All lectures are given at 1 pm on the dates listed.

Click on the speaker's name or title to see their presentation as a series of images.

• Christopher S. Brown, Ph.D. Research Professor of Botany, NC State University, Director, North Carolina Space Grant
  Title: Life In Space
  Date: June 20.  Click here to download the PDF file (11.5 MB)
  Dr. Brown is an expert in microgravity biology. He will present an overview of the biology of plants, animals and humans as related to gravity and the spaceflight environment. Topics include gravitational biology, spaceflight effects on living systems, aerospace medicine, bioregenerative life support systems, and astrobiology.
• Mercedes Lopez-Morales, Ph.D. Carnegie Fellow, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Dept. of Terrestrial Magnetism
  Title: Detecting Substellar Companions to White Dwarfs
  Date: June 21.  Click here to download the PDF file (853 KB)
  Detecting low mass stars and planets around other stars present a number of challenges to observing instruments and techniques.  Dr. Lopez-Morales, an astronomer who has more observing time on more telescopes around the world that most astronomers, will describe methods for successfully detecting these elusive objects.
• Paul Butler, Ph.D. Astronomer, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Dept. of Terrestrial Magnetism
  Title:  Extrasolar Planets: A First Reconnaissance
  Date: June 22.  Click here to download the PDF File (7.8 MB)
  Dr. Butler is one of the first astronomers to discover planets around other stars.  Probably one of the most famous astronomers today, he will present the latest on our knowledge of planetary systems.
• J. Donald Cline, President, PARI
  Title: Pieces of the Universe
  Date: June 23
  Besides being the guiding force behind the establishment of Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, Don Cline is one of the foremost experts on meteorites.  A record of the early Solar System is contained in meteorites.  Their organic chemical composition which includes hydrocarbons and amino acids may hold keys to the problem of the origin of terrestrial life.  The origins of meteorites will be described and examples of the different types of meteorites will be presented using exhibits from Don’s extensive personal collection of meteorites. 
• David Moffett, Ph.D. Radio Astronomer, Furman University
  Title: Radio Expansion Studies of Two Historical Supernova Remnants: SN 1006 and Tycho
  Date: June 24
  Dr. Moffett is a radio astronomy and experts on the nature of pulsars.  He will present the results that trace the dynamics of two historical supernova remnants (SNRs), SN 1006 and Tycho, for the past two decades.  Radio observations at 21-cm of each remnant were recorded in 1983-1984, 1991-1994, and 2001 to 2003 will be presented and used to measure the mean radio expansion rate of the SNRs.  The rate agrees with a previous X-ray expansion study. And for the first time, we have measured the azimuthal expansion rate over the entire rim of SN 1006.
• Brian Dennison, Ph.D.  Radio Astronomer, University of North Carolina-Asheville
  Title: The Dedicated Interferometer for Rapid Variability (DIRV)
  Date: June 27
  Dr. Dennison is combining the two PARI 26-m radio telescopes into a single unit as a two-element interferometer. The goal of his research is to use the interferometer for a long term study of a gaseous component of the Milky Way Galaxy for which there is little known.  He will present the theory and aspects of the instrumentation needed for his work.