Mason Dixon Star Party 2013 - July 10 to 14
Speakers
Speakers Summer 2013
If you wish to be a speaker at this years 2013 MDSP, click:
MDSP Speaker Topics and Bios TBA Here Soon
| 2013 MDSP Speakers |
| Lou Mayo THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE Time: Friday evening  There are a handful of fundamental questions that remain to be answered. The answers to these questions, besides generating more questions, have the power to change every element of society, our belief systems, and our sense of who we are. Among these sits the question “Are we alone?”. Is the Earth the only life sustaining planet in the universe? Is extraterrestrial life possible? Is it probable? Could it be intelligent? The information needed to answer these questions spans the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and, of course, astronomy. NASA astronomer and professor of astronomy, Lou Mayo will survey the state of knowledge surrounding life on Earth and what it may tell us about physical conditions necessary for extraterrestrial life. habitable environments and possibilities for life elsewhere in the solar system will be addressed as will the current state of research on extrasolar planets and planetary systems. Opportunities for direct observation will also be explored. Biography Lou Mayo is a planetary scientist and program manager working for Honeywell at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and professor of astronomy at Marymount University. Lou has over 20 years experience supporting NASA space and Earth science missions and data systems. His experience includes 11 years as a member of the Voyager IRIS and Cassini CIRS instrument teams. He has published a number of papers on the atmosphere of Titan focusing on radiative transfer modeling of aerosols and condensates. Lou is a member of the DC Space Grant Consortium and the AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences education committee. He is a frequent author and speaker on topics in astronomy and space physics and was a columnist for Mercury Magazine for three years. Lou runs an international network of after school astronomy clubs and is active in developing nationwide space science education programs for NASA. |
| Martin Rice "Chasing the Transit" A talk on my struggle to observe the Transit of Venus last June. Time: Saturday afternoon  Biography Martin Rice is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh's Johnstown campus where he advises the student astronomy club. His primary teaching responsibilities are in Philosophy of Science, Logic, the Philosophy of Mathematics and Philosophy of Religion. When not collecting telescopes, he's championing the advantages of the typewriter over the computer. |
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SPEAKERS FOR 2013
Lou Mayo
