Saturday, January 11, 2025
at the
Cernan Earth and Space Center.
Meeting Agenda:

• 5:30 PM -- Astro-talk over pizza and soft drinks. And birthday cake?
• 6:15 PM -- The LECTURE will begin
• 7:45 PM -- If the weather permits (unlikely) with clear skies and warmer temperatures, there will be telescopic viewing of the first quarter moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars!

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Speaker: Mr. Bill Higgins
Topic: Europa Clipper: NASA Investigates an Icy Ocean
About the Presentation:

Europa, one of Jupiter's four biggest moons, appears to harbor a liquid ocean not far beneath its bright, icy surface. Is there life there? NASA plans to fly the Europa Clipper spacecraft to orbit Jupiter and, making frequent flybys of Europa, will study the satellite's geology, composition, and subsurface ocean. Europa Clipper launched last October 14th and will reach Jupiter in April of 2030. Learn about the mission, its scientific objectives, and the suite of sophisticated instruments it will employ in the decade to come.

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About our Speaker:
Our speaker Bill Higgins has recently retired from Fermilab after a lifelong career in science and physis. He has a deep interest in astronomy and space exploration. He was a radiation safety physicist at Fermilab and is now an active volunteer in NASA's Solar System Ambassador outreach program. He frequently speaks about spaceflight, astronomy, the history of science, and science fiction.

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