Past Meetings - 2021

SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, December 17, 2021 7:30pm

The Power of Stargazing by Scott W. Roberts, Explore Scientific

   Scott W. Roberts will be featured at the December meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held via Zoom online conference only. The meeting and lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 17. Zoom access information is posted below.

     Our ancestors always looked to the clear night skies for information as well inspiration. For a hundred centuries, the Moon, planets, and stars were guides for hunting and farming cultures. For most people today, the lights in the night sky are not needed to guide everyday activities, but the beauty of the heavens remains as an inspiration – when we take the time to look up.  As Mr. Roberts explains, “The Power of Stargazing is an attempt to articulate how humans feel when as they have learned to understand the big picture of our place in the cosmos. Often people experience a profound feeling of being humbled as they glimpse an understanding the scale of the universe not only in age, but in size. This helps give them a new sense of perspective and can provide a renewed sense of purpose.”

    Scott Roberts is a founder of Explore Scientific, LLC, a marketer of amateur astronomy equipment. He is also a supporter of educational outreach in astronomy and space exploration, and popularizer of amateur astronomy. He founded the Astronomy Outreach network in 2000 to popularize and support individuals and organizations committed to educational public outreach in astronomy.  He is one of NASA’s Solar System Ambassadors, a nationwide network of volunteers who present programs and activities about astronomy and planetary sciences to schools and the general public.

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, November 19, 2021 7:30pm

 The Voyager Spacecraft Golden "Greatest Hits" Record AND What is the Fate of the Voyager Spacecraft?  By Jon Lomberg and Nick Oberg

The Voyager Spacecraft Golden "Greatest Hits" Record AND What is the Fate of the Voyager Spacecraft? Jon Lomberg and Nick Oberg will present during this two-part presentation about the spacecraft.

The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft provided spectacular views as they flew by Jupiter and Saturn in 1979 and 1980-81. Voyager 2 traveled on to encounter Uranus and Neptune in 1986 and 1989. Mounted on each spacecraft was a gold-coated copper record containing pictures, music, and greetings from many cultures, languages, and traditions. Both Voyagers are traveling fast enough to escape our solar system. Their golden records are intended to represent Earth to alien civilizations, should a Voyager be found, possibly thousands of years from now. Jon Lomberg will talk about the Golden Records and his experiences with their design, content selection, and production.

The Voyager spacecraft carry with them a record depicting life on Earth for whomever may one day stumble upon it. Floating freely in the vacuum of space, the records are expected to survive for geological ages, but for how long precisely? Nick Oberg's group use state of the art data on stellar positions and motions to follow the spacecraft as they depart the solar neighborhood. We track their movements through the galaxy on their long, 200 million year orbits, and compute the slow but steady rate of erosion the records will face from the omnipresent interstellar dust. Finally, we consider the fantastically long-term fate of the spacecraft, if either of them are ejected from our galaxy during its merger with M31.

   Artist Jon Lomberg was the Design Director for NASA’s Voyager spacecraft Golden Record project. He was also the Chief Artist for Carl Sagan’s original COSMOS series and designer of the animated opening of the film CONTACT. Winner of the Emmy and numerous other awards, he has an asteroid officially named after him.  He lives in Hawaii, where he designed the Galaxy Garden, the world's first large scale explorable model of the Milky Way Galaxy.
           
   Nick Oberg is a 4th year doctoral candidate at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. He grew up in Belgium, but his father came originally from Missouri. Now, Nick works full-time on computational models of giant planet moon formation.

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, October 15, 2021 7:30pm

 The Travel Moon: Returning to the Moon, Our Destiny of Tomorrow by Dr. Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, Washington University

Dr. Jeffrey Gillis-Davis of  Washington University will be featured at the October meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held via Zoom online conference only.  Zoom access information is posted below. The event, cosponsored by NASA's Missouri Space Grant Consortium, is open to the public free of charge.
     International Observe the Moon night (Oct 15th) and The Full Travel Moon (the Hunter's Moon, Oct 20th) both happen in October. Gazing up at the Moon unifies humankind and triggers our species' endless curiosity and innate desire to explore. This talk will explain how upcoming robotic missions through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) will investigate the Moon. The science from these missions will reveal knowledge not only about the Moon but also our place in space. These missions will pave the way for the Artemis future crewed landings. The Artemis program will employ international cooperation to achieve a sustainable and robust presence on and around the Moon.
     Dr. Gillis-Davis is a Research Professor of Physics at Washington University. Prior to joining the Physics research faculty in 2018, for fifteen years, he worked at the University of Hawaii. His research there involved data from NASA’s MESSENGER mission, which orbited Mercury, and radar data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission Dr. Gillis-Davis conducts experiments to understand how the surfaces of airless bodies change with exposure to the space environment. Such improved understanding makes it possible to interpret remote sensing data better. 

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, September 17, 2021 7:30pm

Mapping Millions of Galaxies and Quasars – The Sloan Digital Sky Survey by Larry Bartoszek, Bartoszek Engineering

Larry Bartoszek of Bartoszek Engineering will be featured at the September meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held online, via Zoom.  Zoom access information is posted below.  The event, cosponsored by NASA's Missouri Space Grant Consortium at Washington University, is open to the public free of charge.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) uses a new telescope at Apache Point Observatory near Alamagordo, New Mexico to map the night sky in great detail. It produces both regular images and spectra – starlight and galaxy-light spilt into their component colors. It does its mapping with a 120 megapixel digital camera and two spectrographs. SDSS has created a

three dimensional map of the sky with a million galaxies and quasars. Mr. Bartoszek will discuss the Survey and explain how data collected by SDSS has provided insights into dark matter and dark energy, as well as visible galaxies and quasars.  All of the SDSS data is available on the web, for use by amateur and professional astronomers and the general public.

Mr. Bartoszek is an Illinois Licensed Professional Engineer and owner of Bartoszek Engineering. His consulting firm specializes in the design of nuclear and high energy physics facilities, both here and abroad. Mr. Bartoszek worked at the Fermi National Laboratory from 1983 to 1993. While there, among many projects involving sub-atomic particle accelerators, he designed the pneumatic latches that hold the $4 million dollar CCD camera and the spectroscopes to the bottom of the SDSS telescope.   

SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, August 20, 2021 7:30pm

 Astronomical Spin: Planets, Stars and Galaxies by Professor Robert Criss, Washington University

Everything in the universe is in motion. Astronomical objects spin as well as move through space. Dr. Criss is currently working on theories connected with the spin of stars, planets, and galaxies. He will talk about their spins, and what the spin reveals of the physical and chemical nature of these objects

Robert Criss is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University. He is a stable isotope geochemist specializing in hydrogeology - the geology of water and systems of water. Much of his research involves environmental problems and applications. He is also interested in the motions of astronomical objects and in the nature of dark matter.

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, July 16, 2021 7:30pm

Apollo XV – 1971 Mission To the Mountains of the Moon by John Newcomer, St Louis Astronomical Society

John Newcomer of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society will be featured at the July meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held online only, via Zoom. The meeting and lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 16. 

From its July 26, 1971 liftoff to its August 7 splashdown, Apollo XV was NASA’s fourth successful human lunar landing mission. It was the only landing in a mountainous region, and the first to have the Lunar Roving Vehicle, an electric car, aboard. The Rover made it possible for astronauts to travel longer distances on the lunar surface. Astronauts Scott and Irwin logged over seventeen miles and collected 170 pounds of moon rocks and dust. Mr. Newcomer will review this landmark mission, using NASA photographs from both training and flight, in celebration of its fiftieth anniversary.

John Newcomer has been a member of the St Louis Astronomical Society for two decades. He is a past President of the Society, and a current member of its Executive Board.

SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, June 18, 2021 7:30pm

China’s Exploration of the Moon – The Chang’e Missions  by Professor Brad Jolliff,
Washington University

    Professor Brad Jolliff of Washington University will be will be featured at the June meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held online, via Zoom. The meeting and lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 18.  Zoom access information is posted below.  The event, cosponsored by NASA's Missouri Space Grant Consortium at Washington University, is open to the public free of charge.
    China has launched a very active program to explore the Moon. Professor Jolliff will discuss the lunar exploration program of the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA). Their program has successfully completed five missions, Chang’e-1 through Change-5. These have featured robotic lunar orbiters, landers, and rovers.  Dr. Jolliff will explain what these missions have accomplished and what the plans are for continued exploration of the Moon, including plans for the first Chinese astronauts on the Moon. 
    Brad Jolliff is the Scott Rudolph Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University.  His current focus is on science and exploration of the Moon.  He is a member of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Cameras science team and he is involved in numerous science and exploration projects related to the Moon.

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, May 21, 2021 7:30pm
The Connection Between the  Periodic Table of the Elements and Astronomy  by Larry Bartoszek, Bartoszek Engineering

   Larry Bartoszek of Bartoszek Engineering will be  will be featured at the May meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held online, via Zoom. The meeting and lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 21.  Zoom access information is posted below
    Most of what is known about the distant Universe comes from decoding the spectrum of starlight. The specific colors present – or missing – in the spectrum of a star reveals the chemical elements present in the star. Mr. Bartoszek will start with a brief history of the Universe to discuss where atoms come from and the forces that hold them together. He will explain how the electron energy shell structure of each type of atom allows the atom to give off a unique pattern of light – its spectrum. The spectrum identifies the element and aids in placing it into the Periodic Table. Mr. Bartoszek will also talk about how the light from distant stars and galaxies changes as the galaxies move away from us. He will show how spectroscopy of starlight reveals the expansion of the Universe as well as the acceleration of the expansion now thought to be caused by Dark Energy. He will also discuss the work that he did in helping to build the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Telescope (SDSS).
    Mr. Bartoszek is an Illinois Licensed Professional Engineer and owner of Bartoszek Engineering. His consulting firm specializes in the design of nuclear and high energy physics facilities, both here and abroad. Mr. Bartoszek worked at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory from 1983 to 1993. While there, he was responsible for major equipment designs, including the 4,000 ton hadron calorimeter. 

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, April 16, 2021 7:30pm

 Cosmic Roller Coaster  by Ian H. Redmount, Saint Louis University

An amusement park’s roller coaster’s motion is determined by gravity and by the shape and structure of the coaster tracks. Motion in the universe – our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and beyond - is also determined largely by gravity. The “tracks” are the actual shape of the universe, with matter and energy altering the basic geometry of space. Dr. Redmount will talk about the cosmic roller coaster – how Einstein’s General Relativity Theory allows us to understand how and why space is curved. He explains: “The profile of the cosmic roller coaster is determined by the matter and energy content of the Universe. As farther-reaching observations have shown us more and more of the history of the cosmos, we have refined and modified our understanding of the stuff of which it is made, introducing “dark matter” and “dark energy” into our lexicon. Recently researchers at Saint Louis University have introduced a model of the Universe dominated by tachyons, fasterthan-light particles. This model makes predictions similar, but not identical, to those of what has come over the last two decades to be called the Standard Model.”

Dr. Ian Redmount is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Saint Louis University. He received his Doctorate from the California Institute of Technology and held several research positions before accepting the faculty position at St. Louis University in 1993. His research interests include black holes, spacetime wormholes, cosmology, and quantum field theory.

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, March 19, 2021 7:30pm

Recent Happenings in the Millimeter and Radio Universe by K. Michael Malolepszy, SLAS

In addition to telescopes that use light waves to form images, there are now instruments that “see” the universe in invisible radiation. X-rays, heat, and radio waves are examples. Millimeter waves are high energy radio waves with wavelengths measured in millimeters. When viewed at millimeter and radio wavelengths, the universe looks quite different from the visible light images we can see directly. Michael Malolepszy will talk about recent events in millimeter and radio wavelength astronomy such as the disastrous Arecibo radio telescope collapse in Puerto Rico. Arecibo was a 1,000 foot wide radio telescope built into a valley in Puerto Rico. It collapsed on December 1, 2020, when cables holding the multi-ton radio receiver equipment snapped. Arecibo was widely used to support research in planetary sciences and astronomy. Mr. Malolepszy will talk about the loss of Arecibo and its implications for planetary astronomy and millimeter and radio observations of objects such as the Large Magellanic Cloud and other nearby galaxies.

Michael Malolepszy is a veteran amateur astronomer. Now employed by the Department of Biology at Washington University, he formerly worked as a Radio Telescope Array Operator at the Very Large Array radio telescope in Socorro, New Mexico. Mr. Malolepszy also presents planetarium programs at the St. Louis Science Center’s McDonnell Planetarium.

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, February 19, 2021 7:30pm

The Perseverance  Rover Mission and the Search for Early Life on Mars by Professor Raymond E. Arvidson, Washington University

 Mars is a very cold and dry world today, but it was much different in its distant past. NASA’s latest robotic surface explorer, the Perseverance Rover, is scheduled to land on Mars on February 18. The NASA Exploration Program focuses on characterizing the early warm, wet conditions on Mars, and searching for evidence for early life. This includes the Perseverance Rover Mission, designed to collect rock cores from an ancient river delta deposited in a lake that once filled Jezero Crater. Cores would be returned to Earth by a subsequent mission, allowing records of ancient life to be explored in great detail in various laboratory settings.
     Dr. Raymond Arvidson is a Distinguished University Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and a Fellow of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University. In addition to teaching and research focused on surface processes of planetary bodies, he has been a team member of NASA spacecraft orbiter, lander, and rover missions to Mars and Venus.  He has published his research efforts in over 250 scientific papers. Dr. Arvidson is also the Director of the NASA Planetary Data System Geosciences Node. This facility archives and makes available images and data of solid surfaces gathered by all NASA missions to the global community of researchers and to the general public. 

 SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, January 15, 2021 7:30pm
Why There Should Not Be Dark Matter In the Halos of Galaxies  by Research Professor Anne M. Hofmeister, Washington University

Research Professor Anne M. Hofmeister of Washington University will be featured at the January meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held via Zoom online conference only, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  Zoom access information is posted below. 
      “Dark matter” is a theoretical, invisible substance thought to be necessary to explain the motions of galaxies and distortion in images of some distant galaxies. Its nature is unknown. Many researchers think it is a new type of subatomic particle, which does not emit light, heat, or other radiation. Dr. Hofmeister will talk about the search for dark matter, and reasons for doubting its existence in the halos of galaxies. Based upon principles of the physics of heat, she will explain why dark matter, if it exists, should be located at the center of a galaxy and not in its halo of very low density gas.
     Dr. Anne Hofmeister is a Research Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University. Her research interests include classical physics applied to astronomy, heat transfer, and dust in space.  Her laboratory experiments utilize very high pressure and laser-flash devices to probe the physics of low temperature materials such as interstellar space dust and high temperature materials such as rock in the Earth’s mantle. Dr. Hofmeister is the recipient of the 2020 Professional Excellence Award in academia/research from the Association for Women Geoscientists