Open House Nights in Astronomy 2009-10
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All Open House Nights in Astronomy are free and open to the public. The presentations are designed for a non-technical audience. Astronomical observing at the Mehalso Observatory will be available following the lectures, weather permitting. For more information, call
the School of Science at 814-898-6105. |
| Date | Speaker | Institution | Title |
| July 20, 2009 8:30 p.m. Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Darren Williams | Penn State Behrend | Planets, Planets Everywhere! |
| September 17, 2009 7:30 pm Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Alan Tokunaga | University of Hawaii | Telescopes Big and Small |
| September 24, 2009 7:30 pm McGarvey Commons Reed Union Building |
Dr. Niles Eldredge | American Museum of Natural History | Darwin: Discovering The Tree of Life |
| October 29, 2009 7:30 pm Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Darren Williams | Penn State Behrend | Missing Spots on the Sun: Anything Wrong? |
| December 3 , 2009 7:30 pm Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Roger Knacke | Penn State Behrend | The Star of Bethlehem |
| February 25, 2010 7:30 pm Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Salman Hameed | Hampshire College | Medieval Islamic Astronomy |
| March 18, 2010 7:30 pm Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Darren Williams | Penn State Behrend | What's Inside a Black Hole? Better Ask Hawking |
| April 15, 2010 7:30 pm Otto Behrend Science Building Lecture Hall |
Dr. Roger Knacke | Penn State Behrend | Dark Energy in the Universe |
Thursday, September 17, 2009
“While the newest large telescopes garner much of the press coverage, mid-size telescopes, or those less than four meters (13 feet) in diameter, continue to be major contributors to astronomical research,” said Dr. Tokunaga. “I’ll discuss the increase of telescope aperture from the creation of Galileo’s first instrument in 1609 to the present, when construction of telescopes as large as 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter is planned.”
Tokunaga is division chief for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, a 3.0-meter telescope at Hawaii’s Mauna Kea Observatory dedicated to planetary science and mission support. His primary research is the study of low-luminosity objects in star formation regions that may become either stars or brown dwarfs, and collaboration with astrochemists to analyze laboratory analogs of carbonaceous materials in the interstellar medium.
The lecture is free and open to the public. The lecture is intended for a non-technical audience. Astronomical observing from Penn State Behrend’s Mehalso Observatory will follow the lecture, weather permitting. For more information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Missing Spots on the Sun: Is Anything Wrong?
Did you know that our sun has regular bouts of solar acne? These unusually dark or bright spots on the sun's surface are the size of a planet and can mask enough of the sun's disk to affect our climate on Earth. But no new spots have been detected in almost two years, so what's up? Dr. Williams will discuss the history of sunspot observation and the possible link between sunspots and climate.
Admission is free and the event is open to the public. The lecture is intended for a non-technical audience. Astronomical observing from Penn State Behrend’s Mehalso Observatory will follow the lecture, weather permitting. For more information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
What did the Wise Men see on the first Christmas two thousand years ago? In the fourth of Penn State Behrend’s 2009 Open House Nights in Astronomy, Professor Roger Knacke will discuss what the Star of Bethlehem might have been. Many theories for the star have been proposed—that it was a comet, or a meteor, or an exploding star, or a conjunction of planets. Dr. Knacke will examine the Bible’s description of the star, and compare it with astronomical evidence to suggest a plausible explanation. A computer simulation of the skies over Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago will show what people might have seen and interpreted as a miraculous star.
Admission is free and the event is open to the public. The lecture is intended for a non-technical audience. Astronomical observing from Penn State Behrend’s Mehalso Observatory will follow the lecture, weather permitting. For more information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. EBO 10-45.
Penn State encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the School of Science at 814-898-6105 in advance of your participation or visit.