This fascinating lecture about the Northern Lights - or Aurora Borealis - will be presented by Solar Scientist, and a senior advisor to the Norwegian Space center, Dr. Pål Brekke.
For thousands of years people have gazed with amazement at the northern sky and pondered about the meaning of the Aurora Borealis.
Throughout the ages, onlookers have created hundreds of stories and theories, trying to explain and understand their fantastic visions of this captivating light in the sky. The Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland (1867-1917) was the first to explain the source of the aurora and by his discovery a new field within science was born - the Sun-Earth connection. The aurora still fascinates everyone that get to see it and for some countries it has become a breathtaking tourist attraction. Large eruptions on the sun are creating the aurora. By monitoring the sun with a fleet of sophisticated satellites we can now predict when the aurora can be seen at different latitudes, and this technology could prove very useful for tourists planning to see this amazing view.
This multimedia presentation will take the audience on a journey from the historical myths about the aurora, through early scientific explorations to modern space based observations of this phenomenon and its ultimate source - the Sun. Spectacular images and movies of the aurora and the sun will be presented. Dr. Pål Brekke will also talk about other space weather effects - and how the sun will impact the future of our technology-based society.
The lecture will be held for the Cadettes of the US Military Academy at West Point NY on Friday the 15th.
Everyone else can attend the lecture on Saturday January 16th, 10:00 to 11:30 at the Cornwall Public Library and later at 2:00 to 3:30 at the Greenwood Lake Public Library as part of the Scandinavian Festival in Greenwood Lake.
Those interested in attending the lecture at Cornwall Public Library must call ahead for reservations.
Contact:
Cornwall Public Library
395 Hudson St.
Cornwall, NY 12518
Register prior to the lecture at (845)534-8282
Greenwood Lake Public Library
P.O. Box 1139, 79 Waterstone Road
Greenwood Lake, New York 10925
(845) 477-8377