eBay auctions off a night of stargazing with UC Berkeley astronomer for
$16,000
23
January 2002
By
Robert Sanders, Media Relations
BERKELEY - To astronomers, staying up all night scanning the
sky via computer monitor becomes routine. But one amateur astronomer
is paying $16,000 to spend a night observing with UC Berkeley's stellar
planet hunter, Geoffrey Marcy.
An anonymous
buyer with the moniker wc4600 emerged the winner when eBay bidding
stopped Thursday morning, Jan. 23, on a Hawaiian getaway
that includes a night with Marcy at the controls of the world's largest
optical telescope. Proceeds go toward education efforts of the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific (ASP).
The auction winner gets a trip for two to the Big Island of Hawaii,
a behind-the-scenes tour of the W. M. Keck Observatories near the 13,796-foot
summit of the dormant Mauna Kea volcano, dinner with Marcy and a night
of observing from the Keck I control room at the base of the volcano
in Waimea.
"I love the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and I'm honored
to help fund its activities," said Marcy, who with his colleagues
has discovered about two-thirds of the 100 known extrasolar planets.
Many of them were discovered through Keck observations.
Marcy's enthusiasm
comes through in a quote he offered for the society's announcement
of the auction: "Every time you point one of the
giant Keck telescopes skyward, it feels like you're embarking on an
epic voyage of discovery. You feel a kinship with Galileo, Tycho Brahe,
Kepler, Newton, Hubble and so many others driven to explore the boundaries
of the universe."
He added in an
e-mail message, "The ASP has the wonderful goal
of bringing the beauty and mystery of the universe to both the classroom
and the inquisitive among us of all ages. In these troubling times,
looking outward at the vast cosmos may give us the inner wisdom to
serve as better stewards of the only habitable planet we humans know
of."
The auction was the brainchild of Michael Bennett, executive director
of the society. Several years ago, he brought it up at a board meeting,
and Marcy thought it was a great idea. But the plan languished until
Bennett recently took it up again and gained the enthusiastic cooperation
of the Keck Observatories.
"It was very successful, and it certainly will help support our
education program," Bennett said. "We think it's a good idea,
and we plan to do something like this in the future. The attraction
of Keck and a well-known astronomer is something I think a lot of amateurs
would be interested in."
Bennett has broached the idea of inviting other astronomers to go
on the auction block and has received generally positive responses.
One obvious choice is UC Berkeley astronomer Alex Filippenko, current
president of the society and a well-known expert on black holes and
supernovas. He is open to the idea.
The
idea of auctioning off a night of observing with a top astronomer,
apparently unprecedented in the astronomical community, strikes
some as funny. But the planet hunters agree it's a good way
to help a good cause.
"I think it was extremely generous and gracious of Geoff to do
this to help the ASP to raise money," said Marcy's UC Berkeley
colleague Debra Fischer.
"This is an incredible opportunity to watch up-close the world's
leader in the search for planets around other stars, at the world's
largest optical telescope," added Filippenko. "And funds
raised from the auction help support the many ongoing public education
efforts of the ASP."
For now,
the top bidder remains anonymous, though he or she must coordinate
schedules
with Marcy to join him in Hawaii. According to the society's
Web site, the winner and a guest get roundtrip airfare, resort accommodations,
car rental, meals and an escorted VIP tour of the observatory - including
restricted areas, such as the Keck I and II telescopes, aluminizing
room, mirror barn and interferometry lab. They'll even sleep
overnight at the nearby Visiting Scientists' Quarters, typically closed
to all but astronomers. And they'll get "loaner" jackets
to keep them warm on the snowy summit of Mauna Kea.
"It's
up to the winner whether we can release a name," Bennett
said. "At the moment, we only have an eBay ID, so we sent them
an e-mail saying, 'Congratulations. How are you going to pay us?"
.
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