There will be a free talk for the public Saturday, March 9, as part of the “Outer Space in the Great Plains” Series. The hour-long presentation will provide information on Jupiter, its moons, and NASA’s Juno mission. The talk will begin at 2:30 p.m. in room 210 of Clifford Hall, located at the southeast corner of 42nd Street and University Avenue. Free parking is available in the lot just south of Clifford Hall.

The Jovian system is really nifty for both scientific and historical reasons.  Not only does it include the largest planet in our solar system, but it also includes the largest moon in our solar system, plus a moon with a global ocean that is an intriguing possible location for life, and a moon that looks like pizza because it is covered in active volcanoes.  These moons were also one of the first things Galileo discovered with his telescope, and provided proof back when people thought we were the center of the universe that objects orbit something other than the Earth. The Juno spacecraft will study Jupiter to help us understand the origins of Jupiter, and perhaps give us clues to the origins of our solar system.  Launched in 2011, the spacecraft is currently en route to Jupiter, and upon arriving in 2016 will provide us with more information about this fascinating system.  

The talk will be presented by Annie Wargetz and Katrina Jackson, graduate students in the Space Studies Master’s Program and volunteer NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors.

The Solar System Ambassadors Program of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers information and excitement about real missions that explore our solar system. Volunteer ambassadors in communities throughout the country are selected by JPL based on their backgrounds and on their plans for public outreach activities. JPL provides ambassadors with educational materials and training. However, the opinions of Ambassadors are not necessarily those of NASA or JPL. Further information about the Solar System Ambassadors Program is available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif.