Mars Exploration Rover talk and observatory viewing to be given at ASC (11-29-05)
Rover on Mars
A presentation on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission by Dr. Robert Astalos, assistant professor of physics and math, starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Zacheis Planetarium on the Adams State College campus.
Two years ago the scientific world was preparing for the arrival on Mars of a pair of rovers, designed to search for geological evidence of water in Mars' past. The rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, were designed to provide 90 days of scientific exploration on the Red Planet. Nearly two years later, they are both still going strong. Spirit is currently on its way down the Columbia Hills after becoming the first explorer to climb a mountain on another planet. It has also found time to make nighttime observations of stars and Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos. Opportunity recently passed the four-mile mark, a few days after its solar panels were cleaned by a passing dust devil. Both rovers have discovered ample evidence of liquid water in Mars' distant past.
Spirit and Opportunity continue to fascinate us with their stamina and their ability to make amazing discoveries about Mars' geologic past. Astalos, a long time astronomy enthusiast and current volunteer in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Solar System Ambassador program, will show a short video on the launch and landing of the rovers, present some of the mission's scientific findings, and discuss some of the difficulties the rovers have run into.
If the sky is clear, it will be followed by an observatory open house at approximately 7:30 p.m. Please dress warmly for the observatory portion of the program. Among the celestial objects available for viewing will be the planet Mars and our moon. Free sky maps will be handed out while supplies last. For further information, contact Astalos at 587-7821, or via email: rjastalos@adams.edu.
By Linda Relyea
