Kentucky SkyTalk
February 14, 2019 - UKAA Auditorium in the W.T. Young Library - 7:00 PM
Dr. Tom Troland: Pluto and Beyond - The Twilight Zone of the Solar System
Where does the Solar System end? Is it with the last major planet, Neptune? Not really. The outer Solar System beyond Neptune is populated by dwarf planets, of which Pluto is the most famous, and smaller "Kuiper Belt" objects, including cometary nuclei. Then there is the solar magnetic field and, far beyond, a huge "Oort Cloud" of material. Earthbound telescopes and spacecraft have provided fascinating glimpses of this twilight zone of the Solar System.
- (PDF maps on this page were created using Guide 9)
The MacAdam Student Observatory staff are pleased to welcome the public to our facility. We present a program of public outreach on the second Thursday of every month. A 40-minute presentation on astronomy will be held in the Chemistry-Physics Building, before moving across the street to the observatory, weather permitting. Note that the temperature at the telescope is the same as it is outside. The Observatory is located on Parking Structure #2 on the University of Kentucky campus on this map.)
Parking Note: Guests for the monthly SkyTalk that bring vehicles should plan on leaving them in Parking Structure #2, next to the observatory. Visitors that park elsewhere are subject to citation. Some streets near the observatory will be closed due to construction intermittently over the next few years. These include Rose Street and Alumni Drive. The recommended path to Parking Structure #2 is outlined in red, here: Directions with street closures.pdf.
