Astronomer Talk, Stargazing at TAMIU LBV Planetarium Saturday

In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will host a speaker event Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. featuring McDonald Observatory astronomer Dr. Don Winget. A live stargazing party will follow the talk.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Dr. Winget, the Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, will present “The Scale and Contents of the Universe: Old Stars Shed New Light on Dark Matter.” Winget will reveal how he uses the study of white dwarf stars for diverse avenues of research, ranging from the physics of matter at high temperatures and densities to galactic structure and cosmochronology.

Immediately following Winget’s talk, attendees are invited to stay for the stargazing party, where visitors can get personal, telescopic tours of the heavens.

Winget’s research includes his 1981 prediction and discovery of a new class of pulsating variable stars in 1981, making the first direct measurement of stellar evolution in 1985, developing a new method for measuring the age of a galaxy and the co-founding of the Whole Earth Telescope.

He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois and a master’s and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Rochester.

Organizers of the International Year of Astronomy encourage everyone to explore the skies in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical use of a telescope in 1609.

The International Astronomical Union launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) under the theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover.” IYA 2009 is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people.

For more information, please contact Gerardo A. Pérez, director, TAMIU LBV Planetarium, at gaperez@tamiu.edu or 326.2606.

For show and show time information, call 326.2444, e-mail planetarium@tamiu.edu or click on tamiu.edu/coas/planetarium

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu