Minutes of the December 2015 meeting of the AAAP

Posted on January 7, 2016 by ST Editors

by James Poinsett, Secretary

  • Rex called the meeting to order.
  • Bob Vanderbei showed the club the gif he made using his photographs of the Moon occulting Venus.
  • Rex then showed pictures from the field trip to the US Naval Observatory.
  • The roof on the north side of the observatory has been finished. We are advised not to lean a ladder against the roof, if you need to clear snow off the roof use a step-ladder and broom so you don’t damage the roof.
  • Mike Mitrano talked about enlarging the flap at the south end of the observatory to enable adding additional equipment to the mount with the HB refractor. His request for $600 for parts and labor was approved by the board.
  • The C-14s have been swapped. The new one is mounted, balanced and is running. Some minor alignment may need to be done. Rex will place an ad on Astromart to sell the original C14.
  • Suggestions are being taken for equipment to add to the south mount at the observatory.
  • The lock has been moved to the first gate.
  • John and Gene are going to winterize the observatory on Dec 9th.
  • On January 9, the closest conjunction of Venus and Saturn for a decade will occur.
  • On May 9th, there is a transit of Mercury across the sun. Plans will be made to view it with the HB refractor making it one of the few telescopes to view transits in 3 different centuries.
  • It was noted that the club should start making plans for the August 2017 total solar eclipse.
  • There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.
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Navigating to the Moon: a View from the Apollo Guidance Computer – Jan. 12

Posted on December 30, 2015 by ST Editors

by Ira Polans, Program Chair

The January AAAP meeting will be held on the 12th at 7:30 PM in Peyton Hall on the Princeton University campus. The talk will be by Frank O’Brien, an expert in spaceflight history, and is entitled “Navigating to the Moon: a View from the Apollo Guidance Computer”.

Prior to the meeting, there will be a meet-the-speaker dinner at Winberies, Palmer Square in Princeton at 5:45 PM. This is 15 minutes earlier than the usual start time. If you wish to attend please email program@princetonastronomy.org no later than noon on January 12.

A flight to the moon seems impossibly complex, especially given the technological state of the art in the 1960’s. While the details are indeed formidable, the concepts are shockingly easy to understand.

Frank O’Brien

Frank O’Brien

Frank O’Brien will discuss the major hardware elements used in the Apollo spacecraft to voyage from the Earth to the Moon and back home again. The three key components—the computer, inertial platform, and the optics system will be presented as an integrated system. The basic questions of spaceflight navigation (i.e. Which way is up? Where am I? Where am I going?) will build upon one another to show the techniques to navigate to our nearest celestial neighbor. Although we will focus on flights to the Moon, the concepts are applicable for missions throughout the Solar System.

As a bonus , he will discuss the details of how to land on the Moon (If you find yourself in such a situation, it’s best to be prepared!)

Apollo Guidance Computer

Apollo Guidance Computer

Frank O’Brien has lent his spaceflight history expertise to NASA for 20 years as a contributing editor for NASA’s Apollo Lunar Surface Journal and is co-editor the Apollo Flight Journal. From this work, Frank was invited to the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island to help in their May 2002 reopening. He prepared a rare Lunar Module Mission Simulator for exhibition, wrote software for their Lunar Module cockpit trainer, and prepared an Apollo space suit for the museum’s Apollo 11 diorama.

His background on the lunar missions and computing led him to write a well-received book on the Apollo Guidance Computer, which will be available for purchase and signing following the talk. Frank is now working on a new book on Apollo spacecraft engineering. In 2011, Frank became a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  He lectures several times a year on a range of space topics. Frank has always been passionate about aviation, and was a pilot and aircraft owner for 25 years.

Since 2003, Frank has volunteered at the Infoage Science/History Center in Wall, New Jersey where he curates an early Apollo Guidance Computer, lectures, gives tours and helps with the organization’s public outreach efforts. Located at the site of Camp Evans, a National Historic Landmark, Infoage was recently awarded the IEEE Milestone Award for its TIROS 1 tracking station.

Frank is a 1979 computer science graduate of Rutgers University, and he later returned to Rutgers to earn his MBA. His day job as a database administrator for Colgate-Palmolive is far less interesting than thinking about trips to the moon.

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From the Director

Posted on December 7, 2015 by ST Editors

Rexby Rex Parker, PhD  director@princetonastronomy.org

Solar Eclipse Triptych by Howard Russell Butler.  Last month before the AAAP speaker dinner, six of us were escorted to an upper floor of the Princeton Firestone Library to see the famed Howard Russell Butler solar eclipse paintings from the 1920’s.  These scientifically and historically significant renderings are perhaps the highest expression of eclipse art, which dates as far back as the early Renaissance interpretations of the phenomenon.  We were amazed at the shimmering colors and detail of the prominences and corona in these remarkable paintings.

Butler was invited to participated in the 1918 solar eclipse expedition with the US Naval Observatory because of his uncanny ability to paint detailed astronomical images using contemporaneous notes on spatial and color details of the object.  The newly conserved paintings at the Firestone are the half-size version of the larger triptych which wound up at the Hayden Planetarium when it was first built in the mid-1930s.  A small version is also at the Fels Planetarium at the Franklin Institute and another series of solar prominence art by Russell are held by the American Museum of Natural History.  His paintings of Mars as seen from its moons Phobos and Deimos, and the Earth from our Moon, are also owned by Princeton University.  His technique and astronomy knowledge enabled him to surpass the quality of solar photography at the time.  (citation: Pasachoff JM and Olson RM, abstracts, American Astronomical Soc. Meetings, 2013 and 2014).

AAAP members visit the Princeton Firestone Library to view the Butler eclipse paintings Nov 10, from left: John Giles, Henry Kugel, Tony Coventry, Ira Polans, Rex Parker, Arshad Gilani

AAAP members visit the Princeton Firestone Library to view the Butler eclipse paintings Nov 10, from left: John Giles, Henry Kugel, Tony Coventry, Ira Polans, Rex Parker and Arshad Gilani

Year in the Mirror.  As we head toward solstice and the conclusion of 2015, a look into the mirror seems appropriate.  It’s been a wonderful year for me as Director of the AAAP.  We’ve had great speaker presentations and outstanding public outreach and astronomy experiences at the observatory.  Here are a few highlights of what we accomplished together in the AAAP over the past year.

December 2014:  The 3-meter aluminum Observa-Dome was donated to the Carolina Skies Astronomy Club.  We transferred it from storage, and they trucked it to NC to be part of their new observatory for outreach and community college programs.

January 2015:  Moved our monthly meetings to Green Hall as Peyton underwent extensive renovations.  Acquired significant new astro hardware from the family of Roy Thomas Dixey of Manalapan NJ.

February:  Special AAAP tour of Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL) highlighting the fusion research program.

April:  Equipment upgrades at Washington Crossing Observatory:  installed a new Paramount ME to control the historic Hastings refractor and a 5-in apochromatic refractor with a Mallincam video camera on the old C14 and Paramount.

May:  Unveiled the new astro equipment at the Observatory.  Membership approved expenditure proposal for $5000 for continued computer and equipment upgrades.

June:  Cherry Springs observing trip rained out so we made up for it with a well-attended members’ night at WC Observatory.  All summer long the Observatory Keyholders did a great job running the facility with large public turnout on clear Friday nights.

September:  Returned to the renovated Peyton Hall for our monthly meetings.

October:  The club’s first-ever Astro Auction was held at the pavilion in WC Park on Oct 18, with a good turnout and excellent results. The club made nearly $3000 and placed many telescopes, eyepieces, mounts, and books into the hands of club members.

November:  Field trip to the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC on Nov 2.  Fourteen members and significant others made the special night tour of the historically and scientifically important USNO.  Reconstruction of the WC Observatory north roof, a long-standing problem, was completed by dedicated core team of members.  On Nov 10 prior to the monthly meeting, several members joined for a brief viewing of the famous but rarely seen Howard Russell Butler solar eclipse triptych in the Firestone Library.

December:  Replaced the original Celestron C14 with a newer C14 – an instrument with better optical performance and Fastar capability.  The hardware swap was completed and alignment of the telescope is underway.

Timekeeping Insights from the USNO. Clocks are based on exactly 24.00 hour days, while a solar day (the period between solar transits) varies and is seldom exactly this value.  In December, the span from one solar noon to the next is 24 hours plus about a half a minute.  For example, the sun reaches its southernmost (noon) position about seven minutes earlier on Dec 7 than Dec 21.  The function expressing the relationship between apparent solar time and accurate clock time is more complex, as shown in the graph below (credit, U.S. Naval Observatory) which shows the equation of time. Above the axis the sundial is faster than the clock, and below the axis the sundial lags behind the clock.

Equation of Time

Equation of Time

Next Meeting at Peyton Hall (7:30 pm, Dec 8). Our tradition of interesting and inspiring speaker presentations continues this month with a talk by NASA Ambassador Ken Kremer, PhD.  He will discuss “America’s Human Path Back to Space and Mars with Orion, Starliner, and  Dragon”.  Check out the announcement by Program Chair Ira Polans and on the AAAP website http://www.princetonastronomy.org/.

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America’s Human Path Back to Space – Dec. 8 Meeting

Posted on November 20, 2015 by ST Editors

by Ira Polans, Program Chair

IMG_3410a_STS 135_ Ken KremerThe December meeting will be held on the 8th at 7:30 PM in Peyton Hall. The talk will be by Dr. Ken Kremer of Universe Toady and AAAP. The talk is entitled “America’s Human Path Back to Space and Mars with Orion, Starliner, and Dragon”. After the talk, a selection of Ken’s Space photos will be available for sale.

Prior to the meeting, there will be a meet-the-speaker dinner at Winberies, Palmer Square in Princeton at 5:45PM. This is 15 minutes earlier than the usual start time. If you wish to attend please email program@princetonastronomy.org no later than noon on December 8.

Dr. Ken Kremer will outline NASA’s plans for resuming a human path back to space and the road to Mars from American soil aboard the new Orion and commercial Boeing Starliner, and SpaceX Dragon capsules. Ken will give an inside account of NASA’s development of private astronaut ‘taxis’ to the ISS in Earth orbit and the manned ‘Journey to Mars’ with Orion and the mammoth SLS rocket. He will discuss the critical Dec. 2014 first test-flight of Orion from the Kennedy Space Center and the NASA’s next steps in human spaceflight to the space station and beyond. Ken will briefly update us on NASA’s ongoing Mars rovers, Curiosity and Opportunity, and the upcoming InSight Mars lander and Webb space telescope.

Ken Kremer is a journalist, Ph.D. research scientist, speaker and photographer based in New Jersey. His space and Mars images and writings have been widely published by National Geographic, NBC, ABC, BBC and Fox News, PBS NOVA TV, Scientific American, APOD, NASA, Aviation Week, Astronomy, Astronomy Now, Space.com, Spaceflight Now, Spaceflight, New Scientist, Planetary Society, Popular Mechanics, Universe Today, NASA Watch, Wired, Science News, All About Space, AmericaSpace, NPR, Mars Society, International Year of Astronomy, 2010 Year in Space Calendar, Aviation Week, Spaceflight and the Explorers Club. Ken’s Curiosity Mars mosaic is on permanent display on the National Mall at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, DC. His Starliner photo was featured in a new book by Buzz Aldrin. Please visit Ken’s website for more information.

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Neutrinos and the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics

Posted on November 17, 2015 by ST Editors

by S. Prasad Ganti

Last year I wrote about neutrinos, the mystery particles, based on the book I read entitled “The Neutrino Hunters” by Ray Jayawardhana. This year, the Nobel Prize in Physics went to Takaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald who led two different neutrino experiments in two different parts of the world. In fact, the book by Jayawardhana is referenced on the http://www.nobelprize.org site, which has more details on the prize and the prize winners. The site is very informative compared to what gets reported in the general media.

Around the turn of the millennium, Takaaki Kajita discovered that neutrinos from the atmosphere switch between two identities on their way to the Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan. Meanwhile, Arthur McDonald in Canada demonstrated that neutrinos from the Sun were not disappearing on their way to Earth. Instead they were captured with a different identity when arriving at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.

Neutrinos are mysterious particles. Italian for “little one”, they weigh very little and do not have any electrical charge. Earlier in the nineteenth century, Wolfgang Pauli found some energy missing when a beta decay occurs. A beta decay is a form of radioactivity in which unstable elements change their form and structure. For example, C14 (carbon) has eight neutrons and six protons. During a beta decay, one of the neutrons splits into an electron and a proton. The new nucleus with seven protons and seven electrons is N14 (nitrogen). Pauli explained the missing energy as that of a neutrino.

When passing through a huge tank of water in a detector, a large number of neutrinos may produce a few muons that produce a blue light called Cherenkov cones. Cosmic rays also generate muons in Earth’s atmosphere. Going deep inside Earth’s surface or underwater is filters out the cosmic ray muons. Cosmic rays decrease as one goes deeper inside the Earth, but upward moving neutrinos from other side of the Earth also pass through the detector.

In 1956, Frederick Reines and Clyde Cowan detected neutrinos near a nuclear reactor for the first time. The 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics went to Reines. In 1968, Ray Davis detected solar neutrinos deep inside Homestake mine in South Dakota. Kamiokande detector in Japan, also known as Super K, detected the first neutrinos from outside of the solar system from the 1987A supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way located 160,000 light years away. Ray Davis and Masatoshi Koshiba,the Director of Super K, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002.

The third Nobel Prize for neutrinos in 2015 was given for discovering a new phenomenon – neutrino oscillations, which means that neutrinos change their form between three different types. Unless all the three type are detected, it is not possible to account for all the neutrinos generated in the Sun and come to the Earth. That is what Takaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald did to win the prize in 2015. They solved the mystery of the missing neutrinos.

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From the Director

Posted on November 8, 2015 by ST Editors

Rex

by Rex Parker, PhD, Director 
director@princetonastronomy.org

 

Astro Auction – success!  Members browsing the equipment on display at the Washington Crossing Park pavilion on Oct 18 could hardly believe the great prices and values offered! From 3”, 4”, and 6” refractors to 6”, 8”, and 10” reflectors, several good equatorial mounts and a variety of eyepieces. Almost all the items were sold and taken home.  Through Astromart.com, we sold the classic red 6” Edmund Newtonian the next day – the buyer was thrilled and grateful.  The only items remaining now are a few eyepieces and books which will be available at upcoming regular meetings.  As result, we gained a lot of space at the Observatory where all the items were stored.  I’d like to extend a big thank you to all AAAP’ers who participated in the auction, and especially thank Jim Poinsett for storing some of the equipment at his house for almost a year, and Gene Ramsey for running the eyepiece auction at the event. In all, the club Treasury gained over $2800 and put some excellent astro equipment into members’ hands.AAAP 2a

AAAP 11a

Tour of USNO and Smithsonian Air and Space, Washington.  Fourteen intrepid AAAP members and spouses travelled to Washington D.C. on November 2 for a special tour of the US Naval Observatory.  Located not far from DuPont Circle, the USNO has a long history of serving the Navy and the nation’s astrometry needs (http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO). Their mission is to determine the positions of celestial bodies, the motions of the earth, and precise time.  USNO provides the astronomical and timing data required by the Navy, Air Force, and other parts of the DoD for navigation, precise positioning, and command, control and communications.  They also make these data available to other government agencies and to the public — the essential basis for the GPS we’ve come to depend upon in our daily lives.

AAAP 6aAmong several telescopes on the premises are two Clark f/15 refractors, a 26-in and a 12-in (photo below) from the 1860s.  The night was clear, so the 26” was in use and off-limits to us, but we did get to observe the double star Albireo through the 12”.   We toured the main building (Richard Morris Hunt architect), which includes a circular library containing perhaps the most complete collection of astronomical titles anywhere in the US.  On display were some valuable and very rare books including a 1500’s printing of Copernicus’ De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (“On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”) and Newton’s 1700’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (“Principia”).

AAAP 5b
Earlier in the day some of us visited the Smithsonian Air and Space museum.  That’s a picture of Ira and me next to the business end of an Apollo Saturn-V rocket!  I’d like to thank Ira for arranging the USNO tour, on behalf of all who went on this fascinating field trip to Washington D.C.

Paul HalpernNext Meeting at Peyton Hall (7:30 pm, Nov 10). Our tradition of interesting and inspiring speaker presentations continues this month with a talk by Paul Halpern.  He is Professor of Physics at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and author of the book Einstein’s Dice and Schrodinger’s Cat.  Check out the announcement by Program Chair Ira Polans here for more information.

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Boeing ‘Starliner’ Astronaut Taxi Spaceship Takes Shap

Posted on November 6, 2015 by ST Editors
IMG_0937_1a_CST 100_Ken Kremer

Mockup of Boeing CST-100 crew capsule that carries four person crews to the ISS. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – ‘Starliner’ is the new name of America’s next spaceship. The new commercial craft from Boeing will restore America’s capability to launch American astronauts from American soil to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2017.

The magnificent  capsule is already taking shape! Built by Boeing, Starliner was officially announced by Boeing and NASA as the new name of the company’s CST-100 commercial crew transportation spacecraft during the Grand Opening event for the craft’s manufacturing facility at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, Sept 4. 2015, which I attended as media for Universe Today.

IMG_9471_1a_Boeing CST-100_Ken Kremer

This is the lower segment of the first Starliner crew module. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

Starliner counts as history’s first privately developed ‘Space Taxi’ to carry humans to space – along with the Crew Dragon being simultaneously developed by SpaceX.  It is ushering in the new commercial era of space flight and will completely revolutionize how we access, explore and exploit space for the benefit of all mankind.  The vehicle is mostly automated for ease of operation and is capable of transporting astronaut crews of four or more to low Earth orbit and the ISS as soon as mid 2017, if all goes well and Congress approves the required funding.

The ‘Starliner’ will be produced in Boeing’s newly revamped manufacturing facility dubbed the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) on site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.   The building was previously known as Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-3) and used by NASA to process the agency’s space shuttle orbiters between crewed flights during the three decade long space shuttle program.

IMG_3550_1a_Boeing CST-100_Ken Kremer

Upper half of first Boeing CST-100 ‘Starliner’ space taxi unveiled on Sept. 4, 2015 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

Starliner will launch on an Atlas V from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It can dock at the ISS within 24 hours and can stay docked for 6 months.  NASA Administrator Charles Bolden awarded Boeing a $4.2 billion contract in September 2014 to complete development and manufacture of the CST-100 space taxi under the agency’s Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) program and NASA’s Launch America initiative.

The commercial crew program is designed to return human spaceflight launches to the United States and end our sole-source reliance on Russia and the Soyuz capsule for all manned flights to the ISS.

For complete details about the Boeing Starliner, see my recent articles and photos at Universe Today and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kremerken1

http://www.universetoday.com/122156/boeing-starliner-crew-spaceship-americas-next-ride-to-space-takes-shape/

Astronomy Outreach by Dr. Ken Kremer

Atlas/Cygnus Launch to ISS: Dec 1-3, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL. Evening outreach  at Quality Inn, Titusville, FL

America’s Human Path Back to Space and Mars with Orion, Starliner and Dragon: Dec 8, 7:30 PM, AAAP, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Please contact Ken for more info, science outreach presentations and his space photos. Email: kremerken@yahoo.com   website:  www.kenkremer.com http://www.universetoday.com/author/ken-kremer/ https://www.facebook.com/kremerken1

 

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Minutes of the October 13th, 2015 AAAP Meeting

Posted on November 5, 2015 by ST Editors

by James Poinsett, Secretary

  • Rex called the meeting to order and listed a few items for discussion after the lecture.
  • Ira introduced the speaker, Scott Nammacher and his talk “Observatory Design, One Person’s Approach”.
  • After a short break Rex re-convened the meeting.
  • The topic of “StarQuest” was brought up; Rex wants members to think about it. Keep it an observing only event, try to expand its scope or drop it all together. This will be discussed at a future meeting.
  • The lunar eclipse of late September was clouded out, no local viewing possible.
  • There is a planetary conjunction coming in the morning sky. Three planets in one binocular view.
  • A tour of the US Naval Observatory is set for November 2nd. Those who expressed interest have the information.
  • There were no volunteers to organize the club picnic on October 18th. The auction and observing session will go on as planned; Rex discussed many of the items that will be available. There will be snacks provided by the club.
  • Michael Mitrano brought to the club’s attention the problems with the flat roof portion of the observatory and how to repair it. He volunteered himself and a few other club members to do the work. The board approved $750 for materials.
  • Specifications for the new computers for the observatory will be finalized for the next meeting.
  • Speakers have already been lined up for the next several meetings.
  • The updated website is almost ready to go live.
  • The club is seeking more publicity than the traditional print outlets to announce club events. Rex is going to write an article about the club to be distributed.
  • We have several outreach opportunities coming up:
    • October 20th – North Brunswick
    • October 27th – Kendall Park
    • November 12th – Stuart Country Day School
  • There being no further new or old business the meeting was adjourned.
Posted in November 2015, Sidereal Times | Leave a comment

Simpson Observatory Roof Repairs

Posted on November 2, 2015 by ST Editors

by Michael Mitrano

image001The roof repair team had a productive day and a half this weekend (10/31 and 11/115) at the observatory.  Many layers of old roofing, the plywood roof deck, a rotted rafter, and all of the exterior trim around the north (fixed) roof were removed on Saturday.  The new rafter, decking, trim, and roof membrane are in place.  We made adjustments to the roof pitch so that the lower half of the roof chain (which travels through a pipe) no longer penetrates the roof surface.  A little work remains to be done around the edges of the roof, where the membrane needs to be folded down over the trim, glued with a different glue, and held permanently in place with aluminum “termination bars”.  The roof will be fine in ordinary rain for a while, and I hope that Dave and I can take care of this within the next 10 days.  We also need to add a new vent for the lavatory.  The roof is now operable.

unnamedMuch sawdust has been cleaned up from the interior, but the bathroom and control room are mostly empty with all the computer equipment having been moved to the other end of the observatory away from the mess.  I’d suggest that we not put the old computer back, but wait for the new one – hopefully we can discuss this at the next meeting.
I suspect that we will have much less winter roof jamming in the future.  The new membrane is thinner than the old roofing material, and in some places it looked like we removed four to five layers of old roofing.  The old framing also ran “downhill” into the observatory on part of the west edge of the roof. We made adjustments to the framing so everything now pitches in the right direction.

unnamed (1)unnamed (2)

I’d like to thank Dave Skitt, John Delaney, and Gene Allen, who worked hard on both days.  Tom Swords helped rip off the roof on Saturday.  John Church and Gene Ramsay supported us and were also kind enough to bring in lunch.  We all had a good time and the results look great.

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Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat – Nov. 10

Posted on October 25, 2015 by ST Editors

Paul HalpernOur November 10th public lecture and AAAP meeting will be held at 7:30 PM in Peyton Hall. The talk will be presented by well-known physicist and science author, Paul Halpern.

Dr. Halpern will discuss his latest book – “Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat; How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics.”   This new publication will be available for sale at the meeting, along with a book-signing.

Dr. Halpern was the recipient of a prestigious 2002 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship Award. He was among 184 artists, scholars and scientists nationally selected to receive a fellowship from more than 2,800 applicants. Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment. He used the fellowship award to examine the history of the notion of higher dimensions in science, as well as the impact of this idea upon popular culture. His research, “The Concept of Dimensionality in Science,” covered the period from the mid-19th century, when the idea of the fourth dimension was first introduced, until the late 20th century, when scientists developed 10 and 11 dimensional models of the universe.

A recipient of the Athenaeum Society Literary Award, he has published numerous research articles in the fields of general relativity, cosmology, chaos theory and complexity. In 1996, he was a Fulbright Scholar to Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, where he studied evolutionary algorithms. Please join us for what will be an informative and interesting talk!

A members-only, meet-the-speaker dinner will begin at 6:00 PM at Winberie’s Restaurant. Members, please RSVP via email to program@princetonastronomy.org for a reservation.

Peyton Hall is home to the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, and is located on Ivy lane next to Palmer Stadium on the Princeton University campus.

Posted in October 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment