HUNTSVILLE, AL – In the lead up to the All American Solar Eclipse Aug. 21, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is partnering with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to offer 30-minute training sessions for the general public. The sessions take place the next three Thursdays in the National Geographic Theater and Davidson Center for Space Exploration classroom from 5:30 to 6 p.m.
This Thursday’s featured speaker is Dr. Alphonse Sterling, Solar Scientist, Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch, NASA/MSFC. Sterling will discuss the importance of the event, his research and safety for viewing the eclipse.
At the conclusion of the training session, Dr. Sterling will introduce Black Suns: An Astrophysics Adventure, a documentary for which he served as one of the principal scientists. The film is about chasing eclipses and dreams of science, and features Sterling and Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, a research professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, as they follow the two solar eclipses that occurred in 2012.
On Aug. 10, Dr. Dennis Gallagher will provide training and information about his work as a magnetospheric physicist with MSFC’s Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch. NASA astronomer Dr. Bill Cooke and Mitzi Adams, a solar scientist, will conclude the series on Aug. 17.
The scientists will be available to speak to the media following their presentations. All programs are free and open to the public.
Media contact: Pat Ammons, [email protected]; 256-721-5429
About U.S. Space & Rocket Center
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is home to Space Camp® and Aviation Challenge®, the Apollo 16 capsule, the National Historic Landmark Saturn V rocket and world-class traveling exhibits. USSRC is the Official Visitor Center for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and a showcase for national defense technologies developed at the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal.
To learn more about the exciting programs and activities at the USSRC, go to www.rocketcenter.com.
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