LYCOMING PRESENTS A VIRTUAL TRIP TO MARS

The Lycoming College Astronomy department will present “Onward to the Red Planet – A Virtual Trip to Mars” with the late Dr. von Braun, on October 28.  The program is part of the Fall Symposium “SPACE—A Revolution in Perspective.”   

At the dawn of the Space Age, no one was a more articulate and enthusiastically convincing advocate for a manned trip to Mars than Dr. Wernher von Braun.  Dr. von Braun composed articles that were accompanied with lavishly scientifically correct illustrations that captured the grandeur of space travel before the first satellite was even launched into orbit.  He also made several appearances on regularly scheduled popular television shows in the late fifties and early sixties, long before President Kennedy committed the United States to a manned lunar landing.  Today, Dr. von Braun's armada of spacecraft would not be politically acceptable -- it would be far too expensive.

Ms. Nicole Gugliucci, Lycoming College junior majoring in astronomy and physics, will present a Mars proposal that would take far less effort, far less money, and could be accomplished in the near future rather than decades from now.  In deference to Dr. von Braun, she calls this proposal "Mars Projekt!"

Just what would a traveler to Mars find when they get to the Red Planet?  Dr. Richard R. Erickson, Lycoming College associate professor of astronomy and physics, will review our state of knowledge about our solar system's fourth planet, and discuss why it has fascinated people for so long.

Following the talks we'll have some Mars Viewing outside by telescope, hosted by SPS (weather permitting).

The symposium will begin at 7:30 in G-11 of the Heim Building.  Admission is free to the public.

 
--Laura Charnick