SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, June 21, 2013
McDonnell Hall, Washington University

The Search For Planets Of Alien Suns
by
Ms. Teresa Wong
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Washington University

    One of the most significant scientific discoveries ever made happened in the late twentieth century: the detection of planets in orbit around other stars. Two decades later, about 900 extra-solar planets, or "exoplanets" have been found. Some are exotic – planets that are Jupiter-sized but orbiting very close to their parent stars. A few are approximately Earth-sized. A few have been directly photographed – the rest have been detected indirectly. Ms. Wong will discuss how these planets have been found, what they might look like, and what their composition and structures might be. She will also talk about the prospects for finding habitable planets in the near future.
     Teresa Wong is a Doctoral degree candidate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University. Her primary area of interest is planetary geodynamics – the study of the structure and motions of the interiors of the Earth and other planetary bodies.

Meeting Agenda

Welcome

Introduction of Officers

Ms. Wong

Astro 101 - SLAS and the YMCA Trout Lodge

Auction of SLAS Loaner Telescopes

Question for next meeting:  Should SLAS donate $100 toward restoration of the 24 in Clark Refractor at Lowell Observatory

Announcements