The Longmont Astronomical Society will meet 7 to 9 pm in the Community Room (Rm #1480-82) at the Front Range Community College, 2190 Miller Drive, Longmont, CO on Thursday, June 18th. The speaker will Dr. Suzanne Metlay.
Her presentation will be "Your Eyes on the Sky – NEOs, Satellites & More" – How amateur astronomers aid discovery and do much of the detailed work to confirm orbits. From Near Earth Objects like asteroid 2008TC3 to space debris, amateur astronomers play a vital role in finding and tracking objects of interest to space professionals. By running desktop algorithms like SETI@home and participating in online research like Galaxy Zoo, amateurs further assist scientific research for no pay but the glory of eye candy and their own satisfaction.
Dr. Suzanne Metlay is Operations Director of Secure World Foundation, a private non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to improving space governance. SWF is based in Superior, CO, with offices in Washington, DC, and Vienna, Austria. With permanent observer status to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, SWF staff make presentations to the UN as well as brief members of Congress on issues of space security, human and environmental security, and planetary defense.