Albuquerque: Cosmic Carnival, Free Family Science Festival

COSMIC CARNIVAL
Contact: Karen Keese
Phone: 261-0040
Email: skywriter@wildblue.net


COSMIC CARNIVAL: "SCIENCE UNDER THE BIG TOP"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALBUQUERQUE -- Cosmic Carnival, a free family science festival, will
be presented to the public in conjunction with Fiestas de
Albuquerque, on Saturday, April 21, 2007, from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
in Tiguex Park, Old Town Albuquerque. April 21 is National Astronomy
Day, an annual observation designed to promote the joy of astronomy
to the general public.
Cosmic Carnival will feature hands-on activities and demonstrations,
safe telescope observing of the Sun, rocket launches, a variety of
science and astronomy exhibitors from across New Mexico, educational
give-aways, and free raffles. Raffle prizes include admission passes
to area museums and accessories donated by Orion Telescopes &
Binoculars. The raffle grand prize is a Meade ETX 80AT computerized
telescope, provided through Cosmic Carnival's association with Meade
Instruments Corporation and Astronomy Magazine. Raffle entrants will
also be entered in a national drawing to win a Meade LX200R
telescope, valued at $3600.
Students from Amy Biehl High School in Albuquerque will stage a
'human solar system' scaled model in the park during Cosmic Carnival.
A partial list of exhibitors includes: Albuquerque Rocket Society,
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, Balloon
Explorium, Explora!, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
2007, LodeStar Astronomy Center, NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador
Program, National Atomic Museum, National Solar Observatory, National
Weather Service, New Mexicans for Science and Reason, New Mexico Heritage
Preservation Alliance, New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, New
Mexico Science Writers Association, Rio Grande Astronomical Society,
Sandia National Laboratories, The Albuquerque Astronomical Society, The
Earthrise Institute, and the Very Large Array (National Radio Astronomy
Observatory).
Cosmic Carnival continues with an evening event featuring telescope
observing of the night sky, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the UNM Campus
Observatory, on Yale Boulevard just north of Lomas Boulevard, in
Albuquerque.
Cosmic Carnival is presented through a partnership of the City of
Albuquerque's Fiestas de Albuquerque, Explora!, LodeStar Astronomy
Center, National Atomic Museum, New Mexico Museum of Natural History
& Science, Rio Grande Astronomical Society, The Albuquerque
Astronomical Society, The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, and
the University of New Mexico's Department of Physics and Astronomy.
For information and directions, visit www.cosmiccarnival.org or call
505-261-0040.

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