AstroAssembly 2008

Gerry Dyck will give an illustrated talk called Three Views of the Planets which he designed for presentation to elementary school children. It will include an overview of our solar system, showing how the planets look to the naked eye, through telescopes of various sizes and through close-up cameras aboard spacecraft and landing missions. His talk is appropriate for children and others who are beginning in astronomy, and for anyone who is interested in astronomy education.

Mars: Not As Dead As We Once Thought

I'll be talking about what Mars is like today, based upon the data we are obtaining from orbit and the data we get from the ground. While Mars isn't as dynamic as it once was, it's certainly not dead, and it may get more active in the not-too-distant geologic future. With all of the data that we are getting back, it is clear that parts of Mars are changing even as we speak.

Bio: I am a research analyst at Brown University, working in the Planetary Geology group. I've been involved with missions to Mars, the Moon, and Mercury, and have helped use these data to understand how the surfaces of planets (including the Earth) change over time. I have also conducted field work in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, the coldest place on Earth, which is our closest analog to the surface of Mars.

Tips and Techniques used in the Design & Construction of Twin 16” Cassegrain Telescopes The award-winning twin 16” telescopes that this pair brought to Stellafane this year took six years to complete. The mounts were first designed utilizing “Solidworks”, 3D CAD modeling software, and then fabricated in their home ‘basement” shops. During the construction Al and Dick learned many new techniques for the fabrication of the 153 individual components in these instruments. The optics were designed to optimize field of view and image scale. Both primary and secondary mirrors were tested with very advanced testing techniques relative to amateur fabrication. This talk will give a general pictorial overview of the project from start to finish, with some emphasis on special machining processes and optical techniques.

The Probes of Modern Cosmology: Searching for the Constituents of the Universe
Abstract: In the last decade, cosmology has evolved into a mature research area in the interface between fundamental physics and astronomy. The largest scales involved in cosmological studies are pointing to the fundamental laws that hold together the subatomic world that we are familiar with, from atoms and molecules, to stars and planets. Today, we know more than ever that we understand only about 4% of the constituents of the Universe. I will discuss how we arrive to this conclusion, how we put together information from different experimental probes, and the difficulties involved in this quest for understanding the Universe we are part of.

Jets from Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei

Summary: Although black holes consume most of the matter that falls toward them, a small fraction gets heated and shot out along the poles in the form of jets having flow velocities very close to the speed of light. The most powerful jets are found in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), where the mass of the central black hole is millions or even billions of solar masses. I will describe recent observations at radio, optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray frequencies that probe the jets closer to the black hole than has been possible previously. Surprisingly, the data are consistent with prevailing theoretical models, according to which the jets are propelled by magnetic forces.

Bio: Alan Marscher joined the Boston University faculty in 1981 and served as Chairman of the Department of Astronomy from 1987-1997. Professor of Astronomy since 1992, he was the recipient of the 1998 Gitner Award for Distinguished Teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences. Marscher holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Virginia. A specialist in quasars, high energy astrophysics and multi-waveband astronomy, Marscher conducts research at observatories throughout the world as well as in space. He is the leader of the Blazar Research Group (http:/www.bu.edu/blazars) in the Institute for Astrophysical Research (http:/www.bu.edu/iar) at Boston U.

Marscher composes folk/pop songs in both English and Russian. A number of the songs have scientific and philosophical themes. Recordings and lyrics are available for listening or downloading at http:/www.soundclick.com/cosmosii.