The work of comet-hunter and nebulae cataloger
Charles Messier comes alive in March of each year as amateur
astronomers
participate in a one night search for all of the objects in his catalog
of
nebulae, star clusters and galaxies. By a quirk of fate, we are
fortunate
that most of the objects Messier and Méchain took 24 years to
discover
can be
observed in one night around the time of the vernal
equinox. Members are
encouraged to bring a good pair of binoculars or a telescope and
participate in
this one night race across the sky.
Please Note: This
session is for KAS Members and their guests
only. If you'd like to attend then
JOIN
the KAS today! Our
regular pubic sessions will resume in April.
Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the completion of his
3-year-long contract with Lunar Industries, mining Earth's primary
source of energy on the dark side of the moon. Alone with only the
base's vigilant computer Gerty (voiced by Oscar-Winner Kevin Spacey,
1999 Best Actor,
American
Beauty) as his sole companion,
Bell's extended isolation has taken its toll. His only link to the
outside world comes from satellite messages from his wife and young
daughter. He longs to return home, but a
terrible accident on the lunar surface leads to a disturbing discovery
that contributes to his growing sense of paranoia and dislocation so
many miles away from home. Moon is an engrossing, intelligent sci-fi
thriller that ranks with genre classics like
2001: A Space Odyssey.
Admission is FREE! The KAS will provide the popcorn and soft drinks. You just need to show up and have a great time!
Directions:
Head north up the Howard Street hill from the intersection of Howard and Stadium Drive. Turn right onto W. Michigan Ave. and then go left at the round-a-bout. Turn right into the employee/student parking lot. Parking is perfectly safe and free for anyone all day on Saturday. Rood Hall is located just past Everett Tower.
Carl
Sagan said it best: “We are made of star stuff”. Stars are born, live their lives and
die. The most massive stars die in
cataclysmic explosions called supernova. During this process they spread their
newly-made elements across the Galaxy where they’re later used in a new
generation of stars. The Sun, its
planets, and YOU are made from recycled star stuff. Join us as Will Millar talks about the death
stages of medium and high mass stars and how these end stages create the
chemical elements used to make living organisms.
About the
Speaker:
Will Millar teaches astronomy at Grand Rapids Community
College and is the author of
The Amateur
Astronomer’s Introduction to the Celestial Sphere. Mr. Millar is also a member
of both the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society and Grand Rapids Amateur
Astronomical Association.
