Archive for 2006

November 8, 2006

Dr. Dale Cruikshank (NASA Ames)

Listen (mp3 file, 20.3 MB)

Dr. Cruikshank reviews what we knew about Pluto (including its atmosphere, of which he was the co-discoverer), why Pluto was re-classified as a dwarf planet in the fall of 2006, and what the New Horizons spacecraft may reveal about this distant world in the next decade.

October 4, 2006

Dr. Alex Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley)

Listen (mp3 file, 24.7 MB)

In 1998, observations of very distant exploding stars provided intriguing evidence that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up with time, rather than slowing down due to gravity as expected. Today, new and completely independent observations strongly support this amazing conclusion. Over the largest scales of space, our Universe seems to be dominated by a repulsive “dark energy,” stretching the very fabric of space itself. Dr. Filippenko, who is a leader in the group that has made some of these remarkable observations, gives us a progress report on our “runaway universe” and then answers a host of audience questions about the overall behavior of the universe.

The 2005 ASP Annual Report provides an overview of the Society’s many accomplishments during the 2005 – 06 fiscal year. We invite you to take a moment to read the report and learn more about our efforts to serve the “intermediate communicators” – those who share the excitement of the Universe with others, as well as serve both professional and amateur astronomers.

2005 Annual Report (pdf, 1.8 MB)

August 11 , 2006 – The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) announced today it has named Dr. Leo Connolly of the California State University, San Bernardino as the first recipient of the newly-created Richard H. Emmons Award for Excellence in College Astronomy Teaching. Read the full Press Release

March 15, 2006 – The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), one of the nation’s leading astronomy education organizations, announced today that Executive Director Michael A. Bennett has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire from full-time service before the end of 2006

Mr. Bennett has worked for the ASP for eleven years and has served as Executive Director for over five years. “My years with this wonderful organization have unquestionably been the most rewarding and fulfilling of my career,” said Bennett. “But now, with the ASP stable and growing, I can start slowing down a bit. I will definitely continue serving the ASP by working part-time on a few projects, but I am also really looking forward to moving into semi-retirement.”

“The ASP has made great progress under Mike’s tenure,” said ASP President Dennis Schatz, “especially through his leadership in sharpening the Society’s strategic focus on education and professional development for educators. We’re sorry to see him step down, but we respect his decision and we look forward to his continued involvement with specific projects and his help during the transition to the next Executive Director.”

Schatz announced that a committee has been formed to conduct a national search and recommend a successor to the Board. Read our full press release for more information.