Steward Observatory Lecture Series Begins Next Week

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Steward Observatory Lecture Series Begins Next Week

The Steward Observatory has held its lecture series for more than 80 years, exploring a range of topics relevant to the field of astronomy. (Credit: Jackie Alpers)

The Steward Observatory will launch the 84th season of its Public Evening Lectures with a talk on Monday.

By University Communications
September 10, 2009

Excluding the period during World War II, the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory has been hosting a speaker series since 1922.

Experts in the areas of astronomy and space science from the UA and across the nation host lectures on a range of topics.

During this year's lecture series, guest speakers will disuss topics such as black hole physics, advances in telescopic technology and ways that amateurs have made contributions to the field.

The lectures are held in Room N-210 of the Steward Observatory, located at 933 N. Cherry Ave., form 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Each lecture is free and open to the public. They are:

Sept. 14: Joannah Hinz, a senior research associate at the Steward Observatory, will present her lecture titled, "A Study in Scarlet: The Spitzer Space Telescope View of the Triangulum Galaxy."
Sept. 28: Christopher Cokinos, an associate professor of English at Utah State University, will present a lecture about his newly-released book, "The Fallen Sky: An Intimate History of Shooting Stars." A signing will be held after Cokinos's lecture.
Oct. 12: Fulvio Melia, a UA professor of physics and astronomy, will talk about his book, "Cracking the Einstein Code: Relativity and the Birth of Black Hole Physics." A book signing will be held after the lecture.
Oct. 15: Alicia Soderberg, an astronomer with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, will speak on a topic that will be determined at a later date.
Oct. 26: Maj. James McGaha, director of the Grasslands Observatory, will speak on the contributions amateurs have made to the field of astronomy.
Nov. 9: Rev. George Coyne, S.J., director emeritus of the Vatican Observatory, will present his talk, "Galileo, The Party Pooper!" in celebration of 400 years of telescopic observation. This year marks the 400-year anniversary of Galileo inventing a telescope that would advance upon previous telescopic technologies.
Nov. 23: Ann Zabludoff, a UA associate professor of astronomy and an associate astronomer with the Steward Observatory, will present her lecture, "Violence in Our Extragalactic Neighborhood: The Effects of Galaxy Collisions on Galaxy Evolution."

Dec. 7: David Levy of the Jarnac Observatory helped identify the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 during the early 1990s and has discovered dozens of other comets. He will present his lecture, "A Nightwatchman's Journey: My Adventures as a Comet Discoverer and Skywatcher." A book signing will be held after the lecture.