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Classes

Using Your Telescope
Bryan White, Museum astronomy instructor
Learn more about using your telescope. Spend the first session in the classroom, learning the ins and outsof using your telescope. During the second class, bring in your telescope and get hands-on help with using it.
Tuesday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 18
7:00–9:00 p.m.
Classroom 301
$30 member, $40 nonmember

Lectures

60 Minutes in Space: Beyond the Headlines
A curator from the Space Sciences Department will bring you up to date each month on what's happening in the cosmos.

Friday, March 26
Friday, April 30
Friday, June 25
Friday, July 30

All shows 7:00 p.m.
VIP Room
Free, no reservations required

Telescopes of the World
Dr. Dimitri Klebe, curator of space sciences
Dr. Dimitri Klebe will discuss the fundamentals of how telescopes work and how they are used to collect valuable astronomical data.  Dr. Klebe will highlight some of the largest ground-based telescopes, including the Gemini telescopes, the Keck, and the VLT (Very Large Telescope) in South America. He will also discuss NASA's great observatories in space.
Wednesday, April 14
12:15 p.m.
Ricketson Auditorium
Admission is free

What's New on Mars?
Mission Update on the Mars Exploration Rovers
Dr. Steve Lee, curator of planetary science
The twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, successfully landed on Mars in January 2004 and have been roaming across Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum looking for signs of ancient water. Steve Lee will give an update on the mission's progress, using the latest images and high-definition video received from NASA. He will describe the scientific results, and discuss how our understanding of the history of the Red Planet is being rewritten by these remarkable "robotic field geologists."
Monday, April 19
7:00 p.m.
Phipps IMAX Theater
$10 member, $13 nonmember, $8 student

Buying a Telescope
Bryan White, Museum telescope operator
Tuesday, May 4
6:30– 8:30 p.m.
Ricketson Auditorium
$20 member, $25 nonmember

Mars Exploration Update
Dr. Steven Lee, curator of planetary science
Dr. Steve Lee will give an update on recent results from the Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express missions. Dr. Lee will also give a progress report on the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Context Imager (CTX), two camera systems that will be launched to Mars in 2005 aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Steve is a member of the Science Team building MARCI and CTX.
Wednesday, May 26
12:15 p.m.
Ricketson Auditorium
Admission is free

The Best Images of 2003/2004
Robert Nemiroff, author
Robert Nemiroff is co-founder of the hugely popular astronomy Web site called Astronomy Picture of the Day, which currently receives over 2 million hits per week. Nemiroff and co-founder Jerry Bonnell have recently published The Universe: 365 Days, a collection of 365 of the most stunning images featured on their site over the past eight years. Mr. Nemiroff's talk will include a presentation of selected images and the story behind each picture, followed by questions from the audience. The book will be available for sale and signing following the lecture.
Wednesday, June 2
7:00 p.m.
Phipps IMAX Theater
$10 member; $13 nonmember; $8 student