George Mason Observatory’s ‘Evenings Under the Stars’ series (where you’ll also get to look at awesome galaxies, stars, planets and more through our 0.8 meter telescope!) is back for Spring 2014! The next event will be Monday, March 24th and will feature a talk by Greg Redfern on ‘The Sky is Falling – Space Rocks and You’! Talk at 7:30 PM. Observing starts at 8:00PM until 9:30PM. Arrive at the lobby of Research Hall. As always the event is free and everyone is invited! We hope you can come out and join us!
Remember that there will only be one talk given during each observing session so make sure you don’t miss it! Directions to GMU and Research Hall here: http://eagle.gmu.edu/map/fairfax.php Zoom in to find Research Hall next to engineering building and York River Rd. Keep an eye on twitter for updates – Just keep an eye out for weather – the event may be postponed or cancelled due to bad conditions – updates will be available here – Observatory Twitter
About the talk:
Meteorites are pieces of debris from space that impact the Earth’s surface. They vary in size, appearance composition and origin and can be fascinating pieces of evidence of the physical conditions of our solar system. The total estimated mass of meteorites that impact Earth in one year ranges from 107 to 109 kg – the equivalent of about 500-1000 blues whales! Learn about rocks from space and get a chance to touch a real meteorite. See real specimens from the moon and Mars. Greg Redfern will discuss how our solar system is a very busy place with asteroids and comets. You will also learn about what happens when Earth encounters a visitor from space like happened recently over Russia.
About the speaker:
Greg Redfern has been an adjunct professor/instructor of astronomy for different colleges since 1984. As a NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador since 2003, he has shared NASA’s missions to the solar system with audiences in person as well as on TV and radio in the Washington D.C. media market. Greg’s daily astronomy blog, “Whats Up?: The Space Place”, has had tens of thousands of readers from around the world and is carried by WTTG Fox 5.
Greg has been observing and photographing the sky for over four decades and collecting meteorites for years. He’s used telescopes of all kinds and visited observatories, NASA facilities, and geological sites. As a result, Greg has brought the wonder, beauty and excitement of our universe to audiences for decades in a one-on-one style that resonates with his passion and knowledge.
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