Image courtesy of Lynette Cook

Walter Cruttenden of Newport Beach, California will experience what many amateur astronomers would consider to be a dream come true. Later this year, Cruttenden will join professional astronomer Geoff Marcy in the control room of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii as Marcy and his colleagues hunt for extrasolar planets. Cruttenden earned this opportunity by submitting the winning bid of $16,000 in an auction hosted on eBay. The auction was a fund-raiser for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). Read more about the winner...

This insider's auction package includes 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. You'll even get "loaner" jackets to keep you comfortable while you take in the incredible views from the summit of Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet above sea level.

"I'm looking forward to observing with the auction winner. 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." — Geoff Marcy Image courtesy of Geoff Marcy

The ASP is very grateful to Dr. Marcy and W.M. Keck Observatory for their support of the Society's nationwide education and public outreach programs and their generosity in making this unique opportunity available.

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