Science Pub - 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

On July 25th, the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council welcomes Steve Kilston, astronomer and retired aerospace engineer, for our July 2017 Science Pub presentation entitled Grokking the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse. This year on Monday, August 21st, the moon’s shadow shall darken a path across the country, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, including right across Oregon. Probably more Americans will view this solar eclipse than any other in history. This presentation will discuss: How eclipses happen, and what people see, How to get the most out of our Oregon experience on August 21, How eclipses and the sun relate to our human future, How eclipses and astronomy can help us feel our universe. Dr. Kilston will also explore a few unusual connections of eclipses: to earthquakes, long-term prediction and planning, and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and interstellar travel. Starting with discovering a comet at age 21, for over half a century, Dr. Kilston has applied astronomy in academic research and teaching, planetarium and public lectures, radio programs, and national and international aerospace projects. At Hughes, Lockheed, and Ball Aerospace he designed and promoted space-based telescopes, including IKONOS, called in the New York Times “one of the most significant developments in the history of the space age”. The high-resolution commercial Earth-imaging camera, IKONOS, made possible many new technologies, including Google Maps and GPS automobile navigation systems. Mr. Kilston earned a B.A. from Harvard (his thesis, under Carl Sagan, was "A Search for Intelligent Life on Earth") and a Ph.D. from U.C.L.A (his dissertation, "On the Nature of the Carbon Stars", proved stars manufacture life’s main chemical elements). The Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council hosts a free monthly public meeting series called the Coast Fork Science Pub on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm at the Axe & Fiddle, 657 E. Main Street in Cottage Grove. The event begins with informal socializing, trivia, prizes and updates about the watershed and watershed council during the first hour. Then our Science Pub presentation begins at 6pm. Participants are encouraged to support the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council by ordering food & drinks from 5-7:30pm, as 10% of the sales from evening sales will benefit the Watershed Council. The event is free to the public and all ages are welcome. For further information, visit Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council on Facebook and www.coastfork.org.