February 20, 2009: Yasu Inugi, Charlie Nielsen, Dave Snyder, Jack Brisbin (all Lowbrows). “Amateur Astronomy: From Ann Arbor to the Universe.”
On March 14, 2009, the University Lowbrow Astronomers, an Ann Arbor-based community, gave a presentation for Saturday Morning Physics. It was entitled, “Amateur Astronomy: From Ann Arbor to the Universe.”
The photo above shows Jack, Yasu, Charlie, Dave and John Causland.
The presentation had the following parts:
- Yasu Inugi, “Navigating the Night Sky: Introduction to Practical Stargazing.”
- Charlie Nielsen, “Can we improve our vision? The Eye and the Telescope.”
- Dave Snyder, “What’s Up There?” This included Solar system objects, Stars, Deep sky objects and Special phenomenon.
- Jack Brisbin, “University Lowbrow Astronomers: Community Involvement.”
John assisted in the preparations for the talk.
On February 20, 2009, Jack, Yasu, Charlie and Dave gave a presentation to the Lowbrows that was a dress rehearsal for the March 14th presentation. There is no recording of the February presentation, but there is a recording of the March 14thpresentation and it was very similar to the February presentation.
Short biography: The University Lowbrow Astronomers is a diverse group of amateur astronomers, ranging from high school students to retirees, and beginners to experienced observers. The group is involved in many activities, which include stargazing and building telescopes.
From its beginnings in the late 1970’s, the group has been open to both university and non-university members. In 1979 Dr. Joseph Patterson, then a post doc with the U-M Astronomy Department, proposed an agreement between the university and the Lowbrow Astronomers. In exchange for restoring and maintaining the observatory, the Lowbrows would receive full use of the 24-inch McMath Telescope at the Peach Mountain Observatory. This unique partnership has served as a catalyst for advancing amateur astronomy in southeast Michigan.
The Peach Mountain Observatory has fueled both the long-term growth of the Lowbrow Astronomers and its service to the community. For many years the group has conducted observing sessions for the public about twice a month, weather permitting. These sessions sometimes attract hundreds of visitors. Additionally, the Lowbrow Astronomers have conducted demonstrations and other events at the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History (now the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History), the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, as well as at other locations throughout southeast Michigan.
Links:
- Abstract for this presentation.
- The slides used during the presentation (note this is a powerpoint file that is about 29 megabytes in size).
- Listen to a recording of the presentation..
