By Tom Keener
Do you ever wonder upon a star? For centuries, stars offered direction for travelers on land and sea, and the intrigue of unknown faraway worlds still captures our imagination. Texas Astronomical Society president Joe Lalumia will discuss basic elements and current developments of astronomy at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 22, at the Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive, 75013.
Following the 45-minute presentation, guests will go outside and view the stars. Sponsored by ALLen Reads, this program is free.
An instructor of Beginning Astronomy at Richland College, a class that is free and open to the general public, Joe also writes a weekly blog at www.neighborsgo.com/boatman where he promotes The Texas Astronomical Society and the hobby of astronomy. His telescope equipment includes an LX90, an ETX 125, a 10-inch Dobsonian, and an Atlas EQ-G mount holding an Astro-Tech 6-inch RC scope.
Declaring “You can never have enough telescopes!” Joe emphasizes, “Professional astronomers do not look through telescopes! They investigate data that telescopes gather, and attempt to analyze what the scopes are ‘seeing’ in various wavelengths of light.”
Although professional astronomers typically have degrees in physics or astrophysics, amateur astronomers have varied education and career backgrounds. A classic example of this, Joe served as a manager in the food distribution business for 30 years.
For more information on the Texas Astronomical Society, visit www.texasastro.org or http://vimeo.com/channels/tas. Serving amateur astronomers since 1955, TAS membership is open to anyone with an interest in the night sky. The club has over 400 members and meets monthly at the University of Texas Dallas.
Rocket Boys, the book on which the film October Sky is based, is ALLen Reads selection this year and the book’s author, Homer Hickam, will appear at the Allen Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 11. Rocket Boys is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.
For more information, call 214-509-4911.
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