2 Topics as follows:
(1) Dave Jorgensen (Lowbrows). “Micro LIGO.”
Dave Jorgensen gave a presentation on his home-made interferometer he dubbed “Micro LIGO.”
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves. LIGO consists of two large observatories and first detected gravitational waves in 2015.
Dave had built a small device inspired by LIGO. He discussed the nature of various types of waves: water, air and light; particularly how the wave/particle nature of light was expressed in his small unit and how his model demonstrated some of the properties of the LIGO experiment itself.
(2) Charlie Nielsen (Lowbrows). “Glass and Mirror Kit.”
The club has a number of “tool kits” from the Night Sky Network. Each toolkit is designed to be used at a public astronomy event to helpdemonstrate some aspect of astronomy. Charlie Nielsen showed one of these toolkits, the “Glass and Mirror Kit,” that demonstrates how lenses and mirrors bent/reflected light and how telescopes take advantage of these properties.
