Here Comes the Sun Presented by Dr. Bill Rice

Additional Information

The sun has captivated our imaginations and curiosity for millennia. Considered to be a deity in numerous civilizations and then later the subject of great debates on its position in our solar system to now a critical part of our renewable-energy portfolio, the sun serves a central role in humanity. In this discussion, Dr. Bill Rice will present an overview of the science behind what makes the sun tick, including still-yet-unresolved questions regarding its structure (e.g., solar corona physics). Next, Dr. Rice will discuss the goals of NASA’s recently launched Parker Solar Probe mission, as well as the materials engineering behind this impressive spacecraft. Incredibly, while the Parker Solar Probe will be sent extremely close to the sun (within 20 solar radii), reaching temperatures of 2500°F (1371°C), the measurement instruments on board will stay a reasonable 70°F (20°C)! With the probe just reaching its stable trajectory in November 2018, much of the Parker Probe data will be collected and sent throughout 2019, which makes this an exciting time to understand the importance of this mission, its incredible engineering, and how all of it relates to us back on earth.

This event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:10 pm. Event held at the UWyo Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium located in the basement of the Physical Sciences building. For more information, visit our website at http://wyomingspacegrant.org/planetarium/