Lucy's Tour of the Trojan Asteroids

Quick scheduling note:

5:15 PM -- Pizza and soft drinks.
5:30 PM—Elections and voting for CAS officers!
6:00 PM -- The LECTURE will begin.

The two swarms of frigid Trojan asteroids, circling the Sun at the same distance as Jupiter, have never been visited by spacecraft. NASA's Lucy mission plans to change that. Launched in 2021, Lucy's intricate trajectory will eventually fly by eleven asteroids, including eight Trojans of varying size and composition far beyond the main Asteroid Belt.

Some are leading, far ahead of Jupiter in its travels, some are trailing, far behind. Their peculiar orbits suggest they evolved differently from other asteroids. The Trojans may be a new kind of witness to the history of our Solar System. Passing through the Asteroid Belt on her way to the distant realm of the Trojans, Lucy's first flyby occurred in November. Images of tiny Dinkinesh surprised the Lucy team—and if all goes well, the best is yet to come.

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 frequently speaks about spaceflight, astronomy, and the history of science and technology. He was a as a radiation safety physicist at Fermilab. He is an active volunteer in NASA's Solar System Ambassador outreach program.

At our June meeting 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 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.