John Newcomer, the new President of  the Saint Louis Astronomical Society, will be the featured speaker at the June meeting of the Society. The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm Friday, June 17, in Room 203 of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Building, on the Washington University campus. The E.P. Building is located at the intersection of Hoyt Drive and Throop Drive, in the northeast corner of the University campus. Due to Metrolink construction, the Building is accessible from Forsyth Boulevard via Hoyt Drive.

The Apollo 15 mission to the Moon in July, 1971, was the first of the extended lunar landings. Outfitted with the new Lunar Rover and more scientific equipment than the four previous manned landing missions, Apollo 15’s three-day stay at Hadley Rille near the Apennine Mountains produced a spectacular array of scientific data concerning the origin and composition of the Moon. Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin also returned 170 pounds of lunar rocks and soils, which are still being studied today. The flight of Apollo 15 is a major episode in the history of lunar exploration, whose next chapter may be the return of humans to the Moon. Mr. Newcomer will review the highlights of the mission, including many NASA images taken by Scott and Irwin on the lunar surface.