posted 12-07-2008 11:57 AM               

Astronauts Praise New Guidebook for the Scientific Traveler by Duane Nickell '80

"For all the astronauts-at-heart out there, Duane Nickell's book is an invitation to travel to sites across America that remind us of our country's wonderful accomplishments in exploring outer space as well as our humble place in the universe," says Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin of Guidebook for the Scientific Traveler: Visiting Astronomy and Space Exploration Sites Across America. Aldrin says the new book by Nickell, a 1980 graduate of DePauw University, is "highly recommended for families and educators alike."

Published by Rutgers University Press, Guidebook for the Scientific Traveler "lists more than 50 of the most important and intriguing astronomical and space-related sites in the United States. The book encompasses both popular and obscure places of interest, all of which are open to the public."

Astronaut Joe Allen, a 1959 graduate of DePauw, states, "All travel is a form of education and, with luck, can be a true adventure as well. Let me recommend Duane Nickell's beautiful and educational guide book for the scientific traveler. Without question, excursions to the locations he suggests would be terrific fun, a real-life journey to the stars."

Asks USA Today, "Do you love visiting the planetarium? Are you fascinated by the history of NASA? Is seeing the Northern Lights on your life list? If so, Guidebook for the Scientific Traveler can help you plan your next trips."

More information about the book can be accessed at the publisher's Web site.

Duane S. Nickell was a physics and mathematics double major at DePauw. He teaches physics at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis and is an associate faculty member at Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). He is the winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, the nation's highest honor for science and mathematics teachers.