ATM New Chabot Science Center

[Anthony Stillman <atmer@flash.net>]

For all those who will be in Northern California this coming weekend.  The
new Chabot Science Center will official open this Saturday, 19 August 2000.
It is located in Oakland (barely) on Joaquin Miller Road off Skyline Blvd.
You can get directions and see a map at
http://www.cosc.org/visit/directions.asp

In addition to Rachel, a 20 refractor, the science center is equip with a
state of the art planetarium, a gift shop, a walk through space station
display and, here's the part I like, several historic instruments on loan
from the Smithsonian, including a Porter Yard Scope.  I'm not sure if the
refurbishing group will have Leah, an Alvan Clark 8 inch refractor
operational at the this opening, but if not it should be done shortly.  You
can see a couple of pictures of Rachel in pieces at Mark VandeWettering's
web site http://www.idle.com/~markv/

Lastly, on Saturday afternoon, you will be able to witness a few local
ATMs, including myself, pushing glass, testing glass, and explaining why
making your own telescope is such a great idea.  No, I won't be doing any
polishing, but I should have the 4 1/4 inch diameter obsidian disk I
slabbed off this last weekend crushing 80 grit to dust.

Anthony