ASTRONOMY A LA CARTE - NIGHT SESSION Monday evenings 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Starting January 21, 2019 at the Southworth Planetarium (www.usm.maine.edu/planet) What is "Astronomy a la Carte?" Simple. This course consists of 12 "stand alone" astronomy classes designed for anyone! You may enroll in any of all of these different classes. As they are not continuous, a student can pick and choose the classes that interest them the most. We have stand-alone classes about the moon, the Sun, galaxies, space weather, stars and even a class about the "Strange Universe." You are welcome to attend any or all classes. You may register by calling 207-780-4249 or by contacting Edward Gleason at [log in to unmask] $12.00 per person; $20.00 for a couple ($130 for one person to attend them all; $200 for a couple to attend them all.) Class # 1: THE MOON Monday, January 21, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The sky's fastest mover is our first stop. We explore every aspect of the moon: its phases, its motions, and eclipses. We'll examine its surface, explain why it has dark regions and craters. Every student will receive a "Moon Watcher's Guide." Class # 2: THE SOLAR SYSTEM Monday, January 28, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. We explore our small little niche in the galaxy. Our solar system consists of a blazing hot star encircled by a retinue of exotic worlds. Rapid Mercury, brilliant Venus, verdant Earth, blood-red Mars, giant Jupiter, magnificent Saturn, strange Uranus, and ocean-blue Neptune. (We'll also cover Pluto). Join us for this odyssey through the solar system. Learn how to find planets in the sky and how they move relative to the Earth. We'll learn the tricks to predict their motions and position. The class ends with a showing of the planetarium show “Eight Planets and Counting.” CLASS # 3: CONSTELLATIONS OF WINTER Monday, February 4, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. We explore the winter night sky tonight! See and learn about the constellations Orion the Hunter, Gemini the Twins, Auriga the Charioteer, Canis Major, Canis Minor and many more! Class # 4: COMETS AND ASTEROIDS Monday, February 11, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Tens of thousands of asteroids and comets careen through the solar system! Today's class takes students to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. We also venture out the Kuiper Belt, the origin body of short period comets and the Oort Cloud, the expansive reservoir of long period cometary nuclei. How many comets are approaching the solar system? Could Earth be devastated by an impacting asteroid? Join us for our "Comets and Asteroids" class. Week # 5: UNDERSTANDING STARS Monday, February 25, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. How do astronomers know what they know about the stars? This class will teach students the basics of stellar astronomy. How do we know the distances to the stars, their sizes and temperatures? By using a few geometrical tricks and the H-R Diagram (often dubbed the "Astronomer's Stone.) we'll learn how to decipher star light to understand the stars. Students will receive an H-R Diagram. Week # 6: ECLIPSES Monday, March 4, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Lunar eclipses and solar eclipses are two of the most spectacular of all astronomical phenomena. Tonight we'll explain the science of eclipses. Why do they happen? Why don't they happen more often? How can we predict them so accurately? Week # 7: SPACE WEATHER Monday, March 11, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Northern lights! Meteors showers! The Green Flash! Solar Wind! Solar storms! Space Weather is the over arching term we use for all the phenomena caused by the interaction of Earth and outer space. We'll learn the causes of the aurora and how to observe them. We'll learn about the major meteor showers and how to observe meteor trails. Students will be given meteor tracking charts. Week # 8: GALAXIES AND CLUSTERS Monday, March 18, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. GALAXIES: They are the building blocks of the Universe. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is but one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the cosmos. What is our galaxy's structrue? How do they differ from other galaxies? We'll learn more about the Local Group, the cluster of galaxies containing the Milky Way and the other super clusters. Students will be given a map of the Milky Way Galaxy. CLUSTERS: Astronomers divide star clusters into two main types: Large, old and distant globulars, small, young and relatively nearby galactic clusters. This class focuses on both the enormous galaxies and comparatively small star clusters. Week # 9: BIG BANG AND COSMOLOGY Monday, March 25, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. How did the Universe begin? Cosmologists believe that the cosmos began about 13.8 billion years ago in a single event called "The Big Bang." This class takes us as far back in time as it is possible to travel. How did scientists determine how the Universe was born? We'll talk about the expansion and future of the Universe. Week # 10: BLACK HOLES AND TIME WARPS Monday, April 8, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Black holes. Time warps. Dark Matter. Dark Energy. The last astronomy class of the semester propels us into the Universe of the weird. What happens if you fall into a black hole? Why is most of the Universe still mysterious to astronomers? Does time really stop on space vessels traveling at light speed? Week # 11: SPRING/SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS Monday, April 15, 2019 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. As we draw close to astronomical summer, we focus on the prominent summer constellations; Scoprious the Scorpion; Sagittarius the Archer; Cygnus the Swan, Lyra the Harp, Aquila the Eagle and many more! Week # 12: Trivia Game and Questions Monday, April 29, 2018 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. We end this session of "Astronomy a la Carte" with a trivia quiz and also with your questions. Have fun answering astronomical trivia questions. We'll also schedule time for you to ask any astronomy questions you might have for us!