BRAN 31 Countdown Started

The BRAN 31 Countdown has started. More details to come.

BRAN 30 – Movie Trivia (Answers)

Once again, the trivia contest proved to be entertaining.  We hope you all enjoyed this year’s Space Trivia.  Easy Rider (Fred Jalass) has shared the answers for this year’s contest.  Enjoy!

BRAN 30 Space Trivia Movie Quiz (Answers)

Another great year!

BRAN 30 is over . . . the annual test of endurance across Nebraska has come to an end.  Easy Rider is already on the road scoping out the route for next year.  He just could not wait until tomorrow to start the new adventure.

Hope you all have a wonderful year and hope to see you next year when the BRAN family has their annual family reunion.  Thank you to all of our host towns.  As always, you made our riders feel welcome.  Congratulations to Albion….voted best host town for BRAN 30!

Now is the time to share your pictures….from the Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do I share my pictures on the Photo Gallery?
  • If you are comfortable uploading your own photos, email the webmaster address, webmaster@bran-inc.org
• What do I do if I don’t feel comfortable doing the upload?
  • If you would prefer not to do the upload yourself, you can forward the photos, either by CD, or email (or photobucket, or some other service) to kevin@fusselman.org, and he will get them posted.
• Do other BRAN 30 riders want to see my pictures?
  • YES!!! YES!!!

BRAN 30 Jersey

You can still purchase the BRAN 30 Jersey.  The jerseys are available with and without sleeves.  Also, we can order XXXL.  Deadline for orders is July 12, 2010.  See attached order form for details.

An Impressive Meeting of Planets and Stars during the First Two weeks Of June

Greetings fellow star gazers. June night skies will be opening like a lovely cosmic flower with several meetings and lineups between planets and stars. 

We’ve got our skies set up for Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings June 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th just after it gets dark facing west where you will see three stars which if joined by lines would look like a triangle and several stars which if we draw lines between them would look like a backward question mark or a sickle. Together these two patterns make up the front and rear of Leo the Lion. Leo’s brightest star is called Regulus. But if we take the connecting lines in Leo away you will notice that there is one extra star-like object almost next to Regulus which isn’t supposed to be there. It is 4,000 mile wide, half the size of planet Earth, planet #4, gold Mars. And from Saturday through Tuesday Mars and Regulus will be super close, only one degree apart, which is really close cosmically speaking. So catch them now because after Tuesday Mars will speed away from Regulus at a fairly rapid rate. 

Next if you also go out this Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday an hour before sunrise and look southeast the brightest light you’ll see will be the king of the planets, planet #5, 88,000 mile wide Jupiter, so huge we could line up 11 Earths across its middle. But if you use a pair of binoculars and look just above Jupiter you’ll see a faint blue-green dot which is the 7th planet, 32,000 mile wide Uranus, which is one and a half billion miles farther away than Jupiter. And on the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th, Uranus will be only one half a degree away from Jupiter – twice as close as Mars is to Regulus on those same days. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to use Jupiter to find Uranus. 

Finally on Friday evening June 11th, about an hour after sunset face west northwest and you’ll see brilliant planet #2, 8,000 mile wide, Earth-sized Venus lined up in an absolute straight line with the two brightest stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor. 

So there you have it, on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th just after dark look west and the red planet Mars will be having a super close meeting with Leo’s brightest star Regulus. And also on June 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th an hour before sunrise look southeast and you’ll see dazzling Jupiter and, through a pair of binoculars, just above it less than one half degree away, planet #7 Uranus, which is never easy to find unless you have another planet close by as a finder, like Jupiter. Then on June 11th an hour after sunset look west northwest and Venus and the Gemini twins will be performing a celestial chorus line. What a great way to begin June in Nebraska. Keep looking up!

Possible Detour on First Day

Fed stimulus funds were just released.  This means big boy toys are emerging from nowhere to mess with our highways.  Possible detour on Sunday will add 8/9 miles on flat newly re-surfaced road with mostly (?) shoulders (& going past Carhenge).  Be sure to attend Saturday’s Rider Meeting for more details.

Pre Ride Rider Meeting – Saturday, June 5, 2010 7:30pm MDT – Meet the BRAN Staff – Receive Important Information on the Week’s Activities

Be sure to check the Message Board on the BRAN baggage truck for daily updates.

BRAN 30 Movie Trivia

The almost annual BRAN Movie Trivia is back to mess with your minds, take your thoughts beyond the galaxies, an odyssey for your mind . . . There will be fabulous prizes awarded; at least bragging rights.  Make sure you turn your intelligent guesses into Easy Rider (Fred Jalass) by 4:00pm Friday, June 11th to be eligible.

BRAN 30 Space Trivia Movie Quiz

Bus Loading and Departure

Bus loading will start at 5:30am CDT Saturday, June 5th, at Startegic Air and Space Museum. Bikes will be loaded in the semi. All bikes must be boxed. Buses will depart for Harrison, Nebraska at 6:30am.

Bus trip will take approximately 9 hours which includes a mandatory 1 hour lunch stop.

Strategic Air and Space Museum (28210 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE 68003) is West of Omaha on Interstate 80. This should help anyone using Google maps or Bing.

Strategic Air and Space Museum is North of I-80, exit 426. Take exit 426 N on Nebraska Highway 66 toward Ashland, NE. The entrance to the museum parking lot is less than a mile from the Interstate. You will make a right hand turn into the museum parking lot.

For the best traffic flow, drive to the buses and semi and unload your gear. We have 5 full buses to load so unload your vehicle quickly to allow the next in line to move forward. Then take your vehicle to the designated parking area. It will be a short walk back to the buses.

BRAN 2010 Registration

Details for BRAN 2010 coming soon…

Scheduled mailing date – 2/10/2010

BRAN 30 Brochure

BRAN 30 Rider Registration

BRAN 30 Rider (Minor) Registration

BRAN 30 Vehicle Registration – Driver

BRAN 30 Vehicle Registration – Passenger