“An Immigrant’s Journey to the Cosmos” Speaker – Dr. Misconi

Some of Dr. Misconi’s Interests: The Zodiacal light, Interplanetary dust dynamics, Comets and Asteroids colliding with the Earth, Conversations with Buz Aldrin and others, Space science in Florida, Global warming views.

 “Probe of Earth-Trojan Asteroid – Bennu” Speaker – Carl Hergenrother

Carl Hergenrother has discovered multiple asteroids and minor planets and is on the OSIRIS-Rex asteroid investigation team .
The mission, launched in 2016, will study asteroid 101955 Bennu by scooping up and returning it’s pristine material* back to earth for important scientific study. (*remanents that built the earth) Coincidentally asteroid Bennu also occupies a dangereous near-earth orbit! If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the first US spacecraft to return samples from an asteroid.

“Ninth planet in our solar system” Speaker – Kat Volk

There is intriguing evidence for a ninth planet in our solar system says Kat Volk, a post-doctoral researcher in the UA Department of Planetary on this project. If planet nine were to exist, it would have a huge impact on the study of the solar system. The planet is thought to be about 20 times further from Earth than Neptune, the farthest large planet we now know of. The Hypothetical planet would have an orbital period of 665 AU, then the most distant objects would be in simple mean motion resonances with it, Volk said.

“Cannibal Galaxies” Speaker – Dr. West

Dr. West is the Deputy Director for Science at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. His research interests include star clusters, galaxy formation and evolution, clusters of galaxies, and the large-scale structure of the universe. He has been Principal Investigator for six Hubble Space Telescope projects to date, and has been awarded time on other major telescopes around the world.

“NASA’s Amazing Dawn Mission” Speaker – Dr. Steve Desch

The Dawn satellite is a magnificent scientific achievement. The Dawn mission was launched in September 2007 and has a unique propulsion system using ion thrusters capable of speeds of up to 200,000 MPH. It took the Dawn satellite four years to travel to the main asteroid belt which lies between Mars and Jupiter in our solar system. NASA’s daunting Mission data analysis is ongoing. Dr. Desch will also be showing the latest lifelike computer models of the dwarf planet Ceres.