Ancient Earthworks Society
Goodman South Madison Library 2222 S. Park St. (Village on Park), Madison, Wisconsin 53713
press release: Join Ancient Earthworks Society colleagues and guests at 11:30 AM on Saturday, October 20, at the South Madison Library as Astronomer James Lattis describes what the ancients saw (and you can still see if you get away from city lights) in Wisconsin’s nighttime sky.
Jim Lattis holds a Ph.D. in History of Science from UW–Madison and is the author of many publications in that field; he helped create UW Space Place, the outreach and public education center of the UW–Madison Astronomy Dept. and has directed it since its founding; he manages historic Washburn Observatory; he teaches courses in introductory astronomy and its history, gives frequent public talks, and consults widely for the media (including UW Communcations, Wisconsin and National Public Radio, and other national networks and newspapers). He has also led many trips focused on astronomical tourism.
His talk will focus on how the night sky and celestial events can be used for a variety of purposes, including determining the cardinal directions and tracking the seasons. Topics will include the stars, constellations, and interesting objects of the current season sky. He will talk about observing the brighter planets and how to find them in the night sky, along with other objects suitable for amateur observing. Dr. Lattis’ talk will also feature any important eclipses, meteor showers, or other interesting astronomical events visible in the near future, as well as observing tips and the astronomical use of telescopes and binoculars.
Note that due to a scheduling conflict, both the October 20 and November 17 AES member meetings will begin at 11:30 AM.