EDUCATION/EXPLORATION/RECREATION

V.M. Slipher and his contributions to astronomy.

Speaker: Kevin Schindler Lowell Observatory’s

Topic: V.M. Slipher

Abstract: Vesto Melvin Slipher was an American astronomer who performed the
first measurements of radial velocities for galaxies. He was the first to discover
that distant galaxies are redshifted , thus providing the first empirical basis for the
expansion of the universe. He was also the first to relate these redshifts to
velocity . He spent the next 53 years of his life working at Lowell Observatory as
an assistant and then the director of the observatory until his retirement in 1954.
Slipher lived until age 93 and died in Flagstaff in 1969. He is buried at Citizens
Cemetery in Flagstaff.

Bio: Kevin Schindler is the Public Information Officer and Historian at the Lowell
Observatory. Kevin has recently completed an Astronomer in residency at the
Grand Canyon. Kevin is also an author and has written not only about the
Lowell Observatory and it accopmlishments but the history of Flagstaff and the
Grand Canyon. Kevin has presented to our club before.

New Room:  Agave (down the hall from old location)

5:30 Astro Imaging Meeting

7:00 General Meeting

Sun Like Stars

Speaker:  Bob Colvert

Topic:  Sun Like Stars

Abstract:  How many of the stars we see, without a telescope,  in the night sky and constellations are sun like stars.  You will be surprised.

New Room:  Agave (down the hall from old location)

Normal Format:

5:30 Astro Imaging Meeting

7:00 General Meeting

Lagrange Points

Speaker: Steve Bradshaw (EVAC President)

Topic: Lagrange Points

Abstract: The presentation covers what the Lagrange points are, the problem they solve for us, how they operate (graphically in pictures, and using some really basic and illustrated math too), and provide examples of current and past usage of Lagrange points.

Bio: Steve is the current president of EVAC and volunteers for outreach events. Steve is a retired IT instructor and course developer. This is Steve’s second presentation to our club.

Normal Format:

5:30 Astro Imaging Meeting

7:00 General Meeting

Meeting Room: Agave  (down the hall from the old meeting room)

November 7th “Earth Strikes Back”

Speaker: Dr. Nick Moskovitz nmosko@lowell.edu

Topic: Earth Strikes Back: NASA’s First Planetary Defense Test Experiment

Description: Dr. Moskovitz will speak on the recent DART Mission and the role the Lowell Observatory played in the mission.

Bio: Dr. Moskovitz is a planetary astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff AZ. His research focuses on small bodies in the Solar System, primarily Main Belt and near-Earth asteroids. Dr. Moskovitz and his collaborators are pursuing a number of projects that include understanding the link between asteroids and meteorites, characterizing the properties of meteors, probing the geologic evolution of minor planets over solar system history, developing tools to enable mining of minor planet data, and using telescopic observations to support spacecraft missions.