Tuesday 4 October 2016

Naval Hill Planetarium: 7 and 8 October 2016 - International Observe the Moon Night


This is how we will observe the moon on the Android app on Saturday night
(8 October 2016) from the Southern Hemisphere.
Programme:
Naval Hill Planetarium, Bloemfontein
7 and 8 October 2016


Dear Planetarium supporter
Tickets for the weekend of 7 and 8 October 2016 shows are available at Computicket.

7 October 2016, 18:30
Vanaf die aarde na die heelal (Afr)
This voyage through space and time conveys the Universe as revealed to us by science through the ages. Revel in the splendour of the worlds in the Solar System. Travel to the colourful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars. Fly beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriads of galaxies.
  • Weather permitting - ASSA Bloemfontein will have a telescope at the planetarium to observe  the moon. 

8 October 2016, 17:30
Fly me to the moon (Eng)
The moon is our nearest neighbour and the only other celestial body we've set foot on.​ Its orbit around the Earth has a big influence on the planet and it dominates our night sky. The six manned missions to the moon have left more than just footprints, and are still contributing to science today.
  • Weather permitting - ASSA Bloemfontein will have a telescope at the planetarium to observe  the moon.

Monday 3 October 2016

Naval Hill Planetarium - New Horizons: Painting a portrait of Pluto



New Horizons: Painting a portrait of Pluto
Public talk by leading NASA engineer

Place / Plek: Naval Hill Planetarium
Date / Datum: Monday / Maandag 3/10/2016
Time / Tyd: 18:15 for 18:30

Free - No booking required / Gratis - Geen bespreking is nodig nie

Launched in 2006, the New Horizons spacecraft was sent on a decade-long trek to gather data from Pluto, one of the most endeared and debated bodies in our Solar System. After swinging past Jupiter for a gravity boost, the tiny spacecraft gained enough speed to make its closest approach of Pluto on 14 July 2015, and conducted a six-month-long reconnaissance flyby study of the (now) exoplanet and its moons. Because of the distance from Pluto to Earth (five billion kilometres), the massive amount of data collected from the fly-by continues to stream back, offering new insights into Pluto and the space environment at the Solar System’s outermost regions. So what have scientists learned about the enigmatic Pluto? And what does the future hold for the tiny spacecraft? Join NASA Deputy Chief Technologist (Retired), Jim Adams, to find out.

Jim Adams
NASA Deputy Chief Technologist, Retired
  
Jim Adams retired as NASA’s Deputy Chief Technologist in September 2016 to focus on the development of young and emerging innovators and entrepreneurs by encouraging creative processes and innovative thinking. He served in NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC from 2012, where he was responsible for the management of the technology strategy and innovation initiative across the entire agency.

Jim’s more than 25-year career at NASA saw him work on over 30 successful space missions. He was also the recipient of three NASA medals recognising exceptional service, including NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal.
 
Mr Adams’ travel is provided by SKA Africa in support of 2016 World Space Week, 4-10 October 2016.

Jim holds a BSc in Physics from Westminster College and a MSc in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University.

Apparently, he bakes a mean apple pie, but this is yet to be confirmed by a reputable judge in South Africa.