Astrofest 2008 Speakers
“Galaxy Zoo and Beyond: What to Do with 150,000 Astronomers”
Chris Lintott, Ph.D.
Chris received his Ph.D. in astronomy from University College in London, with a thesis on star formation, and is now a postdoc at the University of Oxford, where he is also a Junior Research Fellow at Somerville College. Chris co-hosts the popular BBC program “The Sky at Night” with noted astronomer Patrick Moore. He and Moore are, along with Queen guitarist Dr. Brian May, authors of the book Bang! - The Complete History of the Universe.
Chris is principal investigator of Galaxy Zoo. Using images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Galaxy Zoo involves amateur astronomers in classifying previously unstudied galaxies. Amateurs have been especially active in identifying overlapping, merging and peculiar galaxies, and the team has been granted time on Hubble to follow one especially intriguing discovery.
Chris will discuss the activities of Galaxy Zoo and how the armchair astronomer may take the lead in astronomical research.
“Global Rent-a-Scope: New Frontiers in Amateur Astronomy”
Dr. Ed Wiley
Ed has been an amateur astronomer since the late 1950s and approached astronomy purely as a hobby. Two years ago he discovered GRAS and robotic astronomy. Ed figured that if he was going to pay for the privalege he should turn his attention to some research project and selected double stars. This lead to an invitation to promote research through the GRAS system of robotic observatories in the US and Australia. GRAS has grown to be a growing amateur research center in minor planet discovery, variable star research and double star research research by attracting skilled researchers throughout the world to the facilities.
As part of his own research efforts, Ed has published five papers reporting double star measures in support of the Neglected Doubles Program of the U.S. Naval Obsevatory and has begun to measure eclipsing binaries with reports to the AAVSO.
In his professional life Ed is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Senior Curator of Fishes at the Biodiversity Research Institute where he studies the diversity and evolution of fishes. Ed has authored three books and over 110 scientific papers, primarily in the fields of ichthyology, systematics and biogeography.
“Why Now Is The Best Time To Understand Our Universe”
John Dykla, Ph.D
Cosmologist & Professor of Physics at Loyola University Chicago
At much earlier times, our universe could not have been home to minds observing and thinking about it. On the other hand, our descendants in the far future will have much less of the universe available to observe and understand.
These conclusions are required by the relationships of the fundamental forces in physics and the constituents of the universe, including baryonic matter, dark matter, and dark energy: It is no accident that we live at the most interesting time in the universe.
Professor Dykla earned his B.S. in physics (magna cum laude), at Loyola University Chicago in 1966, and his Ph.D in theoretical physics at Caltech in 1971. Professor Dykla has been a member of the LUC Physics Department faculty from 1973 to the present. He has made numerous contributions at international symposia throughout his 34 years at LUC.
“You Built an Observatory Where!?”
John Spack
Astronomer & House-Top Observatory Builder
John Spack is an amateur astronomer and ham radio operator (KN9R) and one of the net control operators for the Southwest Astronomy Observers Group’s weekly Astronomy Net.
John will share his experiences about constructing an observatory in his Edison Park home. A Finance Manager by day, his childhood interest in astronomy was rekindled with a purchase of an 8-inch LX90 SCT four years ago. John will present his trials and tribulations while installing a HyperStar adapted 14-inch Celestron SCT atop his Georgian style home amongst the street, alley and park lights of his neighborhood.
“Astrometrics of Near-Earth Objects — You Can Do It”
Greg Sellek
Greiner Research Observatory
Greg Sellek is past president of the Madison Astronomical Society. He currently conducts research at the GRO, specializing in the astrometric measurements of near earth objects. In 2007, Greg discovered his first minor planet, designated 2007 HG5 by the Minor Planet Center. For more information about Greg, visit his website.
The GRO, located near Madison, WI, was founded by R.A. Greiner, affectionately known as “Doc G.” Doc G is well known in the amateur astronomy community for his knowledge of telescope technology. During his Astrofest presentation, Greg will discuss the evolution of the observatory and the many observations made by its team members. Please visit www.minorplanetproject.com for a description of GRO equipment, techniques and NEO measurements which have been submitted to the Minor Planet Center.
“A Little EnLightenment on Light Pollution”
Audrey Fischer
International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Chicago Co-representative
Audrey will offer a quick overview and update on the very first light pollution briefing recently presented to Congress and the Senate in Washington DC. Find out why there is reason to be optimistic that respect and appreciation of a starry night sky is finally beginning to be recognized on a scale that will helpstop light pollution’s exponential rate of expansion, reverse, and begin to give us back our starlit sky-scape.
Audrey is also the director of the not-for-profit project StarPals International Young Astronomers' Network
“Earth from 100,000 Feet: High-Altitude Balloons”
Mark Hammergren, Ph.D
Mark Hammergren received his Ph.D in Astronomy from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1998, and spent three years as a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory before taking his current position as an Astronomer at the Adler Planetarium. He was a consultant to the first Russian commercial space launch, and became the first Westerner to embark on a Russian Navy ship at sea during the Pacific Ocean recovery of a Resurs-500 space capsule.
His research interests include asteroids, meteorites, impacts and mass extinctions, and the history and sociology of the flying saucer phenomenon.
Dr. Hammergren is Director of the AstroScience Workshop, a challenging program for high school students in astronomy that originated more than 40 years ago, sponsored by the Adler and the National Science Foundation.
As a special treat, Dr. Hammergren and Dr. Geza Gyuk, Adler’s director of astronomy, will do a balloon launch at Astrofest. Don’t miss it!