A young observer peers through the CAA's vintage Celestron 16 telescope.
PUBLIC EVENTS
The CAA hosts at least 12 Saturday Public Observing events featuring a guest speaker that is followed—weather permitting—by celestial viewings through telescopes at the facility. During viewing hours, society members will be available to answer questions
and provide everyone with an opportunity to look through the Society's telescopes and those of our members.
This site will be updated through out the year as we assemble our speakers and events.
2019 Presentations
August 3, 8:30 p.m.
Prof. Cornelia Lang
University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Iowa and the Race for Space
Did you know that Iowa played a major role in the International Space Race of the 1960s? Join Professor Lang for stories of the contributions of University of Iowa scientists and students to the race for space. She will discuss the life and legacy of Professor James Van Allen and also give many examples of current spacecraft and research projects ongoing today in the Department of Physics and Astronomy that work to continue his legacy in space.August 24, 8:00 p.m.
Dr. Caroline A. Roberts
Astronomy Laboratory Coordinator and VAO Observatory Manager, University of Iowa, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Finding Masses of Supermassive Black Holes
September 21, 7:30 p.m.
Prof. Ken Gayley
University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Does the Earth really orbit the Sun? The Importance of Perspective.
A famous debate between Galileo and the authorities of the day seemed, on the surface, to be about whether the Earth orbits the Sun or the Sun orbits the Earth. Since then, we have discovered that the stakes of that debate were actually quite different, and quite a bit more important, but the issue of what orbits what does not exhibit the character of a physical truth. Understanding what is a physical truth, and how our perspective relates to our understanding, is a valuable tool in modern astronomy, and has deeper philosophical implications that we will explore.October 19, 7:30 p.m.
TBA
November 30, 7:30 p.m.
TBA
2019 Past Presentations
March 30, 7:30 p.m.
Prof. Steve Spangler
University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Star Clusters: Cities of Stars
April 27, 8:00 p.m.
Mr. Brent Studer
CAA Member
Cosmic Mayhem: Supernovae, Active Galactic Nuclei, and Other High-Energy Events That Have Shaped Earth's HIstory.
May 25, 8:30 p.m.
Prof. Robert Mutel
University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Was Einstein right? Experimental tests of general relativity over the past 100 years.
June 22, 9:00 p.m.
Dr. Scott Bounds
University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Light
July 13, 3:00 p.m. -- Solar Day
Mr. Carl Bracken
Cedar Amateur Astronomers
Our sun and solar cycles
July 20, 8:30 p.m.
David V.Wendell
Historian
The Apollo Space Program in Iowa: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
Public observing events are held in the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center at the Palisades-Dows Observatory and Preserve through a generous agreement with the Linn County Conservation Department. For directions, please visit our Map to Pal-Dows page or download a pdf version (276 kB.)
The Cedar Amateur Astronomers, Inc. is a participating member of Night Sky Network.
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