Free Public Program: Planetary Geologist Dr. Peter Schultz to Speak at Seagrave Memorial Observatory

47 Peeptoad Road, North Scituate, RI
Saturday, May 10, 2014, 8:00 P.M.
Rain or Shine
Space is limited, so please reserve your place  by e-mailing Robert_Horton@brown.edu

The Moon has always been next to us.  It has been an object of both beauty and mystery described in science fiction, movies, and even hoaxes.  Before the Apollo program, everything seemed possible: from green cheese to colonies. Ever since the Apollo, the number of mysteries increased even more.  Now we know that we can gaze back at ourselves: a surface dating back more than 4 billion years ago; large impact craters formed during the age of the dinosaurs; mini-mountain ridges created while the Moon shrunk; and a “face” that may have formed as the result of a giant basin on the other side.

Dr. Peter Schultz, of Brown University’s Planetary Geology Department, has spent years studying the intricacies of our nearest neighbor, from the gigantic to the smallest features.  Come listen, as he takes you on “A Geologist’s Guide to the Moon.”  Designed for all ages, Dr. Schultz will take you to the surface of the Moon, and introduce you to the beauty and science of our only natural satellite.

Also, skies permitting, the telescopes on the grounds will be open for public observing.  Thrill to the beauty of the waxing gibbous Moon, the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, double stars, and all other nighttime sky objects, with the Society’s historic 8-inch refracting telescope, the newer set of instruments, and portable telescopes that members set on the lawn.  Enjoy your observing to the relaxing sound of the neighboring peeptoads.  The Observatory opens at 8:00 P.M.