The guest speaker is Dr. Suzanne Metlay, and the title of her presentation is “All-American Eclipse on August 21”

Enjoy the unique experience of a solar eclipse safely and well-informed about the local logistics and celestial mechanics. We will discuss: eye safety, where to go within easy driving distance, what you can expect to see, and why an eclipse occurs. Let’s talk about planetary tilts, orbits, alignments, eccentricities, and the excitement of your own upcoming adventure.

Suzanne Metlay is full-time faculty in Geoscience Teacher Education at Western Governors University, a fully online non-profit university founded in 1997 by 19 governors of western states, including Colorado. Previously, Suzanne taught astronomy and geology at Front Range Community College in Longmont and Fort Collins, was Operations Director for Secure World Foundation in Superior, and served as Education Programs Manager at CU-Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium.

Suzanne has a BA in History and Science from Harvard University and a PhD in Geology and Planetary Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She was awarded the Antarctica Service Medal from the Department of the Navy and National Science Foundation for fieldwork conducted as a participant in the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) in 1991.

No reservations are necessary for these nights. Just come and join us for the talk and some observing afterward.

Weather permitting after the presentation, visitors will be invited to look through our large telescope at various celestial objects. Public star nights are held the third Friday of each month, except July, when we are closed for annual maintenance.

If you have any questions, please call the observatory information line at 970-613-7793
or check the LTO web site at www.starkids.org