PAST MEETINGS:

In May 2012, Steve Vance of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave a talk about Jupiter's moon, Europa, and theories about the composition of its oceans. Also discussed was the possibility of future missions to the icy moon.

How thick is the ice on this strange world, and what could be underneath it? What's the latest news about this exotic world?

In April 2012, Mona Delitsky talked about "New Chemistry on Titan".

In March 2012, Matt Ventimiglia gave a talk about the transits of Venus.

In February 2012, Tim Thompson (personal home page) gave a talk entitled "Planetary Aspects of Global Warming".

In January 2012, Mike Simmons spoke about Astronomers Without Borders, a non-profit organization he founded, and his many travels, during which he attempts to spread donated astronomical instruments and skills around the world.

In December 2011, Bade Uzgil from Caltech and the University of Pennsylvania spoke about: "Intensity Mapping during the Epoch of Reionization: A new approach to study the large but faint population of galaxies in the early Universe".

In October 2011, scientist Tim Thompson (JPL, Mount Wilson Observatory) gave a talk on exoplantets and The Kepler Mission.

In July 2011, science journalist Reinhard Kargl discussed his recent flight on NASA's new airborne observatory, SOFIA. He gave an overview of how this complex aircraft and telescope works, and what astronomers will experience while observing on it.

In June 2011, Club President Thor Dockweiler gave various updates, and science journalist and board member Reinhard Kargl spoke about SOFIA and his personal visit to the new airborne infrared telescope.

In April 2011, Jed Laderman presented: "Bohr & Einstein - The Quantum, Space Time, & Reality", Club President Thor Dockweiler gave a presentation about obersations of Mercury and the MESSENGER spacecraft, and journalist Reinhard Kargl gave a presentation about a social media event at NASA/JPL.

In March 2011: Dave Jurasevich, Superintendent of the Mount Wilson Observatory explained how he discovered the Soap Bubble Nebula, a "new" planetary nebula which was recently featured as the cover story of Sky and Telescope magazine.

In February 2011, Steven Furlanetto spoke about the earliest stages of our universe and about building novel detectors to pick up signals from the "Cosmic Dark Ages".

In January 2011 Jed Laderman gave a talk entitled “When Science Was New - Copenhagen: From Tycho’s Nose to Bohr’s Quantum”. (Denmark served as a center of freedom in Europe and a center of the burgeoning fields of science. Influential astronomy and physics were conducted by many, including Tycho Brahe a few centuries ago, and Niels Bohr in the most recent century).

Thor Dockweiler presented: “Comet Hartley”

In December 2010, we hoste internationally recognized astrophotographer Wally Pacholka, who presented his images of the night sky above U.S. National Parks.

In November 2010, Jed Laderman and Robert Lozano gave presentations about the summer sky and Saturn's moon Titan.

In October 2010, Tim Thompson spoke on the nature of our galaxy.

In September 2010, physicist and author Robert Piccioni gave a talk on Einstein and cosmology. In August 2010, Thor Dockweiler gave a talk about Galileo Galilei and his discoveries.

At our June 2010 meeting, Stuart Taylor spoke on "Observing Planet Destruction: Fast Bangs or Slow Whimpers?"

In May 2010, Dr. Alan Dressler presented "A Living History of the Universe".

In April 2010, Dr. Ben Zuckerman of UCLA discussed exciting new discoveries regarding planets and planet-forming disks around other stars.

In March 2010, Dr. Steve Levin spoke about the Juno Mission to Jupiter.

In February 2010, Jed Laderman reported from his recent trip to Iceland and put the volcanic activity on the island in perspective to volancoes on other celestial bodies in our solar system.

In January 2010, Tim Thompson of JPL talked about Globular Clusters.

More past meetings.

MOUNT WILSON DATES

CLUB PHONE NUMBER

(310) 495-7595

EARTH's PERMANENT PRESENCE ON MARS

The mars rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" have are well beyond their original design life. The scientific output of this mission has been nothing but amazing. Follow this mission here!