Community briefs

Carson City

Class for teachers on structure of universe

High school teachers can learn about the X-ray story of the structure and evolution of the universe in a workshop Monday-June 17 at Western Nevada Community College. The workshop, "Space Science XXV: Chandra and the X-Ray Universe," will be in the Davis Observatory at WNCC. Participants earn two continuing education credits and tuition is free.

Topics include stellar evolution - supernovae, white dwarfs, pulsars and black holes; the electromagnetic spectrum, X-ray technology, stellar spectroscopy and software imaging analysis tools.

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory was deployed by the space shuttle Columbia in 1999. It is designed to observe X-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as the remnants of exploded stars. The images captured by Chandra have a resolution 50 times better than that of previous cameras and the increased accuracy has led to major discoveries about the evolution of the universe. Perhaps its biggest legacy has been the information gathered about black holes, though much data has also been collected about the sun and the solar system.

The workshop is co-sponsored by the Wright Center for Education at Tufts University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

For information or to register, contact Robert Collier, 445-4412, collier@wncc.edu. or e-mail: donna.young@tufts.edu Chandra Observatory: www.chandra.harvard.edu.

Virginia City

Become one of VC's living legends

Dig out your duds and dress up in historical costumes and volunteer to wander the streets and businesses of historical Virginia City this tourist season.

The Virginia City Convention & Tourism Authority is seeking individuals to be part of the official docents of the city.

Those interested in volunteering should attend a meeting at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Virginia City Tourism Office, 86 S. C St.

Volunteers are needed to dress-up in historical clothing of the Comstock to showcase Virginia City's unique, colorful and exciting history by discussing the history of the city with tourists and answering their questions.

There will be no mandatory schedule for appearance; it is strictly a volunteer service.

Individuals involved in the project should research his or her choice of a character of the Comstock.

Volunteers' photos and stories will be on display at the Visitors Center.

The same information will be posted on the official Web site of Virginia City www.Virginia City-NV.org

Docents will also have the opportunity to participate in all Virginia City's tourism events, including parades and trade shows.

For information, contact the Virginia City Convention & Tourism Authority at 847-0311.