Home - Community Science Connections

What is CSC?

Science events sponsored by:

The mission of Community Science Connections is to develop and expand community partnerships, engage families in hands-on science and introduce them to community resources through events at libraries and science education institutions throughout Albuquerque and greater New Mexico.

Programs were originally funded by IMLS (Institute of Museum & Library Services)

Managed by the NMMNHS (New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science)

Curiosity Lands on Mars!

Mars Rover, Curiosity

NASA's Curiosity Cam

NASA Mars Exploration Program

Mars Daily

NASA Explores the Red Planet

Facebook: Curiosity

Featured Events

Planets Aligning in the Sunset Sky
by Dr. Tony Phillips for NASA Science News

Look in the western sky near the horizon, 30-60 minutes after sunset to view alignment of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. This triple conjunction is fairly rare and won't happen again until October 2015. View the new ScienceCast video to learn more.

Saturday, 5/25, 7 p.m.
Martian Meteorites
@ Regener Hall, UNM

This month's General Meeting features Steve Elardom, UNM graduate student. Steve will talk about Martian Meteorites. The public is invited and encouraged to attend! For more information visit www.taas@taas.org.

Dig into Science!

Dig into Science:solar Viewing!

-and be part of the ABC Library’s Summer Reading Program--Dig into Reading! From June 1st to July 27th, children, teens and adults can register, read, earn prizes and attend special events. Stop by your local library to sign up! Solar telescopes will be available at the Dig into Science events. Visit the Solar Viewing page to find out where they will be.

New Books

Fighting Light Pollution - The International Dark-Sky Association Staff

ISBN: 9780811736374

Publication Date: 2012-04-01

Describes smart-lighting success stories and offers information on how to work with public officials to enact smart-lighting guidelines* Explains the negative effects of poor lighting and glare * Geared to home-owners and renters, stargazers, nature-lovers, business owners, community leaders, and public officials--anyone with an interest in efficient and effective lighting.

Why Isn't Pluto a Planet? - Michael Portman

ISBN: 9781433982828

Publication Date: 2013-01-01

"For many years, it was accepted as fact that our solar system had nine planets. However, one important meeting of astronomers in 2006 reduced that number to eight. They decided that Pluto was not a planet.

Gravity's Engines - Caleb Scharf

ISBN: 9780374114121

Publication Date: 2012-08-07

We've long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they lurk in the inner sanctum of almost every galaxy of stars in the universe. Recent research, however, has led to a cascade of new discoveries that have revealed an entirely different side to black holes. With clarity and keen intellect, Scharf masterfully explains how these bubbles profoundly rearrange the cosmos around them. Is it coincidental that we find ourselves here at this place and time? Could there be a deeper connection between the nature of black holes and their role in the universe and the phenomenon of life? We are, after all, made of the stuff of stars.

The Stardust Revolution - Jacob Berkowitz

ISBN: 9781616145491

Publication Date: 2012-08-24

In 1957, as Americans obsessed over the launch of the Soviet Sputnik satellite, another less noticed space age was taking off. That year, astrophysicist Fred Hoyle and his colleagues solved a centuries-old quest for the origin of the elements, from carbon to uranium. The answer they found wasn't on Earth, but in the stars. Their research showed that we are literally stardust. The year also marked the first international conference that considered the origin of life on Earth in an astrophysical context. It was the marriage of two of the seemingly strangest bed-fellows-astronomy and biology-and a turning point in what award-winning science author Jacob Berkowitz calls the Stardust Revolution.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 25, 2013: Martian Meteorites, 7 p.m.
Regener Hall, UNM. Steve Elardo,UNM Graduate student, will speak on Martian Meterorites. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.taas.org.
Saturday, Jun 8, 2013: Oak Flat Star Party, dusk
Oak Flat Picnic Grounds/Juniper Loop south of Tijeras on #337. Bring your family and friends and observe the night sky. Go from scope to scope and ask questions--be curious! FREE.