Astronomy Events in Southeast Michigan (1998 to present)

Current Events

Past Events (1998)

• Wednesday October 7, 1998. Benoit B. Mandelbrot, Creator of Fractal Geometry, gave a talk on October 7, 1998, at 4:00 P.M. in the Rackham Amphitheater (the University of Michigan Main Campus). The title was “Fractals and Scale-Invariant Roughness in the Sciences.”
• Thursday October 8, 1998. Benoit B. Mandelbrot, Creator of Fractal Geometry, presented a special seminar on October 8, 1998, at 2:30 P.M., in 340 West Hall (the University of Michigan Main Campus) on “Wild Variability in Physics: Turbulence, 1/f Noise, and Galaxies.”
• Saturday October 10, 17, and 24, 1998. Saturday Morning Physics. Dr. Phil Fischer presented the first three Saturday Morning Physics talks for 1998. His series of lectures was titled “Dark Matters: Unmasking the Invisible Universe.”
• Friday October 16, 1998. Dr. Patricia S. Whitesell gave a talk on the history of the Detroit Observatory. This talk took place in room 182 of the Dennison Building at 7:30 PM. (The Detroit Observatory Web Page.)
• Saturday October 31, 1998 and November 7 and 14, 1998. Saturday Morning Physics. Dr. Manasse Mbonye presented a set of three lectures on “Black Holes, White Holes, and Worm Holes.”

Past Events (1999)

• Saturday February 20 and 27, 1999. Saturday Morning Physics - Professor Franco Nori, “Collective Motion and Avalanches: From Superconductors to Sand Dunes.”
• Saturday March 13, 20, and 27, 1999. Saturday Morning Physics - Professor Gabriel Weinreich, “The Physics of Making Music.”
• Saturday April 3 and 10, 1999. Saturday Morning Physics - Professor Philip Bucksbaum, “Intense Light and Quantum Sculpting.”
• Sunday April 18, 1999. (12:00-5:00PM in the EECS building on Beal Street, University of Michigan North Campus). Great Space Adventures Day. It is expected there will be a similar event next year.
• Thursday August 5, 1999. (Starting around 9:45pm). Short Notice Event: Search for comet Lynn. At Sugarbush Park (located on Green Road in Ann Arbor North of Plymouth Road. Parking is on a side street just West of the park, and a path leads to the mound that’s visible from Green Road).
• Friday and Saturday August 20-21, 1999. (5:00pm to midnight). “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark (located near Brighton, Michigan).
• Saturday September 18, 1999. The Island Lake Recreation Area Star Party. Held at Island Lake (near Brighton, Michigan).
• Sunday September 19, 1999. (2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The U of M Astronomy Department Open House at the Radio Telescope on Peach Mountain.
• Thursday September 23, 1999. (1-4 p.m. Detroit Observatory). The first of a series of Self Guided Tours of Observatory. [Directions to Detroit Observatory].
• Wednesday October 6 to Sunday October 10, 1999. (5 days and 4 nights, West of Cadillac). Wilderness Fall Star Party.
• Saturday October 9, 16 and 23, 1999. (10:30-11:30am, 170 Dennison Building, University of Michigan). Saturday Morning Physics (Explosions in the Heavens: Gamma Ray Bursts).
• Tuesday October 12, 1999. (3 p.m. Detroit Observatory). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Inaugural Lecture: Dr. Russell Bidlack (Professor and Dean Emeritus, Library Science). “Asa Gray’s Role as the First University Professor.” [Directions to Detroit Observatory].
• Saturday October 16, 1999. (Starting at Sunset). The Friends of Stinchfield Woods and the University Lowbrow Astronomers host a Special Open House at Peach Mountain.
• Saturday October 30, November 6, and November 13, 1999. (10:30-11:30am, 170 Dennison Building, University of Michigan). Saturday Morning Physics (Essential Physics: What is Everything Made of?).
• Tuesday November 9, 1999. (7:30 p.m. Detroit Observatory). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Paul H. Gross (Meteorologist, WDIV-TV, Detroit). ”Michigan’s Storm of the Century: The Great Storm of 1913.” [Directions to Detroit Observatory].
• Monday November 15, 1999. Streetcorner Astronomers. Six Lowbrows met at the corner of Ashley and Liberty (in Ann Arbor) with a 11” Schmidt Cassegrain telescope to observe the transit of Mercury which occurred between 4 and 5 pm. This event was not announced in advanced, but a number of people walked by, looked through the telescope and saw both sunspots and the disk of mercury crossing the sun.
• Wednesday November 17, 1999. Special Open House at Hudson Mills Metropark (Devoted to the observation of the Leonid Meteor Shower).
• Saturday November 20, December 4 and December 11, 1999. (10:30-11:30am, 170 Dennison Building, University of Michigan). Saturday Morning Physics (The Milky Way).
• Saturday December 4, Sunday December 5, Saturday December 11, Sunday December 12. (11am-6pm). Creation Station: Artrain USA. See the free Artistry of Space exhibit. Features art from NASA and the National Air and Space Museum. NEW Center, 1100 N Main, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Tuesday December 7. (7 p.m. Detroit Observatory). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Matthew Linke (Planetarium Director, UM Exhibit Museum). “Winter Sky Preview: Planets, bright stars and constellations projected on the Observatory library’s ceiling.”
• Tuesday December 14. (8pm, 1109 FXB [Boeing Auditorium]. The FXB building is located at the corner of Beal and Hayward in Ann Arbor, on the University of Michigan North Campus). Space Night (Sponsored by the Michigan Mars Society). An evening of speakers will discuss the past, present and future exploration of space, including the planet Mars. Speakers include Jack Lousma (astronaut) and Dr. Terry Kammash (University of Michigan professor researching advanced propulsion technologies). The latest information on the Mars Polar Lander will be provided.

Past Events (2000)

• Tuesday January 18. (3 p.m. Detroit Observatory). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Rudi Paul Lindner (University of Michigan Professor of History). A Mountain Observatory in Ann Arbor: How Big Science Came to UM. [Directions to Detroit Observatory].
• Tuesday February 1 and Wednesday February 2. (7:30 p.m. both evenings). Kristina Nyland, a Lowbrow member, will be doing a planetarium presentation at Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights. Her topic will be “galaxies” and she will also do a tour of the night sky in the planetarium. Admission is $1 for adults and 75 cents for students and children. Reservations are necessary. The phone number of the school is (313) 274-3711. The Address of the school is 1501 N. Beech Daly Road in Dearborn Heights. The school is about 1/4 mile south of Ford Road. The director of the planetarium is Richard Ensign.
• Tuesday February 8. (3 p.m. Detroit Observatory). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Margaret Cool Root (University of Michigan Department of History of Art). Henry Tappan, his Observatory, and his Dog: Prussian Pretensions in Provincial Ann Arbor. [Directions to Detroit Observatory].
• Tuesday March 21. (3 p.m. Detroit Observatory). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Ted J. Ligibel (Director, Historic Preservation Program, Eastern Michigan University). Preserving the Big Picture: Heritage Areas and Cultural Landscapes. [Directions to Detroit Observatory].
• Sunday April 16. (12 noon to 5:00 PM). Great Space Adventures Day.
• Friday and Saturday July 21-22. (5:00pm to midnight). “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark (located near Brighton, Michigan). The Featured Speakers were Jack Lousma (NASA Astronaut) and Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen (University of Michigan, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Physics). (See the Solar and Heliospheric Research Group of the University of Michigan for more information about Dr. Zurbuchen’s research).
• Sunday September 17. (2:00 PM - 4:30 PM). Open House for the University of Michigan Radio Telescope on Peach Mountain.
• Tuesday September 19. (8:00PM). Introduction to Amateur Astronomy (a class offered by the Dearborn Adult & Community Education Program). It is a beginner’s introduction and discusses telescopes, binoculars, solar system and deep-sky observing, and how to locate objects in the sky. The class starts Tuesday, September 19, and meets for five consecutive Tuesday nights from 8:00-10:00PM at Edsel Ford High School at Rotunda and Pelham in Dearborn, Michigan (two blocks west of the Southfield Freeway on Rotunda). The instructor is Greg Burnett of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club, who has taught the class twice before. The cost for non-residents of Dearborn is $47. Call the Community Education office at 313-730-0476 for more information or to register.
• Saturday October 7. (Starting at Sunset). Island Lake Star Party.
• Saturday October 21. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics, 170 Dennison Building. Professor Fred Becchetti: “Mme. Curie: A Pioneer in Nuclear Medicine.”
• Tuesday October 24. (7:00 PM). Michael Lopresto (Physics Department, Henry Ford Community College), University of Michigan Detroit Observatory Lecture Series: “Women and Astronomy.”
• Saturday October 28. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics, 170 Dennison Building. Professor Phil Bucksbaum: “Modern Scientific Discovery Methods.” [Note, a limited number of attendees participated in a hands on radioactivity demonstration and a tour of the Physics Research Labs. These tours included two labs where a large particle detector is being assembled and another lab where a smaller particle detector was displayed. The smaller particle detector has been flown on a balloon and is used to detect anti-protons and positrons from space].
• Saturday November 4, 11, 18. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics, 170 Dennison Building. Dr. Martin Sulknen: “X-ray Astronomy’s Golden Age: Discoveries by Chandra.”
• Saturday December 2, 9, 16. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics, 170 Dennison Building. Dr. David Reis: “X-Rays: A Century of Discovery.”

Past Events (2001)

• January 11. Nobel Prize Symposium - Center for the Study of Complex Systems (Part 1: Biology/Medicine, Peace, Economics).
• January 13 and 14. “Artistry of Space ” (Artrain USA). See 78 paintings and other works of art from various artists. The subject of this art is NASA’s space program from the first space probes through Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Space Shuttle. NEW Center, 1100 North Main, Ann Arbor, MI.
• January 25. Nobel Prize Symposium - Center for the Study of Complex Systems (Part 2: Physics, Literature, Chemistry).
• March 10. Saturday Morning Physics. Fred Adams (Associate Chair and Associate Professor, Physics Department). “Death of a Universe.”
• March 13. Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. David Strauss (Professor of History, Kalamazoo College). “Percival Lowell and the Canals of Mars.”
• March 17. Saturday Morning Physics. Leonard Sander (Professor, Physics Department). “Where Did All Those Fractals Come From?”
• March 24. Saturday Morning Physics. Susan Douglas (Arthur Thurnau Professor, U-M Communication Studies Department). “Radio, Nostalgia, and the Archeology of Listening.”
• March 31. Saturday Morning Physics. James R. Baker (Jr. Chief, Division of Allergy; Director, Center For Biologic Nanotechnology; Professor, Internal Medicine). “Nanotech Approaches to Biomedical Engineering.”
• April 7. Saturday Morning Physics. Khalil Najafi (Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Professor, Biomedical Engineering). “Micromachines: The World of the Small Things is Getting Bigger!”
• April 13. The Center for the Study of Complex Systems. Professor Douglas Hofstadter (Indiana University Computer Science). “The Pervasive Power of Analogies in the Progress of Physics.”
• April 14. Saturday Morning Physics. Maureen Mellody (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science). “Is It Live or Memorex? Music Synthesis in the 21st Century.”
• April 22. Earth Day at the Leslie Science Center.
• April 24, 25 and 26. Crestwood School District Planetarium. Kristina Nyland, “A Journey Back to the Beginning of Our Universe, Our Galaxy, Our Sun and Our Planet.” 1501 North Beech Daly Road, Dearborn Heights. Telephone (313)-274-3711 to check the status of the event. Admission $1 (adults) and 75 cents (students and children). Reservations required.
• May 24. (8:00 PM). Martinus Veltman: A free public lecture in conjunction with the conference “2001: A Spacetime Odyssey.” Veltman will discuss the 21st century view of spacetime from the perspective of a particle physicist. 1800 Chemistry Building (University of Michigan). For more information about the conference and Veltman’s talk
• June 28 to July 2. The annual convention of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be held in London, Ontario. Registration required, follow this link for more information. Lowbrow Astronomers are welcome! Guests of Honour include William K. Hartmann and David H. Levy. It’s as much fun as a star party, but without the mosquitoes!
• August 24 and August 25. Astronomy at the Beach at Kensington Metropark.
• October 13, 20 and 27. Saturday Morning Physics. Dr. Don Smith: “The Dynamic X-ray Sky: Black Holes, Neutron Stars, and Big Explosions.”
• October 28. Great Space Adventures Day.
• November 17. Special Open House at Hudson Mills Metropark to Observe the Leonid Meteor Shower.

Past Events (2002)

• January 12-13. Artrain USA. The “Artistry of Space” exhibit at Artrain USA. It contains 78 artworks depicting the last 30 years of the space program. Featured artists are: Norman Rockwell, James Wyeth, Robert Rauschenberg, James Dean, Lamarr Dodd, Chakia Booker, Andy Warhol and Peter Max. “Artistry of Space” is on loan from the NASA Art Program and this was the last time this exhibit was shown in Ann Arbor.
• March 23. Saturday Morning Physics. Professor August Evrard, University of Michigan Physics Department: “Our Place in the Cosmos.”
• April 17. Kristina Nyland (a member of the University Lowbrow Astronomers) conducted a planetarium presentation at Crestwood High School (1501 N. Beech Daly Road in Dearborn Heights, Michigan). The presentation was entitled “Dark Matter and the Fate of the Universe.” Crestwood High School is located about 1/4 mile south of Ford Road.
• May 2. Space Day 2002 Celebration at the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum. Join us as we celebrate Space Day 2002 and the publication of a new book about space exploration. Dr. David West Reynolds will speak at 7 PM about his new book Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon (Harcourt, 2002), and will be available to sign copies of the book after the lecture. Other special guests include meteorite expert Dr. James Gleason, visiting professor in the University of Michigan Department of Geological Sciences, who will host a display of the Exhibit Museum’s meteorite collection, and Stewart Bailey, director of the Michigan Space and Science Center, hosting a display of model rockets. Visitors will also be able to see and ask questions about an actual lunar sample on loan from NASA.
• May 17, 18. Sixth Annual Astronomy at the Beach (Kensington Metropark).
• September 15. The U of M Astronomy Department Open House at the Radio Telescope on Peach Mountain.
• September 24. Astronomer and Science Writer Timothy Ferris visited the Detroit Area. He was at the Detroit Public Library’s Friends Auditorium at its Main Branch in the Cultural Center.
• October 6. Great Space Adventures Day.
• October 8. Center for the Study of Complex Systems. Dr. Stephen Wolfram will discuss the ideas in his book A New Kind of Science.
• November 18. Leonids and Star Gazing at Hudson Mills.
• December 7. Saturday Morning Physics. Dr. Risa Wechsler, Research Fellow, University of Michigan Physics Department will talk about the basic contents of the Universe, including stars, gas, dark matter and dark energy. The discussion will include the birth and evolution of a galaxy like the Milky Way in such a universe, from shortly after the Big Bang to what our future may hold.

Past Events (2003)

• Friday, January 17, 2003. Thomas Zurbuchen give a talk on the solar corona.
• Friday, February 14, 2003. NASA’s Planned 2004 Mission to Mercury. The University of Michigan College of Engineering, in cooperation with NASA, hosted a presentation on NASA’s planned 2004 mission to Mercury. The College will unveil a revolutionary space instrument created by a U-M researcher, which will enable scientists to collect data more efficiently and safely in the hostile environment of space near the sun. Dr. Richard Fisher, Director of Sun-Earth Connection at NASA, will be on hand to describe the MESSENGER Mission to Mercury and the future challenges of NASA. U.S. Congressman Joe Knollenberg will discuss issues in science education and research. Thomas Zurbuchen, a U-M researcher and expert in space exploration, explained and unveiled the new instrument.
• Thursday, March 27, 2003. Student Astronomical Society. Public lecture given by University of Michigan Professor of Astronomy Mario Mateo. The lecture was aimed towards the general public and is entitled “Michigan’s Southern Eye: The Magellan Telescopes.” Dr. Mateo discussed the twin 6.5 Meter Magellan Telescopes located in the Chilean Andes and used by University of Michigan Astronomers. Technical details and scientific results from the telescopes was discussed, as well as a history of big telescopes.
• Tuesday, April 1, 2003. Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Leonard A. Walle (Collector of Historical Photographs). “Chasing the Light: 19th-Century Astronomical Photography & Its Pioneers.”
• Saturday, April 5, and Saturday April 12, 2003. Saturday Morning Physics. Katie Freese (Professor of Physics, University of Michigan) “Dark Matter and Dark Energy in Cosmology.”
• Saturday May 10, 2003. (10 AM to 5 PM). Celebrate Astronomy Day at the Detroit Science Center.
• Thursday May 15, 2003. (10 PM to 1 AM). View the Total Lunar Eclipse at Sherzer Observatory (on the Campus of Eastern Michigan University).
• Wednesday, June 11, 2003. The Lowbrows’ very own Kristina Nyland gave an astronomy presentation, “Tying the Universe Together with Superstrings” at the Richard Ensign Planetarium at Crestwood High School.
• Tuesday, August 26, 2003. Special Open House to Observe Mars at Angell Hall Observatory (hosted by the Student Astronomical Society).
• Friday and Saturday, September 5-6, 2003. Seventh Annual Astronomy at the Beach (Kensington Metropark).
• Friday, September 19, 2003. Cosmic Origins Public Lecture Series, Rocky Kolb: “The Quantum and the Cosmos” (hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department).
• Friday, October 3, 2003. Cosmic Origins Public Lecture Series, Gus Evrard: “The Birth of Galaxies” (hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department).
• Sunday, October 12, 2003. Great Space Adventures Day (hosted by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium).
• Friday, October 17, 2003. Cosmic Origins Public Lecture Series, Alyssa Goodman: “A Recipe for Making Stars and Planets” (hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department).
• Friday, October 24, 2003. Cosmic Origins Public Lecture Series, Geoffrey Marcy: “Extrasolar Planets and Prospects for Life” (hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department).
• Friday, November 7, 2003. Cosmic Origins Public Lecture Series, Fred Adams: “Future of Life, Universe and Everything” (hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department).
• Wednesday, November 12, 2003. Public lecture by Sir Martin Rees: ”Where is Cosmology Going?” (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Sir Martin Rees is Astronomer Royal, Royal Society Research Professor and a Fellow of King’s College at the University of Cambridge. This lecture will cover the scientific advances in the field of Cosmology.

Past Events (2004)

• Sunday, January 25, 2004. First Annual FAAC Astronomy Swap Meet. (Co-hosted by the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club & Rider’s Hobby Shop of Livonia; Admission $4.00 in advance or $5.00 at door; Tables $12.00 in advance or $15.00 as available at door).
• Saturday, February 14, 2004. (10:30 A.M). Saturday Morning Physics. Dr. Ken Croswell, Astronomer: “Magnificent Mars!”(Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). The planet Mars has long offered the prospect of another living world in the solar system. With an armada of spacecraft scrutinizing the red planet as never before, Ken Croswell will present the best color images of Mars and describe the planet from pole to pole, exploring Martian geology, the Martian atmosphere, Martian volcanoes, and Martian water, all organized around the four great elements of Mars: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. He will introduce volcanoes over twice as tall as Mount Everest, canyons that could stretch from Ohio to California, and floods of water far greater than any known on Earth. Billions of years ago, on a world warmer and wetter, Mars may have given rise to life whose fossils await discovery today.
• Tuesday, March 9, 2004. (3:00PM). Detroit Observatory Lecture Series. Keith Snedegar, Associate Professor of History, Utah Valley State College: “19th-Century American Astronomers in South Africa.” (Hosted by the Detroit Observatory. Note, despite the name, the Detroit Observatory is located in Ann Arbor [Directions to the Detroit Observatory].)
• Wednesday, March 17, 2004. (1:00PM-5:45PM). A Celebration of Pioneering African-Americans in Physics: From Imes to Moore at the University of Michigan. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department).
• Saturday, March 27, 2004. (10:30 A.M). Saturday Morning Physics. Professor Leopoldo Pando Zayas, University of Michigan Physics Department: “Black Holes in String Theory.”(Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). String theory is a modern attempt at unifying two of the pillars of twentieth century physics -- quantum field theory and general relativity. Black holes are classical solutions of general relativity that have challenged our quantum intuition for more than thirty years. Professor Pando Zayas will describe how string theory unifies field theory and general relativity. This may solve some of the long-standing puzzles related to black holes.
• Friday, April 2, 2004. (7:30 - 8:30 PM). Shannon Murphy (Solar System Ambassadors Program): Public Lecture, “Mars Exploration Rovers.” (Hosted by the Student Astronomical Society).
• Saturday, April 3, 2004. (10:30 A.M). Saturday Morning Physics. Professor Gregory Tarlé, University of Michigan Physics Department: “Dark Energy and Our Runaway Universe.”(Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Edwin Hubble discovered in the 1930’s that our universe is dynamic, expanding away from a birth about 14 billion years ago. Ever since, scientists have wondered if expansion would slow to a halt and then collapse or continue forever. Now it appears that a mysterious dark energy has taken over the universe and is accelerating its expansion. Professor Tarlé explored the experimental evidence for the existence of this dark energy and examined some of the possible explanations of its nature.
• Friday, April 16, 2004. (7:00 P.M.) The Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Michigan. Paul Davies (Professor of Natural Philosophy, Australian Centre for Astrobiology, Macquarie University, NSW Australia) will give a talk entitled “Did Life Come From Mars?” (Hosted by the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). The origin of life remains one of the great outstanding problems of science. For some years, internationally-acclaimed physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist and writer Paul Davies has championed the theory that life may have started on Mars and come to Earth ready-made, hitching a ride in rocks blasted from the Red Planet by comet impacts. In his lecture, Davies explained why Mars was a more favorable environment for life to get started, and why it may still harbor life today.
• Saturday, April 17, 2004. (10:30 A.M). Saturday Morning Physics. Professor Gregory Tarlé, University of Michigan Physics Department: “Shedding Light on Dark Energy: An Experimental Perspective.” (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). This talk continued where the April 3rd talk left off. Scientists from around the globe are now planning for a SuperNova/Acceleration Probe (SNAP), a new type of space telescope that will observe thousands of supernova explosions to help uncover the true identity of dark matter. Professor Tarlé explored how SNAP was designed and examine its prospects.
• Wednesday, May 19, 2004. (7:00 p.m.) Kristina Nyland, a Lowbrow and U-M Astronomy undergrad, will be doing a planetarium presentation at Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights entitiled “The Accelerating Universe.”
• Friday and Saturday, May 21-22, 2004.(5:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight). Eighth Annual Astronomy at the Beach (Kensington Metropark).
• Monday, June 7, 2004. (7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). Public Lecture: Shannon Murphy (University of Michigan Department of Astronomy): “Transit of Venus: A Century of Anticipation.” (Auditorium A, Angell Hall, Central Campus, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Hosted by the U-M Exhibit Museum of Natural History and the U-M Astronomy Department).
• Tuesday, June 8, 2004. (6:00 a.m. to 7:05 a.m.). Sunrise Open House. (Angell Hall Observatory, 5th floor, Angell Hall, Central Campus, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Hosted by the U-M Astronomy Department, the University Lowbrow Astronomers and the U-M Student Astronomical Society). On rare occasions, Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun. Over the next 120 years, it will happen twice, once on June 8th of this year, and once in the year 2012. Weather permitting, telescopes with special solar filters will be set up for safe viewing of the end of the transit. Computers will be available to view live webcam broadcasts of the transit from other locations where the transit is better suited for viewing. Never, ever, look at the Sun with your eye, with telescope or binoculars without special filters. Permanent blindness can result.
• Saturday, July 17, 2004. (10:30 a.m.). Space Day 2004: Saturn the REAL Lord of the Rings. Join us for this FREE all-family all-ages event at the Royal Oak Public Library as we explore Saturn and Mars, the Stars, and the Universe beyond. Presented by astronomer Michael Foerster, a NASA Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Lab of the California Institute of Technology. As seating is limited, reservations are strongly suggested. Call the Royal Oak Public Library Youth Services Desk at (248) 246-3725. The Library is located at 222 East 11 Mile Road (one block east of Main Street, across from the Farmer’s Market) in Royal Oak. Hosted by more than 75 partners including NASA.
• Sunday, September 12, 2004. (11:30AM-4:15PM). Sally Ride Festival - Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, is hosting her 27th Sally Ride Science Festival at the University of Michigan. Our Science Festivals attract up to 1000 people and is aimed at girls in grades 5-8, their families and teachers, in helping to make science fun, and opening their eyes up to possible careers in the life, physical and engineering sciences. In just over two years of operation, Sally Ride Science Festivals and the Sally Ride Science Club has reached over 20,000 girls, helping to keep them in the science, math and technology pipeline. The Street Fair is a really fun and important aspect of the Festival - it’s made up of very cool and hands-on exhibits, from local professional societies, science and space centers, astronomical, robotic and Mars societies, and many more. And of course, we encourage them to promote women as role models.

Past Events (2005)

• Tuesday, January 25 and Tuesday February 1, 2005. (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm). Tuesdays at the Planetarium. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department). Tired of looking at that cold, cloudy Michigan night sky? Can’t remember what the stars looked like? Then come view the night sky in the Astronomy Department’s new planetarium in Angell Hall Room 3118. Topics to be covered will be the night sky as seen from Ann Arbor (both with and without city lights), the Southern sky as seen from observatories in Chile, and the motion of the Sun, Moon, and planets over the next year.
• Saturday, February 5, 2005. (9:00 am to 3:00 pm). The Second Annual FAAC Astronomy Swap Meet (co-hosted by the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) and Rider’s Hobby Livonia). It will be held in Livonia, Michigan; admission required (see flyer more information). This year in addition to buying, selling, and trading of new and used Astronomy equipment, we will be featuring Astro Presentations throughout the day.
• Tuesday, February 8, Tuesday, February 15 and Tuesday, February 22, 2005. (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm). Tuesdays at the Planetarium. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department). Tired of looking at that cold, cloudy Michigan night sky? Can’t remember what the stars looked like? Then come view the night sky in the Astronomy Department’s new planetarium in Angell Hall Room 3118. Topics to be covered will be the night sky as seen from Ann Arbor (both with and without city lights), the Southern sky as seen from observatories in Chile, and the motion of the Sun, Moon, and planets over the next year.
• Saturday, March 12, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Fred Adams. “Cosmic Genesis: How Physics Drives the Structure of the Universe.”
• Saturday, March 19, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Timothy McKay. “How Do We Know the Big Bang Really Happened? Early Evidence.”
• Saturday, April 2, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Timothy McKay. “How Do We Know the Big Bang Really Happened? Case Closed.”
• Saturday, April 9, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). John Monnier. “The Quest to Discover New ‘Earths.’”
• Saturday, April 16, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Timothy Chupp. “Solar Neutrinos.”
• Saturday, May 7, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Keith Riles. “Gravitational Waves - Ripples of Space.”
• Saturday, May 14, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Keith Riles. “How to Catch a Gravitational Wave.”
• Saturday, May 21, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Fred Adams. “Into the Dark: The Long Term Future of Our Dying Universe.”
• Friday and Saturday, September 9-10, 2005. (5:00pm to midnight). “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark (located near Brighton, Michigan). (Hosted by the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs.)
• Friday, September 16, 2005. (7:30 pm). Distinguished speaker series - The Invisible Universe: Einstein’s Legacy. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, and the Student Astronomical Society). “X-Raying Black Holes.”
• Wednesday, September 21, 2005. (4:15 pm) LS&A Theme Semester Event: One Hundred Years Beyond Einstein. (Hosted by the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, University of Michigan). Professor Joceyln Bell-Burnell (University of Oxford). “What Astronomy Has Done For Einstein.” (Reception prior to lecture)
• Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 2, 2005. Great Lakes Star Gaze (held in Gladwin, Michigan). (Hosted by the Sunset Astronomical Society).
• Friday, September 30, 2005. (7:30 pm). Distinguished speaker series - The Invisible Universe: Einstein’s Legacy. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, and the Student Astronomical Society). “Dark Matter and Dark Energy.”
• Friday, October 7, 2005. (7:30 pm). Distinguished speaker series - The Invisible Universe: Einstein’s Legacy. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, and the Student Astronomical Society). “Mysteries of the Extreme Universe.”
• Saturday, October 15, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Sarah Yost. “Special Relativity: Where Do Stretched Time & Squeezed Length Come From?” (These talks will explain Special Relativity and its consequences for high-energy astronomy, including apparently superluminal jets and intense gamma-ray flashes).
• Friday, October 21, 2005. (7:30 pm). Distinguished speaker series - The Invisible Universe: Einstein’s Legacy. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, and the Student Astronomical Society). “The Size, Shape and Fate of the Universe.”
• Saturday, October 22, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Sarah Yost. “Observing Special Relativistic Effects Directly in Astronomy.” (These talks will explain Special Relativity and its consequences for high-energy astronomy, including apparently superluminal jets and intense gamma-ray flashes).
• Saturday, October 29, 2005. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Sarah Yost. “Gamma-Ray Bursts: Special Relativity in the Brightest Explosions.” (These talks will explain Special Relativity and its consequences for high-energy astronomy, including apparently superluminal jets and intense gamma-ray flashes).
• Friday, November 4, 2005. (7:30 pm). Distinguished speaker series - The Invisible Universe: Einstein’s Legacy. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, and the Student Astronomical Society). “Black Holes: Theory versus Observations.”

Past Events (2006)

• Friday, January 20, 2006. (1:10 pm - 6:30 pm). A special symposium on “Origins: The Universe, the Earth, and Life” presented by the University of Michigan science department chairs. This included a series of talks including “From before the Big Bang through the first million years,” “From the first million years through the first 9 billion years,” “The next 4 billion years: making Earth a habitable planet,” “The tree of life: Darwinian chemistry as the evolutionary force from cyanic acid to living molecules and cells,” “The tree of life: exploring evolutionary pathways through fossil evidence,” “The tree of life: exploring evolutionary pathways from extant life” and “13.7 billion years: the summary.”
• Saturday, January 28, 2006. (9:00 am-3:00 pm). Third Annual FAAC Astronomy Swap Meet. (Co-hosted by the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club & Rider’s Hobby Shop of Livonia; Admission $5.00 in advance or $6.00 at door; Tables $15.00 in advance or $20.00 as available at door).
• Tuesday, March 7, 2006. (7:30 pm-8:30 pm). Ann Arbor Reads. (Hosted by the Ann Arbor District Library). “New Discoveries in 21st Century Astronomy with a NASA Astronomer.”
• Wednesday, March 29, 2006. (4:15 pm). The Sixth Annual Ford Motor Company Distinquished Lecture in Physics. Saul Perlmutter, Professor of Physics, University of California at Berkley: “Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Universe -- What Next?”
• Friday, September 29, 2006. (5:00 PM to Midnight). The 10th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs).
• Saturday, September 30, 2006. (11:00 am to 4:15 pm). Sally Ride Festival. Hosted by the University of Michigan and Sally Ride Science. The Sally Ride Festival is a science festival for Middle School Age Girls. Over the years we’ve brought together thousands of girls, parents and educators for a day of fun, science and socializing. Sally Ride Science Festivals bring together hundreds of girls for a festive day of science and socializing. Parents and teachers are welcome too! Each festival features: an inspiring talk; workshops for girls, given by local veterinarians, astronomers, microbiologists and engineers; workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support girls’ interests in science and math; a street fair with hands-on activities, booths, food and music. Registration required and there is a charge to attend.
• Saturday, September 30, 2006. (5:00 PM to Midnight). The 10th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs).
• Saturday, October 21, 2006. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Andrew Tomasch. “Higher, Faster, Longer: From the Physics of Model Rocketry to Rocket Science.”
• Saturday, October 28, 2006. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Andrew Tomasch. “Higher, Faster, Longer: From the Physics of Model Rocketry to Rocket Science.”
• Saturday, November 4, 2006. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Eli Rykoff. “Apocalypse Maybe: Speculative Doomsday Scenarios for the End of the Earth.”
• Wednesday, November 8, 2006. (2:12 pm to sunset). Observe the 2006 Mercury Transit. (Hosted by the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and the University Lowbrow Astronomers). A Mercury transit occurs when the planet Mercury travels directly between the Sun and the Earth. On average they occur once every eight years (that is an average, the interval between two transits can be shorter or longer). On the day of the transit, visitors could view the transit via internet video (it was too cloudy to observe it directly). There were also members of the University Lowbrow Astronomers on hand to talk with visitors. To learn about the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, see the web site http://www.aahom.org/.
• Saturday, November 11, 2006. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Eli Rykoff. “Apocalypse Maybe: Speculative Doomsday Scenarios for the End of the Earth.”
• Saturday, November 18, 2006. (10:30 am). Saturday Morning Physics. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Eli Rykoff. “Apocalypse Maybe: Speculative Doomsday Scenarios for the End of the Earth.”

Past Events (2007)

• Saturday, February 3, 2007. (9AM to 3PM). The 4th Annual FAAC/Rider’s Hobby Astronomy Show and Swap Meet. (Hosted by the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club and Rider’s Hobby Shop of Livonia). Holy Cross Church Gymnasium, 30650 6 Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan 48152. Earn cash by selling your extra telescopes, eyepieces and accessories or locate that special bargain you have been looking for! Tables at the door for $20 (if available); admission $6, children 15 and under free.
• Friday, March 9, 2007. (7:30 to 8:30PM). Astrobiology Lecture Series. (Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Student Astronomical Society and Society of Biology Students). Prof. Ted Bergin (University of Michigan Astronomy Department). “Introduction to Astrobiology: The Search for Life in the Universe.”
• Friday, March 16, 2007. (7:30 to 8:30PM). Astrobiology Lecture Series. (Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Student Astronomical Society and Society of Biology Students). Prof. Patrick Koehn (Eastern Michigan University Physics and Astronomy Department). “Building a Home Planet.”
• Friday, March 23, 2007. (7:30 to 8:30PM). Astrobiology Lecture Series. (Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Student Astronomical Society and Society of Biology Students). Prof. Nils Walter (University of Michigan Chemistry Department). “The Formation of Life.”
• Friday, March 30, 2007. (7:30 to 8:30PM). Astrobiology Lecture Series. (Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Student Astronomical Society and Society of Biology Students). Prof. David Mindell (University of Michigan Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department). “A Brief History of Life’s Diversity.”
• Friday, April 6, 2007. (7:30 to 8:30PM). Astrobiology Lecture Series. (Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Student Astronomical Society and Society of Biology Students). Prof. Rob Van der Voo (University of Michigan Geology Department). “The Snowball Earth Hypothesis.”
• Monday, April 9, 2007. (7:30 PM, refreshments served at 7:00PM). Public Lecture. (Hosted by the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Joel R. Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams (both from the University of California, Santa Cruz). “The View From the Center of the Universe.”
• Saturday, April 21, 2007 and Sunday, April 22, 2007. National Astronomy Weekend at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. (Hosted by the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and the University Lowbrow Astronomers).
• Monday, May 7, 2007. Public Lecture. (Hosted by the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Gregory Laughlin (University of California, Santa Cruz). “Alien Solar Systems—Taking the Galactic Planetary Census.”
• Thursday, September 20, 2007. (7:00PM to 8:30PM). Ann Arbor District Library Public Lecture (hosted by the Ann Arbor District Library). Dr. Wolfgang Lorenzon of the University of Michigan: “The Dark Side of the Universe.”
• Friday, September 21, 2007 and Saturday, September 22, 2007. (5:00 PM to Midnight). The 11th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs).
• Friday, September 28, 2007. (7:30PM). Lecture Series, Scales of the Universe (hosted by the following units of the University of Michigan: the Department of Astronomy, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Student Astronomical Society, and the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). John Spencer (Southwest Research Institute): “Taking the Measure of our Solar System.”
• Friday, October 5, 2007. (7:30PM). Lecture Series, Scales of the Universe (hosted by the following units of the University of Michigan: the Department of Astronomy, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Student Astronomical Society, and the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Carl Heiles (University of California, Berkeley): “Our Local Microcosmos.”
• Saturday, October 6, 2007. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Bradford Orr. “How to Keep Your Focus; the Physics of Camera Lenses.”
• Saturday, October 6, 2007. May be cancelled if it’s cloudy. (Starting at Sunset). Open House at Peach Mountain.
• Saturday, October 13, 2007. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Bradford Orr. “We All Need Just the Right Amount of Exposure.”
  
• Friday, October 19, 2007. (7:30PM). Lecture Series, Scales of the Universe (hosted by the following units of the University of Michigan: the Department of Astronomy, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Student Astronomical Society, and the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Mario Mateo (University of Michigan): “Galaxies: Where Space Becomes Time.”
• Saturday, October 20, 2007. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Bradford Orr. “It’s All About Light!”
• Wednesday, October 24, 2007. (4:15PM). Ta-You Wu Lecture (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Frank H. Shu (University of California, San Diego): “The Formation of Stars and Planetary Systems.”
• Saturday, October 27, 2007. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). James Woodward. “Fresnel: Before and After.”
• Friday, November 2, 2007. (7:30PM). Lecture Series, Scales of the Universe (hosted by the following units of the University of Michigan: the Department of Astronomy, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Student Astronomical Society, and the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Niel Brandt (Pennsylvania State University): “A Rich and Evolving Tapestry of Cosmic Structure.”
• Saturday, November 3, 2007. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). James Woodward. “Lightning Lights: the Mercury Float Lighthouse Lens or How you float a 4,000lb lens in 600 lbs of liquid.”
• Saturday, November 3, 2007. (12:20PM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Owen Gingerich. “Four Myths of the Copernican Revolution.”
• Friday, November 16, 2007. (7:30PM). Lecture Series, Scales of the Universe (hosted by the following units of the University of Michigan: the Department of Astronomy, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Student Astronomical Society, and the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Michael Turner (University of Chicago): Mohler Prize Lecture “Quarks to the Cosmos: Connecting the Smallest and Largest Scales.”
• Saturday, December 8, 2007. (9:00AM to 5:00PM). Space Discovery Day (hosted by the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History). See moon rocks (on loan from NASA) and light demonstrations (spectra, absorption and reflection, color, and other topics). View sunspots with the U-M Student Astronomical Society and th University Lowbrow Astronomers (weather permitting), or explore telescope demonstrations indoors. Other demonstrations by the University Lowbrow Astronomers (an astronomical society) and the Air Zoo (from Kalamazoo). NASA Ambassador Michael Foerster will give two talks, “Are We Alone? The Search for Life in the Universe” at 11 am, and “To Infinity, and Beyond! Exploring Space 50 Years After Sputnik” at 1 pm. Mark Deprest of the University Lowbrow Astronomers will talk about “A Chariot, A Plough, A Big Dipper or A Great Bear: The Myths and Stories of the Night Sky” at 2:30 pm. Plus videos of the Apollo moon walks. Planetarium shows at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 ($4.75 per person). Sponsored by State Street Area Association.

Past Events (2008)

• Saturday February 2, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Gus Evrard (Physics, UM). “Adventitious Machinery: Our Heritage as Amplified Noise.”
• Saturday February 9, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Sera Cremonini (Physics, UM). “What is String Theory Anyway?”
• Saturday February 16, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Sera Cremonini (Physics, UM). “String Theory: What is It Good For?”
• Saturday March 8, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Dr. Elena Rasia (Physics, UM). “Modeling the Cosmos—Observations and Simulations.”
• Saturday March 15, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Samuel C. C. Ting (1976 Nobel Laureate, MIT) “Encounters with Modern Physics.”
• Thursday, March 27, 2008. (7:00PM). Public Lecture: “Exploring the Outer Solar System: Present and Future” (hosted by the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics).
• Saturday March 29, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Emeritus Professor Lawrence W. Jones (Physics, UM). “Cosmic Rays.”
• Saturday April 5, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Dragan Huterer (Physics, UM). “Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe.”
• Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6, 2008. (6:00 PM to Midnight). The 12th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs).
• Sunday, September 21, 2008. (2:00-4:30PM). Open house at the Radio Telescope at Peach Mountain (hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department).
• Saturday September 27, 2008. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Scott Watson, (Physics Department, University of Michigan). “Superstring Cosmology or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Inflation.”
• Thursday, October 9, 2008. (7:00PM, refreshments at 6:30PM). MCTP Public Lecture (hosted by the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics). Will Kinney, (Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Buffalo). “The End of the Universe and the Future of Life.”

Past Events (2009)

• Sunday, January 11, 2009. (2-4PM). Science Sundays (hosted by the Saline District Library). Fred Adams (Prof. of Physics, University of Michigan): “Extrasolar Planets: Formation, Migration, and Long Term Evolution.” Saline District Library, Brecon Room.
• Wednesday, January 14, 2009. (5:30-7:30PM). Science Café Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). “Religion and Science.”
• Friday, January 16, 2009. (7:30PM). William R. Farrand Public Lecture (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Tony England, Former Astronaut and Associate Dean of Engineering, U-M: “The Future of NASA.”
• Friday, January 23, 2009. (7:30PM). Astronomy of the 21st Century Distinguished Speaker Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Charles C. Steidel (Caltech): “Witnessing the Formation of Galaxies.”
• Wednesday, January 28, 2009. (7:30PM). Eyes on the Universe Lecture Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Mario Mateo (U-M Astronomy): “Staring into Space: The Telescopes of Modern Astronomy.”
• Thursday, January 29, 2009. (7:30 to 8:30 p.m). Timothy Ferris will discuss his book “Seeing In The Dark: How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering The Wonders Of The Universe” as well as his own thoughts on astronomy and the universe around us (hosted by the 2009 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Program). Towsley Auditorium of the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College. Books will be on sale at this event; a book signing will follow.
• Friday, February 6, 2009. (7:30PM). Astronomy of the 21st Century Distinguished Speaker Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Alan Stern (former NASA Associate Administrator): “A Revolution in Planetary Science.”
• Saturday, February 7, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Timothy McKay, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics (UM Physics): “Four-Hundred Years of Cosmic Discovery: Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy.”
• Sunday, February 8, 2009. (2-4PM). Science Sundays (hosted by the Saline District Library). Matthew Linke (Planetarium Director, University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History): “A Journey through Space.” Saline District Library, Brecon Room.
• Wednesday, February 11, 2009. (5:30-7:30PM). Science Café Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). “Astrobiology.”
• Thursday, February 12, 2009. (7:30PM). Whitesell Memorial Lecture (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Michael Shank (Univ of Wisconsin): “Politics and Astrology in the Galileo Affair.”
• Saturday, February 14, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Ted Bergin (UM Astronomy): “How Earth Got Its Water.”
• Saturday, February 14, 2009. (7-8:30PM). Valentine’s Day Star Party at Matthaei Botanical Gardens (1800 Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan).
• Wednesday, February 18, 2009. (7:30PM). Eyes on the Universe Lecture Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Jon Miller (U-M Astronomy): “Revealing the Universe from Space.”
• Friday, February 20, 2009. (7:30PM). Astronomy of the 21st Century Distinguished Speaker Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Andrea Ghez (UCLA): “Unveiling the Black Hole at the Center of our Galaxy.”
• Sunday, March 1, 2009. (2-4PM). Science Sundays (hosted by the Saline District Library). Brian D. Ottum (President Ottum Research & Consulting): “A Tour of the Universe: Told Through Amateur Astrophotography.” Saline District Library, Brecon Room.
• Saturday, March 7, 2009. (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM). 6th Annual Astronomy Expo & Swap (hosted by the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club and Rider’s Hobby Shops). Holy Cross Church Gymnasium, 30650 Six Mile, Livonia, Michigan. Admission $5.00.
• Saturday, March 7, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Nuria Calvet (UM Astronomy): “Building Planets: When and How?”
• Saturday, March 7, 2009. (8 p.m.-12 midnight). Telescope viewing hosted by the University Lowbrow Astronomers and the Student Astronomical Society. Ingalls Mall on the University of Michigan Central Campus. This event will be held if it is clear or cloudy. If it is cloudy, Modern Languages Building auditorium 4 will be used for astronomy demonstrations. If it is clear, Modern Languages Building auditorium 4 will be available as a warming room and will have refreshments.
• Tuesday, March 10, 2009. (4:00PM). Henry Russel Lecture (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Lennard A. Fisk (U-M Space Sciences).
• Wednesday, March 11, 2009. (5:30-7:30PM). Science Café Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). “Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe.”
• Friday, March 13, 2009. (7:30PM). Astronomy of the 21st Century Distinguished Speaker Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Joseph H. Taylor (Princeton): “Binary Pulsars and Relativistic Gravity.”
• Saturday, March 14, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). University Lowbrow Astronomers: “Amateur Astronomy: From Ann Arbor to the Universe.”
• Wednesday, March 18, 2009. (7:30PM). Eyes on the Universe Lecture Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Thomas Zurbuchen (U-M Space Sciences): “Hot Places, A Michigan Story of the Exploration of Mercury.”
• Saturday, March 21, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Doug Richstone, Lawrence H. Aller Professor of Astronomy (UM Astronomy): “Supermassive Black Holes and the Evolution of Galaxies.”
• Wednesday, March 25, 2009. (4:15PM). Ford Motor Company Distinguished Lecture in Physics (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Alan Guth (MIT). [Note, the time of this event was incorrectly listed earlier].
• Saturday, March 28, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Marta Volonteri (UM Astronomy): “Black Holes along the Cosmic Time.”
• Friday, April 3, 2009. (7:30PM). Astronomy of the 21st Century Distinguished Speaker Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). Fred Adams (U-M Physics): “The Future of our Universe.”
• Saturday, April 4, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Oleg Gnedin (UM Astronomy): “Milky Way Galaxy: Keeper of the Darkest Secrets of the Universe.”
• Saturday, April 4, 2009. (8 p.m.-12 midnight). Telescope viewing hosted by the University Lowbrow Astronomers and the Student Astronomical Society. Ingalls Mall on the University of Michigan Central Campus. This event will be held if it is clear or cloudy. If it is cloudy, Modern Languages Building auditorium 4 will be used for astronomy demonstrations. If it is clear, Modern Languages Building auditorium 4 will be available as a warming room and will have refreshments. See map for directions.
• Wednesday, April 15, 2009. (5:30-7:30PM). Science Café Series (hosted by the LSA Winter 2009 Theme Semester). “Manned vs. Unmanned Space Exploration.”
• Thursday April 30, Friday May 1, Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3, 2009. May be cancelled if it’s cloudy (9:00-10:30pm). Saline Community Star Party (hosted by the Ottum Observatory).
• Sunday, September 20, 2009. (2:00-4:30PM). Open House at Peach Mountain Radio Telescope. Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department.
• Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26, 2009. (6:00 PM to Midnight). The 13th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs).
• Sunday, October 11, 2009. (4:00PM). Special Club Meeting with Brother Guy Consolmagno (Vatican Astronomer).
• Monday, October 12, 2009. (1:00 to 2:00 PM). The Galileo Affair: A Modern Perspective. Presented by Brother Guy Consolmagno (Vatican Astronomer). (Hosted by the University of Michigan-Dearborn Department of Astronomy). 1500 SSB on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
• Saturday, October 31, 2009. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Keith Riles (U-M Physics): “Light of The Living Dead: The Remarkable Radiation from Neutron Stars.”

Past Events (2010)

• Saturday, March 6, 2010. (9:00AM-4:00PM). 7th Annual Astronomy Expo & Swap. (Hosted by the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club). Holy Cross Church Gymnasium, 30650 Six Mile, Livonia, Michigan.
• Saturday, March 13, 2010. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Leo Pando-Zayas (U-M Physics): “Black Holes and Chaos in String Theory.”
• Wednesday, March 17, 2010. (4:15 P.M.) Ford Motor Company Distinguished Lecture in Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Terry Tao (University of California, Los Angeles): “The Cosmic Distance Ladder.”
• Friday, September 10 & Saturday, September 11, 2010. (6:00 PM to Midnight). The 14th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs). There is no admission fee to attend but a Metropark vehicle pass is required. (Vehicle pass can be purchased at the gate for a fee of $5.00).
• Thursday, September 16, 2010. (4:00 PM). Hero Astronaut Lands at UM! Enjoy a Free SPACE Chat with Apollo Astronaut Al Worden (1360 East Hall, University of Michigan).
• Sunday, September 19, 2010. (2:00-4:30PM). Open House at Peach Mountain Radio Telescope. Hosted by the University of Michigan Astronomy Department.
• Saturday, October 16, 2010. (10:30 AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ (Curator of the Vatican Meteorite Collection, Vatican Observatory): “Comets and Cappuccinos: How a Coffee Break Helped Change the Way We Understand the Solar System.”
• Saturday, December 4, 2010. (9AM to 5PM). Cosmic Discovery Day. (Hosted by the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History).
• Saturday, December 11, 2010. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). “An Experiment to Explore the Mysteries of Space: The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station.” University of Michigan Physics Alumnus Samuel C. C. Ting (BSE ’50, PhD ’63) of M.I.T. presented the 2010 Ta-You Wu Lecture in Physics. Ting is the architect of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an instrument scheduled for launch in February that will search for signatures of dark matter and an answer to the question: What is the universe made of?

Past Events (2011)

• Saturday, February 19, 2011. (10:30AM). Saturday Morning Physics (hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department). Professor Nilton O. Renno (University of Michigan Atmospheric, Oceanic & Space Sciences): “The Discovery of Liquid Saline Water on Mars.”
• Friday, September 9 & Saturday, September 10, 2011. (6:00 PM to Midnight). The 15th Annual “Astronomy at the Beach” at Kensington Metropark. Hosted by GLAAC (the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs). There is no admission fee to attend but a Metropark vehicle pass is required. (Vehicle pass can be purchased at the gate for a fee of $5.00).
• Saturday, October 15, 2011. Saturday Morning Physics. Jeffrey McMahon (UM Physics). “Cosmology with the Cosmic Microwave Background.” Hosted by the University of Michigan Physics Department.

Current Events

• Current Events.

Links

• Astronomy Calendar.
• The Home Page for the University Lowbrow Astronomers.
• The University of Michigan Astronomy Department.
• The University of Michigan Gateway.
• A List of Other Astronomy Clubs in SE Michigan.
• Other Astronomy Related Pages.

Copyright Info

Copyright © 2012, the University Lowbrow Astronomers. (The University Lowbrow Astronomers are an amateur astronomy club based in Ann Arbor, Michigan).

This page revised Monday, December 26, 2011 4:25 PM.

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