Jan. 19 Lecture Looks Up to "Astronomers Without Borders"

Founder of international organization tells how astronomy connects people around the world

SEATTLE, Jan. 4, 2013--A Jan. 19 presentation at The Museum of Flight looks at how the cosmos speaks a universal language to people around the globe. The guest speaker is astronomer Mike Simmons, founder and president of Astronomers Without Borders, an organization he formed in 2007 to bring all people together through humanity's timeless interest in the heavens. Simmons' presentation will take viewers on a journey of discovery, observing the universe from vantage points around the globe. Simmons has been involved in multicultural astronomy outreach programs for more than 40 years. The 2 p.m. program is free with admission to the Museum, and is presented in conjunction with the Seattle Astronomical Society.

Mike Simmons founded AWB in 2007. He has been active in astronomy outreach for 40 years at many locations around the world, and institutions including California's Mount Wilson Observatory and the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. He is also a writer and photographer, and Contributing Editor for Sky and Telescope magazine. During the International Year of Astronomy 2009, he organized the largest worldwide astronomy event of the year. He has earned multiple awards for his contributions to astronomy outreach and education, including having Minor Planet Simmons named in his honor in 2003.

Regarding Astronomy Without Borders, Simmons says, "Astronomy has been a part of every culture throughout recorded history. The perspective it provides reveals the true nature of our home planet as it travels through space. When we view the heavens from different places on Earth - looking out different 'windows' from around the globe - we see that we all share the same sky. This is the basis for Astronomers Without Borders, an organization that connects people around the world through a universal interest in astronomy.  With the slogan 'One People, One Sky,' Astronomers Without Borders' programs bring people together in borderless programs."   

For more information about the organization, please see: www.astronomerswithoutborders.org 

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http://www.museumofflight.org/press/archives

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The independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than 500,000 visitors annually. The Museum's collection includes more than 160 historically significant air- and spacecraft, the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Co., and the world's only full-scale NASA Space Shuttle Trainer. The Museum's aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 100,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field half-way between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is id="mce_marker"8 for adults, id="mce_marker"4 for seniors 65 and older, id="mce_marker"3 for active military, $9 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. McCormick & Schmick's Wings Café is on site. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org