posted 05-16-2002 11:19 PM
I am a member of Skyscrapers Incorporated, the Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island, founded in 1932 by Professor Charles Smiley of Brown University. We are the second oldest amateur astronomy group in the country and we own and operate Seagrave Memorial Observatory which houses a classic antique instrument -- an Alvan Clarke 8.25" refractor made in 1878. It is said to be one of the best lenses ever manufactured by the Clarke's (who also built the largest refractor in the world, the 40" at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin). We also have several rolloff roof observatories which house several Meade Cassegrains, including their 16"!At our monthly meetings we have a featured speaker and there are several coming up that may be of interest to people that live in the area.
Friday June 7 @ 7:30pm
Dr. James Head III, Brown University
Department of Geological Sciences
"Water on Mars: Recent Results and Future Prospects".
Recent results from the Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey Spacecraft are showing more and more evidence for the presence of water on Mars in the present and the past. These results suggest ancient oceans, possible rain and snow, and polar glaciers. Upcoming missions will pursue these themes and the search for life.
Dr. Head is recognized as worldwide authority in the field of planetary geology. He received his B.S. in science in 1964 from Washington and Lee University and his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1969. From 1968 through 1972 Dr. Head worked at NASA Headquarters and participated in the Apollo Lunar Exploration Program activities of landing site selection, astronaut field and science training, surface geologic traverse planning, mission operations, and data analysis. Dr. Head has worked extensively on many of the United States unmanned missions to the planets like Viking, Galileo, Magellan, and the Mars Surveyor to name a few, and served as a guest scientist for the Russians Venera 15/16 missions in 1985 and the Russian Mars Missions of 1996 and 1998.
In August we will have Andy Chaikin, author of "A Man on the Moon" which was later turned into the Tom Hanks/HBO mini-series "From Earth to the Moon".
In September we have Evan Hadingham the producer for PBS' program NOVA.
If you would like to come, see our web site for directions: www.theskyscrapers.org
Best,
Dan
[This message has been edited by Dan Lorraine (edited May 16, 2002).]
posted 05-16-2002 11:19 PM
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