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  1. Home
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  3. Astronomy Man
Astronomy Man's picture

Astronomy Man

Country or state 
United States (California)
Available to 
North America
City 
Riverside
Fee 
Ask for pricing
Languages 
English
Volunteer
Yes
Timezone 
America/Los_Angeles

Personal Details

Bio

David was born in Fontana, California and attended public schools in Riverside CA.

David was seriously injured in his first career. A long recovery resulted in a permanent disability ending that career.

He returned to school majoring in science and obtained a degree in Astronomy. (Classical Newtonian / General Astronomy)

Upon graduation he accepted a position at Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles under Dr. E.C. Krupp and Mr. John Mosley (his mentor) in the operations division, planetarium programs, and the outreach programs of "The Traveling Telescope" as the lead program presenter.

In 1990 David became the Planetarium Director / Community Services Instructor at The Daniel B. Milliken Planetarium, Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga. Because of budget cuts and having not attained tenure, the position was eliminated in 1993.

1993 – Present (31 Years): David established his own traveling astronomy program under a private label that school children coined for him “Astronomy Man” with the slogan: “Astronomy Man – bringing the science of astronomy down to Earth.”

The programs are Multi Media Educational / Entertainment Presentations for a General Audience nature based on Astronomy. Along with the "Live Lecture" presentations, telescope viewing is offered for attendees following the lecture. Guests have the opportunity to become the scientist, gathering data with their own eyes at the telescope. (Telescope viewing is always on a weather permitting basis)

Astronomy Man has more than seven telescopes available with many being specialtised for solar viewing

David is the author of “numerous” planetarium show scripts.

He has been a guest speaker on various local radio programs and was the featured guest on ABC channel 7 Eyewitness News 1990 “Reopening of the Milliken Planetarium.”

In 2022 he personally discovered a 118-gram meteorite sample in Alabama

Presentations

Presentations (9)
Adventure to the Edge of a Black Hole (approx. 30 minute talk)

The presentation focuses on the astrophysics subject of massive stars becoming “Black Holes”
We look for the answer of what is a Black Hole, We examine the Sun, what it is made. Gravity and Spacetime are major concerns and gravity must be understood as well as the concept of mass. Nuclear fusion powers our Sun and all of the stars. Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and his famous equation E=MC2 are presented in an easy-to-understand way. Stephen Hawking’s theory of evaporating black holes is summarized as well as used to add to the mathematical astrophysics confusion that black holes create for scientists and More.
• Format: Multimedia, live lecture, slide images, computer animations, video segments, diagrams, historical images and music.

A Case for Pluto (Approx. 20-30 minute talk)

The presentation’s central focus is the “Dwarf Planet” Pluto.
Pluto was discovered in 1930. From 1930 until 2006 Pluto was considered and called a planet. So what happened that changed Pluto from Planet to Dwarf Planet, and what is Pluto’s future?
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 20-30 minutes
• Age Level: General Audience of all ages
• Format: Multimedia, live lecture, slide images, computer generated animation, diagrams, historical images, astronomy art.

Science Education Standards:
The educational focus of “A Case For Pluto” is to present a history of the discovery of Pluto, the people involved in the search.
The definition of “Planet” is established and the International Astronomical Union is the authority for the definition and More.

Here Comes the Sun

The presentation focuses on the Sun. What the Sun is and how old it may be. What the Sun is made of. How large is the Sun and how far away from Earth the Sun is. We talk about the layers of the Sun’s atmosphere and Sunspots. How astronomers look at the Sun and how to safely view the Sun. We speak briefly about nuclear fusion and Albert Einstein’s E=MC2 equation. Mass and Volume relations are explained. Lastly, the program talks about how the Sun’s lifetime will end and we relieve the audience’s fear by reinforcing that that will happen billions of years from now.

Details:
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 20 – 30 minutes
• Age level: General Audience of all ages
• Format: Multimedia, live lecture, slide images, computer animation, video segments, diagrams, historical images.

The educational focus of “Here Comes the Sun” is to present an authoritative introduction to the Sun: What it is. What it is made of. How it works. How to view the Sun.

A Brief History of the Telescope

The presentation focuses on the telescope, the history, and the innovations during its evolution to present day, the people who invented it and used it, how the telescope has helped us to view the solar system and our universe.
Lastly, the program gives some advice to the shopper looking to purchase a telescope.
Details:
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 20 – 30 minutes
• Age level: General Audience of all ages
• Format: Multimedia, live lecture, slide images, computer animation, diagrams, historical images.
Science Education Standards:
The educational focus of A Brief History of the Telescope is to present the history of the discovery of the telescope, the people who created it the different types of telescopes and how they work.

Bonus content:
• Things to consider when becoming a first time telescope buyer
• What to look for in quality telescope, what to avoid

The Invasion of Mars

The presentation focuses on Mars, its history, myths, and exploration of the “Red Planet.”

The show opens with a setting of 1938 and a look at what was happening in the world then. We then play a segment of Orson Welles radio adaptation of “War of the Worlds” about an invasion of Earth by Martians. We examine the reasons why people were fooled by the radio hoax and then dig deep into Mars from 1877 to the present day. A live constellation talk occurs about half way through the presentation showing the “patterns in the sky.” We then take a quick look at all of the planets in the solar system in order from the sun. We examine why Pluto is no longer a full-fledged planet, now called a Dwarf Planet. A rapid montage of images, choreographed to music, celebrates the nearly 150 years of dreams, hopes, science and engineering since the “discovery of canals on Mars.” The final segment of the program covers the harsh realities of mankind’s future exploration of Mars.

Moon Madness and other Myths

The focus of this program is to dispel or debunk Myths and Hoaxes.
The program accomplishes this by the use of science and critical thinking.
Our audience is introduced to numerous myths, from the Moon is made of green cheese to werewolves and vampires. We look at the possibility of the Moon landings as a hoax and prove that yes astronauts did land on the Moon. We examine news media to see if they to utilize myths, hoaxes or make up fake news just to make a buck. We demonstrate how the pseudoscience of astrology is only to be used for entertainment and that astrology is not a true science like astronomy is.
Details:
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 30 – 45 minutes
• Age level: General Audience of all ages
• Format: Multimedia, live lecture, slide images, computer animation, video segments, diagrams, historical images.

Science Education Standards:

The educational focus is to present an authoritative introduction to critical thinking and more.

Greetings, from Somewhere in the Solar System

This presentation is a chronological look at our solar system from the Sun to the outer most region of the solar system. We take a brief look at all eight planets and the dwarf planet Pluto and then the remains from the formation of the solar system.

Details:
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 20 – 30 minutes
• Age Level: All ages
• Format: Multimedia live lecture, slide images, computer animation, diagrams, historical images.

Science Education Standards:
The educational focus of “Greetings from Somewhere in the Solar System” is our solar system: The Sun, eight planets, Dwarf planet Pluto, the asteroids, Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud. The program takes a look into each of the components giving a broad overall knowledge of the solar system

The Explorers

The presentation focuses on exploration of the Earth, the solar system and space, the history, and the people who did it. From approximately 140,000 years ago when the first explorers of North America set out across the Bering Land Bridge to the modern robotic space crafts that explore other planets. We examine the discoveries made and those awaiting discovery. Lastly, the program covers each of the eight planets of our solar system, the dwarf planet Pluto, the Kuiper Belt of objects and briefly exoplanets outside the known solar system.
Details:
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 20 – 35 minutes
• Age level: General Audience of all ages
• Format: Multimedia, live lecture, slide images, computer animation, diagrams, historical images, music and video segments.
Science/History Education Standards:
The educational focus of The Explorers is to present the history of exploration of the Earth, solar system and beyond.

Vacation to the Planets

This presentation is an examination of our solar system. We take a look at the eight planets and the dwarf planet Pluto in an informal vacation style. We examine the distances and time it would take to travel these immense distances across space.
We remember to write home to our friends and family, sending postcards during our “Vacation to the Planets.”

Details:
• Live speaker presentation
• Running time approximately 45 – 55 minutes
• Age Level: All ages General Audiences
• Format: Multimedia live lecture, slide images, computer animation, diagrams, historical images.
• Live constellation talk pointing out some of the constellations and how to locate them

Science Education Standards:
The educational focus of “Vacation to the Planets” is our solar system: The Sun, eight planets, and dwarf planet Pluto. The program takes a look into each of the components giving a broad overall knowledge of the solar system

  • All (2)
  • Videos
  • Photos (1)
  • Slides (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
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Black hole advertisment VIDEO.mp4
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Expertise (4)

Education
Science
Other
Astronomy

Clients

California State Parks
Claremont Schools
Cub Scouts of America
Scouting America, Inland Empire Chapter, Southern California
Rancho Cucamonga Elementary School
Riverside Public Library (Main Branch) Riverside, CA
Sun City Public Library, Menifee, CA
Garden Grove Unified School District
Redlands Unified Schools

Reviews

Testimonials (3)
  • The Astronomy Man is great, I have seen a total of 4 of his presentations, 3 through the scouting program and once at an event I went to. He is very professional, brings all his stuff and sets up and does a great job. He is friendly and great with kids also. Highly recommend him and his programs for your events.
    Carrie Olson
    Verified
  • I had contacted Dave about presenting as the Astronomy Man at our Heavy Metal Weekend event with the Boy Scouts. He was prompt, well spoken and worked with me to create the best possible program for our event. At the event he was on line, got along great with the Scouts and gave an engaging presentation with some excellent stargazing. We will be contacting him for future events!
    Patrick Willard
    Verified
  • The Sun City Library in Menifee, CA hosted "The Astronomy Man" as part of its space week during our summer reading program on June 27, 2024. David, our guest speaker, delivered an outstanding presentation reminiscent of the Griffith Observatory's dome experience. He captivated our audience with two engaging shows: "Greetings From Somewhere in The Universe" and "Here Comes the Sun." In addition to these shows, David provided a unique opportunity for us to observe the sun through his telescopes. His program was not only educational and enjoyable but also sparked excitement among the children to learn about space and explore our solar system. David serves as an exceptional educational resource for libraries and schools, appealing to audiences of all ages. His commitment to sharing astronomy with the community creates a truly special and memorable experience. We extend our heartfelt thanks to David for visiting the Sun City Library!
    Sierra Boyd
Recommendations
4 Audience
Show More
Why choose me? 

Astronomy Man bringing the science of astronomy down to Earth. Rated E&I Educational and Informative

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