Smithsonian Scientists Take the Stage to Discuss Latest Research
Ever wonder how moon rocks became “famous, farcical and instruments of foreign relations” and what impact “volcano breath” might have on Earth’s climate? The answers to these and other questions related to the sun, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe will be explored in a 10-part lecture series hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “Smithsonian Stars” features the Institution’s own scientists presenting their research and recent discoveries on everything from structures on Mercury to the Mars Science Laboratory “Curiosity” mission.
The “Smithsonian’s Stars” free public lectures will take place Saturday evenings at 5:15 p.m. from October through March 2, 2013, in the museum’s Albert Einstein Planetarium. Hands-on educational activities will also be presented beginning at 4 p.m. and, weather permitting, lectures will be followed by sky observing in the museum’s Public Observatory. The series is made possible by a grant from NASA.
Scheduled Programs
Oct. 6: “We Make ’Em and Fly ’Em—Three Decades of Telescopes for Observing the Sun at the Smithsonian”
Peter Cheimets, senior project engineer, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Oct. 20: “Mercury: Oh Strange New World that has Such Structures in it!”
Michelle Selvans, planetary geophysicist, National Air and Space Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
Nov. 3: “Moon Rocks and How They became Famous, Farcical and Instruments of Foreign Relations”
Teasel Muir-Harmony, doctoral candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Guggenheim Fellow, National Air and Space Museum
Nov. 17: “The Dynamic Sun”
Mark Weber, astrophysicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Dec. 1: “A Universe of Data: How We Get Science out of Space Telescopes”
Jonathan McDowell, astrophysicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Dec. 15: “The Mission of the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity”
John Grant, geologist, National Air and Space Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies; member of the Mars Science Laboratory Team
Jan. 5: “Trees in the City: Urban Tree Cover Dynamics in the District of ‘Columbia’”
Andrew Johnston, geographer, National Air and Space Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
Feb. 2: “Volcano Breath”
Liz Cottrell, director, Global Volcanism Program, National Museum of Natural History
Feb. 16: “Venus: 50 Years after Mariner 2”
Bruce Campbell, geophysicist, National Air and Space Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
March 2: “Robots and Humans Unite: A Decade of Astronomical Discovery with Hectospec”
Daniel Fabricant, senior physicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; associate director, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
For more information on each lecture and to request free tickets, visit: http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/lectures/stars/index.cfm.
The National Air and Space Museum is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free, but there is a $15 fee for parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center.
The Pinwheel M101 is a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way, though nearly its twice.
The composite of M101 shown above shows four different, combined views of the galaxy obtained by four NASA space observatories, covering all these different phenomena: an infrared observation by the Spitzer Space Telescope (red), a sharp-eyed optical image by the Hubble Space Telescope, an ultraviolet image by GALEX, and a sharp X-ray image by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The upper one of a pair of new, solar active regions that just rotated into view of SDO offered a beautiful profile view of cascading loops spiraling above it (Jan. 15-16, 2012) following a solar flare eruption. These loop structures are made of superheated plasma, just one of which is the size of several Earths. With its ability to capture the Sun in amazing detail, SDO observed it all in extreme ultraviolet light. This particular video clip used an image every five minutes to present the motion. Note all of the other spurts and minor bursts from both regions during almost two days.