Chicago Astronomical Society
    
Chicago
Astronomical
Society
...to promote the interest in, and advance the knowledge and understanding of
astronomy, the most ancient and the noblest of the physical sciences.
The next meeting of the Chicago Astronomical Society will be on
 Saturday, November 9
 at the
Cernan Earth and Space Center.
Meeting Agenda:
Speaker: Jim Sweitzer, PhD
Topic: Electric Skies
About the Presentation:
During this centennial year celebrating the opening of the first planetarium and witnessing the ascendancy of smart telescopes, this presentation will celebrate how electronics have enabled both these experiences of the sky and deep universe. In a world where over 80% of the inhabitants live under seriously light-polluted skies, our technical devices are now necessary tools for casual stargazers, amateur astronomers and astronomy educators. I believe that staying in touch with astronomical “infinities” is essential to motivate sound science education and reduce the toxic anti-science narrative that threatens our progress towards an enlightened future.
About our Speaker:
If Jim Sweitzer were an astronomical body, he might be called a “rogue planet.” Unlike most folks who graduate from the University of Chicago with a PhD in Astrophysics, Jim chose to turn his expertise to public science education. His first job was with the Adler Planetarium in Chicago where he eventually became Assistant Director. U of C, however, lured him back to help manage the creation of their Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica, which found him twice at the South Pole. Jim’s next adventure was warmer but equally challenging, directing the creation of the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. After its Millennial debut, Jim returned to Chicago to work for DePaul University’s Space Science Center, acting as liaison for NASA’s Space Science educational mission in a seven-state midwestern region. In 2004, Jim launched SCC, Science Communications Consultants, a firm that advises on the building and renovation of science museums around the globe, including the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, the largest in the world. Jim is also an avid stargazer delighting in his array of “smart telescopes.” He is the author of a book entitled Dear Galileo, Letters from a Contemporary Astronomer to his Hero and the writer of “SmartStars.blog,” helping stargazers appreciate more of what they see through their telescopes. A lover of the dark sky, Jim has recently served on the American Astronomical Society’s, Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment (COMPASSE), devoted to protecting this vital resource. Throughout his career, Jim Sweitzer has shown that the sky is not the limit of our horizons, but the threshold to an amazing Universe we call home.