Where Bill Gates' Great-Granddaughter will go on her Honeymoon
Presented by Wonderfest, the Mt. Tam Astronomy Program, Friends of Mt. Tam, San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Mount Tamalpais State Park.
Using spectacular images from space probes and the world's largest telescopes, we will explore the most intriguing future "tourist destinations" among the planets and moons in our cosmic neighborhood. Among our stops will be the 4,000-mile lava channel on Venus, the towering Mount Olympus volcano on Mars (three times the height of Mount Everest), and the awesome Verona Cliffs on the moon Miranda (which are the tallest "lover's leap" in the solar system).
A nontechnical talk by Andrew Fraknoi
Speaker
Andrew Fraknoi
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College's Astronomy Instructor, is an award-winning science educator and a scientist who is nationally known for his skill in interpreting astronomical discoveries and ideas in everyday language. At Foothill he has been teaching courses that use analogies and regular doses of humor to make astronomy and physics come alive. Radio and television audiences have enjoyed his clear explanations on many local and national programs for more than 25 years.
Before coming to Foothill, Fraknoi taught at San Francisco State, and served as the Executive Director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, an international scientific and educational organization. He has edited two collections of science articles and science fiction stories for Bantam Books, and is the lead author of Voyages through the Universe (1997, 2000, 2004, Brooks-Cole), which has become one of the leading introductory astronomy textbooks in the world. He founded Family ASTRO, a project to bring astronomy activities and games to diverse families in seven regional sites around the U.S. During his career, he has given over 400 public lectures in astronomy on such topics as "Is There Good Real Estate and are There Real Estate Agents on Other Worlds?"and "Why Falling into a Black Hole is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience."
Asteroid 4859 has been named Asteroid Fraknoi by the International Astronomical Union to honor his work in sharing the excitement of modern astronomy with students, teachers, and the public.
If rain seems likely, call 415-455-5370
Paul Salazar, the Urban Astronomer, will present a laser-guided tour of the night sky, and that the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers will offer their telescopes for public viewing, weather permitting.
Map Link: http://goo.gl/maps/xYwq0
For most up to date information, please visit: http://www.bayareascience.org/event/the-top-tourist-sights-in-the-solar-system/
