Astronomy Day 2024

Our flyer

See below for program info

Program Information

6:00 to 8:00PM

(30 Minute Sessions)

Room Z128 - Craft Projects for Children                     

Kathy Maynard, Northwest Suburban Astronomers

9:00pm-10:30pm

Weather Permitting

Karl Henize Observatory – Building O: Open observing of the nighttime sky

6:00PM

Room Z102 – DART, Hera, and Planetary Protection                 

Kevin Cole, Harper College Associate Professor of Geology/Astronomy

With the success of NASA's DART Mission, we will look at what Planetary Protection is and what more we can learn about diverting asteroids with the upcoming ESA Hera mission to Dimorphos and the new NEO Surveyor Mission.

Room Z117 – Can We Have a Global Space Program?                                                      

Dean Mikolajczyk, Midwest Astronomy and Space Society

Today we see the development of numerous space programs throughout the world.  In addition to the U.S. Russia, and China, there's also Japan, Brazil, UAE, India, and others all of whom are sending probes into the solar system.  Can we combine all our national resources into one global space program?  Join us for an interesting discussion.  

7:00PM

Room Z102 – Our Beautiful Blue Planet Earth                      

Robert Karas, Northwest Suburban Astronomers

The program presents the origin of our planet from primordial gas clouds, the structure of Earth, the origin of life on Earth, the extinction of past dinosaurs, and the naturally occurring changes that take place over time.

Room Z117 – The Mathematics of Intelligence                                                        

Jeff Schmitz, Harper College Adjunct Professor

How might we define life in a way that is independent of biology and chemistry? To recognize a signal from intelligent life we need to understand intelligence and communication. Both "intelligence" and "life" could be "functions" which might be used to develop practical procedures to identify life and intelligence.

Room Z119 – Evolution of Planetary Cartography          

Jackie Cooney, Harper College Adjunct Professor

We will be exploring the rocky planets through the maps created by different people for different purposes.  Follow along as we look at the increasing complexity and usefulness of different mapping capabilities as data from satellites become more sensitive and widely available to the public.

8:00PM

Room Z102 – Extreme Exoplanets part 2  

Jim Kovac, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador

As the catalog of confirmed exoplanets has grown, astronomers have recognized the wide range of projected environmental characteristics that render these worlds truly unique and challenging for life as we know it.  Join the continuing exploration as we examine bizarre exoplanets that differ significantly from our home world.

Room Z117 – Astro Tourism: A Meridian Line in a Church in Rome                                

Dale Deluttri, Skokie Valley Astronomers

When my wife and I traveled to Rome, we happened upon an astronomical item in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels and Martyrs: a 300-year-old meridian line. This presentation describes the meridian line and how it was used to determine the exact length of the year and to compute the date for Easter Sunday