The Tides that Unbind (the Jovian Laplace Resonance)

Laplace's explanation of the special 4:2:1 orbit ratio of Jupiter's 3 innermost Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede) bears his name today as "Laplace resonance".  For centuries Astronomers have assumed that the Jovian Laplace resonance was a stable phenomenon.  However recent observations have shown that the Laplace resonance of the Jovian system is breaking, in part due to tidal forces.  The loss of the Laplace resonance will have a profound impact on the Galilean moons including the extinguishing of Io's volcanoes and the freezing of an ocean that has been predicted to exist under the surface of Europa.

On 2012 June 5, we will have the pleasure to watch the Transit of Venus: a rare and wondrous event when Venus will pass in front of the Sun for a few hours.  You will have the opportunity to view an event that has been seen only 6 times in history (in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882, and 2004).  The next Transit after June 5 will be in the year 2117.  I will briefly explain how two observers from different locations on Earth may use the Transit to Measure the distance to the Sun.  You will be given information on where, when and how to view this special event.

This talk is intended for a general audience.  No special knowledge of Astronomy is required.

Speaker: Landon Curt Noll, Mathematician, Astronomer