"Did you feel that?" - The dawn of non-photonic astronomy!

The next general meeting and lecture of the Chicago Astronomical Society (CAS) will be on Saturday, May18, 2024 at the Cernan Earth and Space Center. This is also Astronomy Day 2024!
Please note! - This meeting has a different schedule than previous meetings
4:00 PM-- If the weather permits there will be telescope viewing of the sun in white light and in the monochromatic light of Hydrogen Alpha that shows the sun’s chromosphere. If the weather is cloudy or rainy and telescope viewing of the sun is not possible, then please arrive just before 5:30 PM for pizza and soft drinks before the lecture.
5:30 PM -- Pizza and soft drinks.
6:00 PM -- The LECTURE will begin.
Our speaker will be Dr. Joshua Burton.
The lecture will be: "Did you feel that?" - gravitational radiation, LIGO/Virgo, LISA, and the dawn of non-photonic astronomy.
Lecture synopsis:

The ability to detect gravitational waves opens a new window to study the universe that is unique in that it doesn’t rely on any electromagnetic radiation. Gravitational waves are 'ripples' in space-time that are caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the Universe. Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916 in his general theory of relativity. Einstein's mathematics showed that massive accelerating objects (things like neutron stars or black holes orbiting each other) would disrupt space-time in such a way that 'waves' of undulating space-time would propagate in all directions away from the source. These cosmic ripples would travel at the speed of light, carrying with them information about their origins, as well as clues to the nature of gravity itself.

Our speaker Dr. Joshua Burton earned his Ph.D. in 1990 from UC Berkeley, where he worked with Mary K. Gaillard and Bruno Zumino during the exciting early years of supergravity and string theory. He has held research appointments at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Harvard, Brown and Northwestern, publishing original work on supersymmetry, particle astrophysics, cosmology, and high-energy physics beyond the Standard Model. In 1997, a friend's start-up company lured him away from academia into software, and through acquisition he eventually wound up at IBM. He retired in 2016 to return to his true calling as a physics educator, and now teaches physics and runs the astronomy club at our award-winning local Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy.
7:30 PM After the lecture/meeting telescopes will be set up to view the gibbous moon.
In June the Chicago Astronomical Society will hold elections for its officers. If you value the CAS and its efforts of science education/outreach please consider placing your name in as a candidate.

Also, if you enjoy the activities of the CAS please become a member. Regular membership is only $30 a year.

We hope that you can attend. Please feel free to forward and invite friends!

We would like to thank the Cernan Center and its director Kris McCall for their support of the CAS and astronomy/science education. We encourage CAS members and all others who support science education to purchase memberships for the Cernan Center.
Clear Skies!
Tony Harris
V.P. Chicago Astronomical Society