CELESTIAL EXPLORATION SUMMER CLASSES
Monday evenings 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
June 24 - August 12, 2019
Eight separate stand alone astronomy classes.
Enrollment: $12.00 per class ($20.00 for two people)
[$80 for a student to attend them all; $125 for two people to attend them all.]
What are celestial exploration classes?
Simple. This course consists of eight "stand alone" astronomy classes designed for anyone! You may enroll in any or all of these different classes. As they are not continuous, a student can pick and choose the classes that interest him/her the most. We have stand alone classes about the moon, the Sun, galaxies space weather and even a class about the Big Bang
You are welcome to attend any or all of these classes. You may register by calling 207-780-4249 or by contacting the manager at [log in to unmask].
CLASS # 1: THE MOON
Monday, June 24, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
The
sky's fastest mover is our first stop. We'll explore every aspect of
the moon: its phases, motions and eclipses. We'll examine its
surface and explain why it has dark regions and craters. Every
student will receive a "Moon Watcher's Guide."
CLASS # 2: THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Monday, July 1, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
We
explore our own 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 azure blue Neptune. (We won't
forget poor, neglected Pluto.) Join us for this odyssey through the
solar system.
CLASS # 3: THE SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS
Monday, July 8, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
We explore the summer night sky! Learn to find the constellations that adorn the summmer evenng sky:
Cygnus the Swan, Hercules, Scorpius the Scorpion, Sagittarius the Centaur and many more!
CLASS # 4: COMETS AND ASTEROIDS
Monday, July 15, 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 to the Kuiper Belt, the origin disk of
the short period comets and the Oort Cloud, the expansive reservoir of
long period cometary nuclei. How many unknown comets are approaching
the inner solar system? Could Earth soon be devastated by an impacting
asteroid?
CLASS # 5: THE NEARBY STARS
Monday, July 22, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
We
visit the nearby stars. 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? We'll use the H-R Diagram ("The Astronomer's Stone") to
learn how to decipher star light to understand the stars.
CLASS # 6: SPACE WEATHER
Monday, July 29, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
We
venture into the upper atmosphere today to learn about the northern
lights, meteor showers and the green flash! Solar storms to corona mass
ejections, we discover the mechanisms behind the different types of
space weather. We'll learn the causes of the aurora and meteor
showers.
CLASS # 7: GALAXIES AND CLUSTERS
Monday, August 5, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
GALAXIES:
the building blocks of the Universe. The Milky Way, our home galaxy,
is but one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the cosmos. What is
its structure and history? How do the galaxies differ in size and
composition? We'll go far afield to explore the Local Group, and the
local supercluster.
CLUSTERS: Astronomers divide star clusters into two main types: Large, old and distant globulars and small, young and relatively nearby galactic clusters. This class focuses on both enormous galaxies and comparatively small star clusters.
CLASS # 8: THE BIG BANG
Monday, August 12, 2019 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
We
end the Celestial exploration summer classes at the very beginning of
the Universe! Cosmologists believe that the cosmos began about 13.8
billion years ago in a single event dubbed "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?