Guilford College

Saturday, March 24

7:30 p.m.
Subject: Mars
Guest Speaker: Tom English, Professor of Astronomy GTCC

The opposition of Mars occurred earlier this month, and the red planet is now well-placed for observation from Earth. This talk will explore historical telescopic observations of Mars, and focus on key late-nineteenth and early twentieth century oppositions that set the stage for the modern concept of “Martians.”

Tom English is a Professor of Astronomy at Guilford Technical Community College and director of GTCC’s Cline Observatory. He graduated from Guilford College in 1982 with a BS in physics and received his Master’s in physics from the University of Georgia. He has been at GTCC for 11 years, and served in a similar position at Gardner-Webb University for 12 years before coming back home to the Triad. His primary professional interests are astronomy education/outreach and history of astronomy.

Sunday, April 15

8:00 p.m.
Subject: Transit of Venus
At sunset on June 5th, an event will occur that will not happen again for over 100 years. Venus will pass between the Earth and the Sun, casting a sharp, black silhouette across the face of the Sun. The Transit of Venus has been a critical event in the history of Astronomy, motivating people to travel all across the globe in centuries past to try to observe it. It is unlikely that anyone capable of observing this transit will be alive to see the next one in 2117. On April 15, at 8:00 pm, Prof. Don Smith will give a multi-media presentation about this rare occurrence; its history and significance. After the presentation, we will offer a tour of the J. Donald Cline Observatory, and (weather permitting) we will view planets such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, or other celestial objects as possible.