If you don’t have an event scheduled, consider teaming up with an established community event and add the Starry Night element. This day is also a call for voluntary citizen action for “Lights Out — Eyes UP.” In addition, on rare celestial events, such as Comet ISON’s appearance or a low-latitude aurorae, we hope the public will be primed to respond and appreciate additional “Lights Out - Eyes UP” alerts so they may experience cosmic wonders from their own backyard.
Starlight Week. Starlight week extends International Starry Night. Every public astronomy outreach event between August 11 and August 17, 2013, can be registered.
Officially proclaimed calendar date: I am delighted to announce Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is the very first governor to sign an official proclamation for “Starlight Week,” August 11–17, 2013. This is great in and of itself; however, each governor who signs on will enhance our chances of getting an official nationally and/or internationally proclaimed calendar date dedicated for starlight restoration. Just as Earth has its day, all the stars deserve at least one. Please contact your governor and request the same for your state. Contact your community and invite them to participate.

Historical Artifact: Make a Wish — The Starry Night Banner Compilation. This gem is the idea of astronomer/activist Michael Uberty. People are encouraged to make a wish on the first Perseid meteor they see and then inscribe it onto a large banner material provided by the host organization. Inclusions of cosmic artwork and poetry would be splendid. (Consider providing material for two near-duplicate banners. One can be a historical keepsake for your organization, and a second to be combined with banners from all participating Starry Night events to make one gigantic banner to be displayed in Washington, D.C., either at the National Mall or the White House. We would like to ask the President for a nationally proclaimed Starry Night, and better still, a national and international commitment to restoring starlight for today’s and future generations.
Historical Artifact — CD/DVD compilation of music and other arts celebrating the Starry Night Sky. Now seeking cosmically inspired music, poetry, mythology readings, photography, time-lapse videography, paintings, and more to assemble into a CD/DVD that will provide a welcome companion at the observing site or cloudy night.

Quotations of Vincent van Gogh

“Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.”

―

“I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.”

―

“At present I absolutely want to paint a starry sky. It often seems to me that night is still more richly colored than the day, having hues of the most intense violets, blues and greens. If only you pay attention to it you will see that certain stars are lemon-yellow, others pink or a green, blue, and forget-me-not brilliance. And without my expatiating on this them,e it is obvious that putting little white dots on the blue-black is not enough to paint a starry sky.”

―

“I don’t know anything with certainty, but seeing the stars makes me dream.”

―

“Looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map.”

―

“Why, I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France?”

―

“Just as we take a train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star. We cannot get to a star while we are alive any more than we can take the train when we are dead. So to me it seems possible that cholera, tuberculosis, and cancer are the celestial means of locomotion. Just as steamboats, buses, and railways are the terrestrial means. To die quietly of old age would be to go there on foot.”

―

“When I have a terrible need of — shall I say the word — religion. Then I go out and paint the stars.”

The Chinese recorded the first observation of the (then unnamed) Perseid meteor shower in 36 AD. Translated, what the observers said was “more than 100 meteors flew thither in the morning.” The Perseid meteor shower has delighted people for nearly 2000 years. And now our generation is spoiling this experience with uncontrolled light pollution. Let’s fix this!

One of the most recognized paintings in the world is Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. Ironically, humanity is losing the real starry night. This is why we chose Starry Night as the theme. Our goal is to raise awareness of harmful light pollution and appreciation for the starry night sky — the first steps toward starlight restoration and re-connection.

A coincidental tidbit I came across for our International Starry Night event is the Belgium link. Although he was born in Newfoundland, Vincent van Gogh was a missionary in Belgium, where he began his serious study of art by sketching the coal miners he was preaching to. Well, it just so happens that in 1835, a Belgian astronomer, Adolphe Quételet, first figured out that the meteor shower emanated from the constellation Perseus. It would be cool if Belgian astronomers participated in the very first International Starry Night. We’ll see!

I am delighted to introduce new collaborative partners: an inspirational class of seventh-graders who is urging their hometown to “Hit the Lights — save the stars one light at a time.” Their first attempt has a date of May 2, 2013. Kudos to these students! If you know of other students who might like to get something started in their school or community, please invite them! Share their story with us. Today's youth have the most to lose, as they are the first generation growing up where neither they nor their parents likely ever saw a night sky with the Milky Way. It doesn’t need to be that way.

So please, open the discussions in your astronomy associations, in the classrooms, community groups, and churches. Have fun doing it. Speak up for starlight restoration. Register your event. Share your ideas, pictures, and posters. Build the synergy. With any luck at all, our efforts will help turn on some stars!

I finished this message to you while viewing the nearly full Moon. My, where did the day go?!

cheers+stars,

Audrey

It is possible to recover the magnificence of the starry night sky to once again inspire & nurture the hearts and souls of all children of this planet. This is the goal at its core and intrinsic to humanity. This will not happen without a unified, conscious global effort. Starlight: a treasure not to lose.

Astronomical League searches for young astronomers

2013-04-26T17:17:00Z

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-People/3005.Grant_2D00_Regen.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-People/3005.Grant_2D00_Regen.jpg"]Astronomy magazine has been able to capture the interest of young people like Grant Regens, the magazine’s 2013 Youth Essay Contest winner, but the hobby of astronomy continues to age. // courtesy Grant Regen[/caption]When I was at NEAF in New York last weekend, Astronomical League Vice President John Goss asked me about young people in amateur astronomy. He showed me a copy of the March issue of Reflector, the league’s monthly publication, with the theme of “You and Astronomy.” I hadn’t seen the issue, having been on several recent trips, but was glad to read it carefully.

For some years, astronomy enthusiasts have noticed the regular meetings and star parties they’ve attended for years have been showing pretty much the same crowd, getting a little older and a little grayer every year. What’s the deal with young people not getting into amateur astronomy in large numbers? Observing the universe, seeing and appreciating Saturn, the Moon, galaxies, stars, and nebulae, and understanding your place in the cosmos all seem pretty cool. But fewer young people are getting into this hobby than in some previous eras. Why?

John described how the March Reflector took on that question. Its special section, “Where are the young in our astronomy clubs?” by League Executive Secretary Ron Whitehead, explored the issue with a variety of guest editorials.

Courtney Flonta, president of the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers in Hampton Roads, Virginia, contributed an essay on why we must bring more young people into amateur astronomy. Joshua Babin of the Houston Astronomical Society, himself just 23, described some key reasons why astronomy interest has declined among young people. The League’s webmaster, Vern Rabin, suggested astronomy clubs must embrace technology to include young folks. Ted Forte of the Huachuca (Arizona) Astronomy Club discussed how people can grow into an astronomy interest slowly. And Craig Weatherwax of Oceanside Photo and Telescope (and a board member of the Astronomy Foundation) wrote about reversing the graying of astronomy.

It makes for an interesting and thought-provoking package. If you’re interested in the state of amateur astronomy, the trends of who is involved in it, and why it has changed, then I really think this issue is for you. I urge you to get a copy of the March Reflector. You can contact the Astronomical League at editor@astroleague.org.

Sony Pictures and XPRIZE launch "After Earth" Challenge

2013-04-25T18:32:00Z

Our good friends who work with Sony Pictures, Warren Betts and Brian Boothe, yesterday sent word of a new contest called the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge. This contest will engage students in science, mathematics, and technology to enter a robotics competition to win a large array of prizes, all relating to XPRIZE and Sony Pictures’ motion picture After Earth, starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film will be in theaters May 31, and producers have already created an education plan for kids based off of the science implications in the film After Earth at www.lifeafterearthscience.com.

For more information, see the press release that follows:

CULVER CITY, Calif., April 24, 2013 – Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overbrook Entertainment, and XPRIZE will launch an unprecedented robotics competition celebrating the highly anticipated release of After Earth, in theaters May 31. Through an immersive two-stage competition, the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge propels individuals to engage in meaningful discussions regarding space exploration and environmental sustainability, while applying fundamental principles of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics in navigating the fictitious universe of After Earth. The competition launches April 24, 2013, at XPRIZEAfterEarth.com.

The XPRIZE After Earth Challenge puts participants in the shoes of a Ranger cadet, exploring the relationship between survival and sustainability while completing a mission to send an unmanned rover to explore Nova Prime, the human race’s new home in After Earth. Eligible teams (2–5 students between ages 13 and 17 with one adult captain) of the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge can register for a chance to win by visiting www.XPRIZEAfterEarth.com beginning on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at 12:01 a.m. PDT, through 11:59 p.m. PDT, Friday, June 7, 2013.

In Phase 1 of the challenge, teams will create 2–3 minute video essays that answer targeted questions and describe their thinking on the importance of space exploration and the relationship between sustainability and survival. Video entries will be judged, and 10 teams will be selected to move forward to Phase 2 of the contest.

In Phase 2, the top 10 teams from the previous phase will receive a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® kit to use for their mission and a Sony Handycam® HDR-PJ230 camcorder to document their experience. They will design and build a Nova Prime landscape (playfield), upon which their LEGO MINDSTORMS robot will complete a series of mission tasks in one or more of four thematic areas: (1) Natural Resources, (2) Renewable Energy, (3) Agriculture, and (4) Shelter/Protection. Teams will showcase their Robot, Landscape, and Mission Tasks in a live performance in their community, which will be uploaded to the website for the judges.

The winning team will be highlighted in a special feature about the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge on the U.S. Blu-ray disc* of After Earth, and all members of that winning team will receive a signed Blu-ray and other cool prizes.

The Grand Prize winner will be announced August 9, 2013.

*Complete rules and regulations can be found at XPRIZEAfterEarth.com.

“XPRIZE is proud and excited to join the creative teams of Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment for the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, chairman and CEO of XPRIZE. “After Earth is not only a spectacular science fiction adventure but it also underscores the importance of protecting our planet, something we value deeply at XPRIZE. We are pleased to partner with the visionary team at Overbrook to present a complimentarily themed educational competition focusing on the sustainability of the Earth.”

Caleeb Pinkett, a producer of the film, added, “The XPRIZE After Earth challenge is an innovative way to get students excited about the film, the franchise, and the ideas that inspired them both, while using a combination of real-world science and science-fiction to fuel young people’s passion for preserving this planet.”