on the road
Get Ready.
Boys take turns at an 1890s telescope. DETOUR
Where to spy on the stars
I
n 1930, a 24-year-old farmhand- turned-astronomer peered into a telescope at Lowell Observatory
in Flagstaff, Ariz., and laid eyes on Planet X, the distant icy world ultimately renamed Pluto. The observatory—a nonprofi t research facility on the hilly edge of downtown—retains its astro- nomical wow power, even as it gets set to open a new $53 million telescope on a darker hill 40 miles away. By law Flagstaff must dim its lights so scientists can look deep into the sky; schoolkids and families fl ock here to do
the same. Head to Lowell at midday to picnic and spot solar fl ares through a special telescope, join a tour to see the vintage instrument that found Pluto, or bone up on solar eclipses before the one on May 20 (see page 46). Then return on a clear night to count Jupiter’s stripes through a docent’s scope or to marvel at the milky whirl of Andromeda, a galaxy 2.3 million light-years away. (928) 233-3211,
lowell.edu. —deborah franklin
SAVE UP TO $20
AAA Members get $10 off purchases of $100 - $199, and $20 off purchases over $200. Plus, FREE tire rotation on most vehicles at participating stores. Find locations at
bigotires.com
TREASURE What’s shaking?
Various conditions and restrictions apply to all offers. Offers may change at any time and in most cases are not valid with other discounts or promotions. Visit
AAA.com for complete details and restrictions on all offers. You must mention AAA and valid Membership number at time of purchase. ©2012 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. All rights reserved.
Ostriches, originally from Africa, are close kin of emus, from Australia, and rheas, from South America. The fl ightless birds evolved after the supercontinent Gondwana was torn apart by tectonic shifts in our planet’s crust. See ostrich chicks and learn how earth move- ments shape life in the exhibit Earthquake, opening May 26 at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. (415) 379-8000,
calacademy.org.
18 MAY+JUNE 2012 I
AAA.COM/VIA
TOP: COURTESY LOWELL OBSERVATORY/MIKE THOMPSON; BOTTOM: JANE BURTON/GETTY IMAGES
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52