Meetings

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will visit our neighborhood in the solar system in September–October 2024. It may become bright enough to be seen with the naked eye — possibly even a fairly bright comet. Michelle Nichols, Director of Public Observing at the Adler Planetarium, will talk about what we know about it, when to view it, and what to expect from it (or not) in our late October evenings.

Women contributed to the advancement of astronomy and astrophysics at Yerkes Observatory in the early twentieth century. Women were not only calculators or assistants; they earned degrees, conducted their own research, collaborated on projects with peers of both sexes, worked on publications, and used their time at Yerkes to launch a wide range of careers. Their lives and labor are all but invisible in public records, but their contributions to science—and their voices—are preserved in archival collections studied by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Chicago. In this presentation, Andrea Twiss-Brooks, Director of Humanities and Area Studies at the University of Chicago Library will explore the scientific work and the lived experiences of women who contributed to the advancement of astronomy and astrophysics in early twentieth century America.

Following the successful launch and deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have explored new vistas and aspects of the Universe made possible with this remarkable instrument. Club member Jim Kovac will lead an exploration with this new eye on the Universe.