Summer Night in Astronomy Focuses on Jupiter, the Giant Planet
Lecture and astronomical viewing on June 22
Roger Knacke, director of the School of Science and professor of physics and astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host a Summer Night in Astronomy event on Thursday, June 22.
Knacke will speak on “Jupiter, The Giant Planet” beginning at 8:30 p.m. in 101 Behrend Science Building. Weather permitting, astronomical viewing from the college’s Mehalso Observatory will follow from 9:30 until 11 p.m.
Knacke will discuss the latest results of Jupiter research conducted using the Galileo and Cassini spacecraft, and the mysteries that continue to surround our solar system’s largest planet.
Among the strangest recent events on Jupiter is the formation of a new red spot. Jupiter’s familiar red spot was first seen in the 1600s and is believed to be a huge, hurricane-like storm with wind speeds of up to 270 miles per hour. In February 2006, a large white oval disturbance in Jupiter’s atmosphere turned red, and now is roughly the same color as the familiar red spot, leading to the name “Red Spot Jr.” Scientists hope that study of Red Spot Jr. will help them better understand Jupiter’s climate.
Hubble Space Telescope “baby pictures” of the new red spot can be seen at http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2006/19/.
Summer Night in Astronomy is free and open to the public, and is intended for a non-technical audience age 6 and up. For information, call the School of Science at 814-898-6105.