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Dr. Suzanne Metlay Your Eyes on the Sky – NEOs, Satellites & More Download Presentation (PDF)

Dr. Jennifer Hoffman is scheduled to speak at the DAS General meeting on February 26th. Dr Hoffman comes to us from Denver University where she is currently an Assistant Professor and Astronomer.

Jennifer L. Hoffman received her PhD in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002 and joined the DU faculty in 2007. Her research involves using polarized light and computer simulations to obtain geometrical information about astronomical objects too far away to image. She is particularly interested in deciphering the complex shapes of the gaseous clouds that surround massive stars and supernova explosions. Dr. Hoffman also works to encourage and support women and minorities in physical science careers.

Her Talk, called "The Aspherical Universe," will discuss the ways that stars interact with their environments throughout their lifetimes and introduce some of the observational and computational tools astronomers use to probe these interactions.

Additionally, don’t forget that the February general meeting is also the time that we elect the officers and E-Board members who will serve the Denver Astronomical Society for the upcoming year. The February general meeting will be held, as usual, in room 105 of Olin Hall on the DU campus. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm, followed by refreshments and telescope viewing (weather permitting, of course) at nearby Chamberlin Observatory.

Looking Ahead, the March general meeting is also our annual spring banquet, where these newly appointed officers will be installed. The current E-Board is still exploring a number of possibilities concerning where the banquet will be held and whether or not it will be catered, or perhaps held at another venue.

- Keith Pool, DAS VP

All attendees are invited to a reception at DU's Historic Chamberlin Observatory following the meeting, where there will be refreshments, conversation and -- weather permitting -- a chance to view the heavens through the 20-inch Clark-Säegmuller refractor.

The December meeting is the DAS Holiday Potluck, and the March meeting is the DAS Annual Banquet.

Recent Meeting Speakers

On January 27th, Dr. Suzanne Metlay intriqued 75 attendees with the amateur's role in protecting Earth from near earth objects, identifying space debris and discovering new objects in "Your Eyes on the Sky – NEOs, Satellites & More"
Download Presentation (PDF)

At the November 2009 Shown 'n Tell, Carla Swartz returned to the DAS for a day, and provided a wonderful presentation on her activities at Griffith Observatory and Mt. Wilson. Norm Rosling and Ivan Geisler amazed the crowd with some low tech binos and refractors.

Aaron Reid detailed the complex process of restoring Chamberlin Observatory to its former splendor at the October 2009 meeting.

Mark Bottorff presented “The Interstellar Medium; or the Junk Between the Stars.” at the July 2009 meeting.

At the June 2009 meeting, Laura Ellen Dafoe, formerly of Lockheed Martin and the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Lab described the final findings resulting from data collected by the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) on Saturn's moon, Titan.

Mr. Keith Gleason, manager of CU's Sommers-Bauch observatory, enlightened us on the history of astronomy in Colorado at the May 2009 meeting, with a focus on Native American observations.

In April 2009, DAS Member Philip Good explained the complexities managing the Mars Renaissance Orbiter's image of the Phoenix lander while the MRO was soft landing on the surface of Mars in 2008. 

Dr. Roger Clark used his close-ups of fighting Grizzly Bears to illustrate controversies associated with the research described in his presentation “Composition, Geology and Origin of Saturn’s Rings and Satellite Surfaces; Highlights from the Cassini Mission" at the DAS Spring Banquet

Dr. Doug Duncan entertained us at the February 2009 meeting with his stories of memorable trips to eclipses and the Northern Lights, as well as an exciting new teaching technique using feedback and interactive technology to stimulate student-teacher interaction. Watch VIDEO

At the January 2009 Meeting, DAS student member Naomi Pequette presented on Archeoastronomy.

At the December 2009 Holiday Potluck, astrophotographer Bryan R. White introduced his new book and "Prelude Lake" 3-D multimedia program of aurorae images. 

DAS member Bryan Wilburn shared his journey through the wilds of astrophotography in September 2008.

Dr. Suzanne Traub Metlay gave us the rundown on Mercury Messenger in August 2008

Dr. Mark Bottorff presented the evidence for the existence of Dark Matter and discussed some possibilities for what it might consist of at the July, 2008 meeting.

Stephanie Pahl discussed the mysteries of the Analemma at the June, 2008 general meeting.

Chuck Carlson provided some "Heavenly Intrigue," with a discussion of theories about the death of Tycho Brahe at the April, 2008 meeting

Bryan White presented his latest digital, 3-dimensional astronomical images, including his aurora pictures, at the DAS banquet in March, 2008.

David Grinspoon, DMNS, an internationally known Planetary Scientist who is funded by the ESA to conduct interdisciplinary research, spoke on the Venus Express Mission at the February 2008 meeting, which was simulcast on Second Life.

Mike Carroll captivated the general meeting audience in January 2008 with his beautiful and astronomically accurate space art and his knowledgeable presentation on "Alien Volcanoes" in the Solar System

Show and Tell (November 2007) Imaging presentations by Bryan Wilburn and Joe Gafford, and a look at Ivan Geisler's remounted 5-inch telescope.

Robert Bruner, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, entertained us with a fascinating (and only slightly expurgated) presentation on Greek Mythology and the Constellations at the October 2007 meeting

Dr. Richard McCray, University of Colorado (retired) presented "Supernova 1987A Revisited," showing and discussing the latest images and data from the most recent nearby supernova, at the August 2007 meeting.

In July 2007, Max Moe, University of Colorado, presented a talk called "The Evolution of Planetary Nebulae"

In June 2007, Dr. Mark Bottorff, Southwestern University, spoke on various creative and educational ways of observing the moon in his presentation "A Novice Lunatic's View of the Moon."

In May 2007, Dr. Dimitri Klebe of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science described the development and capabilities of an All Sky Infrared Visible Analyzer (ASIVA) he developed for an observatory in Chile.

Dr. John Bally, University of Colorado - Boulder, gave an exciting and richly illustrated presentation on The Birth of Stars and Planets at the April 2007 meeting

Dr. John Stevens, Director of Development, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, presented at the 2007 DAS Banquet in March 2007 on NASA's Orion Program and the Crew Exploratory Vehicle

Dr Daniel Baker, University of Colorado, Boulder, spoke in February 2007 about space weather and its effects on human technology

Dr. Mark Bottorff , Southwestern University, presented in January, 2007 on Active Galaxies: The most powerful engines in the universe.

DAS member Dr. Roger Clark presented at the September 8th, 2006 General Meeting on his cutting-edge work with the NASA Cassini mission Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) team.

Brian D. Warner, of the PDO, discussed ways that amateur astronomers can collect vital astronomical data on August 11th, 2006.

Bryan White, Nitescapes, Presented beautiful new 3D Slides of Aurora and Other Phenomena at the July 7, 2006 meeting.

Dr. John Spencer, Southwest Research Institute, spoke at the May 2006 DAS meeting on the recent discovery of Water Spouts on Saturn's moon Enceladus.