AstronomyTeacher

Via Andrew Fraknoi

Free Public Talk on Climate Catastrophes Among the Planets
(Dr. David Grinspoon to Receive Carl Sagan Medal at the Event)
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On Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at 7 pm,
Astronomer David Grinspoon (of the Denver Museum
of Nature and Science) will give a
non-technical, illustrated talk on:
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"Comparing Worlds: Climate Catastrophes in
the Solar System"
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as part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures
in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College,
El Monte Road and Freeway 280,
in Los Altos Hills, California.

Free and open to the public.
Parking on campus costs $2.

Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for
more information and driving directions.

This will be the Carl Sagan Medal Lecture
of the American Astronomical Society.

No background in science will be required for
this talk.
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What happened to the lost oceans of Mars and Venus?
What have scientists been discovering about the thick
atmosphere on Saturn's moon Titan? How has the climate
changed on each of these worlds, and could what happened
to them happen to our Earth? Take an entertaining and
enlightening journey through the history of our solar system,
discovering runaway greenhouses and snowball planets.
And, most important, learn how studying the evolution of other
planets can help us understand and predict climate change
on Earth.

Dr. David Grinspoon is the recipient of the 2006 Carl Sagan
Medal for Excellence in Public Communication, awarded
by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American
Astronomical Society. Among his many accomplishments,
the awards committee cited his ability "to make science hip."
He will receive his medal at the beginning of the program.

Dr. Grinspoon is the Curator of Astrobiology at the Denver
Museum of Nature & Science, having previously been a
Professor of Astronomy at the University of Colorado. He is
Interdisciplinary Scientist on the European Venus Express
mission, serves as an advisor to NASA on space exploration strategy,
and studies the possible evolution of Earth-like planets elsewhere
in the universe. He is the author of two popular books, "Lonely
Planets" and "Venus Revealed" and gives many public lectures
on planetary science around the country. Dr. Grinspoon appears
regularly on television and radio, explaining planetary developments.
He also played lead guitar for a band called "The Geeks."

The lecture is co-sponsored by:
* NASA Ames Research Center
* The Foothill College Astronomy Program
* The SETI Institute
* The Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

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Past Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are now available
in MP3 format at:
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html