JUNE 2008 BRIEFING:
Black Holes: Gravity's Relentless Pull
Roeland van der Marel, Space Telescope Science Institute
Black holes are one of the most fascinating topics in modern physics and astronomy. Dr. van der Marel is both an expert on the topic and the scientist behind a black hole website that garnered the Pirelli Internetional Award for Multimedia Science Communication. This briefing explores the wealth of information and interactive tools of the website that can be used for either quick exploration or in-depth study. Both the recent advances in understanding black holes as well as the main outstanding questions is highlighted.
Instead of a traditional slide presentation, this briefing will use the website itself: Black Holes Please note that the website requires Flash, which most browsers already have installed. If not, you can download it free at this website: Adobe Flash Player
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
MAY 2008 BRIEFING:
The XO Search for Transiting Planets
Peter McCullough, Space Telescope Science Institute
Detecting planets around other stars is difficult, time-consuming, and data-intensive. It is paramount in such endeavors to maximize the amount of work that can be done by computers and automated equipment, and bring in the astronomers only once the potential planetary needles have been identified within the stellar haystack. One search method relies on the geometry of planet orbits, noting that a small percentage of extrasolar planets will pass directly in front of their stars as seen from Earth. Dr. McCullough is the head of a project to discover Jupiter-sized extrasolar planets by searching for the small decrease in a star's light during such a transit event. He will describe an ambitious project that searches tens of thousands of stars every month using autonomous equipment at the 10,000-foot Haleakala summit on Maui.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (1.2 MB) PPT Format (0.9 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (8.8 MB)
Telecon transcript: not available
APRIL 2008 BRIEFING:
Wide-Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2): The Camera That Saved Hubble
John Trauger, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Hubble's "workhorse" instrument — the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) — has captured most of the famous Hubble pictures. WFPC2 is the telescope's main camera; specially designed small mirrors within WFPC2 correct for Hubble's spherical aberration. Scientists worldwide cheered in 1993 when WFPC2 was installed during the first servicing mission and brought the universe into sharp focus. John will talk about designing WFPC2, recall some of its greatest hits (for example, the "Pillars of Creation"), and look forward to seeing WFPC2 again when it returns to Earth onboard STS-125 later this year.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (49 MB)
Telecon recording: not available
Telecon transcript: PDF Format (123 kB)
Hubble Recovery chapter for book: PDF Format (38 kB)
MARCH 2008 BRIEFING:
Seeing Hubble's Universe: Making Pictures from Data
Zolt Levay , Space Telescope Science Institute
Hubble's view of the universe, as the public sees it, is a visually compelling portrait. Yet these images originate not for artistic reasons, but for science research. Zolt Levay is perhaps the person most responsible for shaping the public perception of Hubble imagery, and thereby much of their opinions of astronomy. In this briefing, he will discuss the process of reconstructing color photographs from the Hubble Space Telescope's science data. The detailed and involved procedures require technical as well as aesthetic choices and rely on techniques from art and photography to produce visually appealing pictures without sacrificing scientific validity.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (3.5 MB) PPT Format (2.6 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (7.1 MB)
Telecon transcript: PDF Format
FEBRUARY 2008 BRIEFING:
The Evolution of Galaxies over Cosmic Time
Harry Ferguson, Space Telescope Science Institute
Dr. Harry Ferguson, Head of Science at the Space Telescope Science Institute, has been involved in several deep surveys of galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Deep Field, GOODS, COSMOS, and Ultra Deep Field have provided unprecedented detail of galaxies stretching to more than 12 billion light-years distant in space, and thus more than 12 billion years in time. These collections of observations allows us to study the growth and development of galaxies from the proto-galactic star clumps through to fully formed majestic spirals and ellipticals. Dr. Ferguson will review some of the highlights of these findings.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (7.8 MB) PPT Format (6.0 MB)
Image Notes: Plain Text (4 kB)
Movie - Slide 4: Windows Media 9 (8.5 MB) Quicktime (4.7 MB)
Movie - Slide 9: MPEG Format (9.1 MB)
Movie - Slide 32: Windows Media 9 (3.5 MB) Quicktime (7.2 MB)
Movie - Slide 33: Windows Media 9 (12 MB) Quicktime (7.0 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (9.5 MB)
Telecon transcript: PDF Format
DECEMBER 2007 BRIEFING:
James Webb Space Telescope
Knox Long, Space Telescope Science Institute
Join Dr. Knox Long of the Space Telescope Science Institute to learn about the James Webb Space Telescope now under construction. JWST will orbit beyond the Moon to search for the first stars, to identify how galaxies assemble their glorious spiral and elliptical structures, and to understand more fully the processes that give birth to stars and planets.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (2.4 MB) PPT Format (4.4 MB)
Movie - Slide 28: Quicktime (25 MB)
Movie - Slide 30: Quicktime (61 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (8.2 MB)
Telecon transcript: not available
Links:
JWST Website at STScI
NOVEMBER 2007 BRIEFING:
Astrophysics Enabled by the Return to the Moon
Mario Livio, Space Telescope Science Institute
In November 2006, the Space Telescope Science Institute hosted a forward-looking conference on the compatabilities and synergies between astronomical research and the current plans for manned space missions. Dr. Livio, chair of the organizing committee for that conference, will discuss its most important results. He will identify important astrophysical observations that can be either carried out from the lunar surface or that will be enabled by the Vision for Space Exploration.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required)
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (1.3 MB) PPT Format (5.4 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (7.5 MB)
Telecon transcript: Microsoft Word Format (77 kB) OpenDocument Format (30 kB)
Links:
Astophysics Enabled by the Return to the Moon Conference Website
JUNE 2007 BRIEFING:
Science with Hubble's New Instruments
Kenneth Sembach, Space Telescope Science Institute
Two new Hubble science instruments are scheduled to be installed during the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in fall 2008. The Wide Field Camera 3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph will provide views of the Universe with greater clarity and depth than ever before. This talk will describe the key science topics addressed by the two new instruments. Dr. Kenneth Sembach is the Hubble Project Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required):
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (1.8 MB) PPT Format (3.8 MB)
Movie - Slide 15: DIVX encoded AVI (7.5 MB) Quicktime (26 MB) Windows Media 9 (62 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (8.4 MB)
Telecon transcript: not available
Links:
Hubble Servicing Mission 4 on the NASA Website
MAY 2007 BRIEFING:
HST Servicing Mission 4 - Repairs
Chris Blades, Space Telescope Science Institute, Project Scientist for SM4
The next and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is currently scheduled for fall 2008. There are three main goals for this complex mission. The first is to enhance the Observatory by the addition of two new instruments. The second is to restore the existing scientific capability through in-situ repairs of STIS and ACS, and the third is to ensure life expectancy to 2013. This is likely to be the most challenging mission to Hubble that NASA has ever attempted. Chris Blades is the Project Scientist for SM4 at the Space Telescope Science Institute and during this briefing he will discuss the current situation with the Hubble telescope and describe the plans for SM4.
Telecon and Presentation Materials at the NASA Museum Alliance (password required):
Local Copy for Non-members:
Slide Presentation: PDF Format (1.2 MB) PPT Format (0.9 MB)
Telecon recording: MP3 Format (7.3 MB)
Telecon transcript: Microsoft Word Format (123 kB) OpenDocument Format (39 kB)
Links:
Hubble Servicing Mission 4 on the NASA Website
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In monthly telecons crafted especially for museum and planetarium professionals, you will learn about the latest science discoveries from the telescope, and get direct access to the scientists and technicians who run the observatory and make the discoveries. Bring your love of astronomy and your best questions for an engaging monthly dose of professional development.