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Media Relations
University of California-Berkeley

Media Contacts:
Robert Sanders
(510) 643-6998, (510) 642-3734
rls{at}pa.urel.berkeley.edu

23 January 2002 

eBay auctions off a night of stargazing 
with UC Berkeley astronomer for $16,000
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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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