CAS Lectures Spring 2008
The CAS Lecture Series is an opportunity for the general public to learn more about astronomy than the weekly observing sessions permit. The series consists of several talks given by CAS members or outside speakers on a variety of topics in astronomy or space exploration. The lectures are held on Fridays throughout the fall and spring semesters at 7:30 PM in the first floor classroom at Fuertes. Little or no astronomy background is required. If weather permits, the observatory will be open for public viewing after the talk.
September 12
"At the Tone, the Time Will Be Precisely..." (not)
Art Samplaski
If you find the change to Daylight Savings Time confusing and have trouble with "30 days hath September...", you haven't seen anything yet: Universal Coordinated Time, Sidereal Time, International Atomic Time, leap seconds, Julian Date, Gregorian Calendar, lunar year, Mayan Long Count... and don't forget relativistic time dilation! In this talk we'll look at calendars and clock time, how astronomy is intimately tied to both--and why things will *ALWAYS* be a mess.
September 19
Your place in the Universe
Matipon Tangmatitham
Join our beautiful voyage around the place we call "home". If you think you know your neighborhood well, think again. This CAS lecture will explore the neighborhood around at which we live in. What kind of neighborhood are we living in? Know some of your neighbors: the hot young open cluster, the cool and old globular cluster, the devastating binary twins, all the way out to our nearest island galaxy: the Andromeda. The voyage will take you out further to the local group, virgo supercluster to the edge of the observable universe and our current understanding of the cosmos.
September 26
The 10 Most EXTREME Sights in Naked-Eye Astronomy
Brandon Aldinger
Only the rarest, the most spectacular, the most bizarre astronomical sights are worthy to be called EXTREME. This talk takes a whirlwind tour through 10 heavenly wonders, all visible without a telescope, complete with tips to maximize your chances of seeing the extreme. Ranging from exploding space junk to the far-away edge of the universe, you'll learn how naked-eye astronomy is much more exciting than just playing constellation connect-the-dots.
October 3
Light Fantastic
or, A Guided Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Anthony Milano
The icon of the astronomer is the telescope, and rightfully so. From the illumination of the Moon to the whispers of the Big Bang itself, practically all our knowledge of the Cosmos comes from light in one of its many guises. And light does so much more for us! Come learn about the electromagnetic spectrum: its history, its manifold uses in the terrestrial realm, and its starring role in the heavens.
October 10
Climate Catastrophes in the Solar System
Dr. David Grinspoon, Curator of Astrobiology, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
David Grinspoon will provide an interplanetary perspective on climate change. What happened to the lost oceans of Venus and Mars? How did these worlds go wrong, and could this happen to our planet? Venus, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan each have complex climate systems, and each has experienced radical climate changes. We will journey through the solar system—and deep time—discovering runaway greenhouses, snowball planets, and the long-term fate of Earth.
October 17
The Early Universe
Samuel Johnson Stoever
Abstract Coming Soon
October 24
Coming Soon
Stephen Demjanenko
Abstract Coming Soon