Presentations | 18 & 20 May

Information provided by Namibia Scientific Society

Monday, 18th May at 19h00:

English presentation by Prof Henry Throop

NASA’s New Horizons Mission to Pluto and Beyond

Pluto is the coldest and most distant of the nine ‘classic’ planets. Its ancient surface preserves a record of the history of the solar system and provides clues to the composition of comets and other bodies in the outer solar system. Astronomers have never seen the surface up close… but they will soon! Planetary Scientist Dr. Henry Throop will tell the story of this NASA spacecraft mission, from its development and construction, through launch in 2006, to plans for its arrival at Pluto on July 15, 2014, and onward to encounters with bodies in the distant Kuiper Belt.

Prof. Henry Throop is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Pretoria, and a Senior Scientist with the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He received a PhD in Planetary Science from the University of Colorado, USA, in 2000. His work focuses on the outer solar system, and he has published over 40 articles in scientific journals, on topics ranging from to rings of Saturn and Jupiter, to planet and star formation, to astrobiology and the origins of life, to searching for (and co-discovering) Pluto’s smallest moon, Styx, in 2012. He is a frequent consultant to the US’s NASA and the National Science Foundation. While working at NASA, he was responsible for the oversight and management of two of the NASA’s major scientific research programs. Throop’s work has been featured in Science, Nature, Time, The Washington Post, and on the History Channel and National Geographic TV. He has been interviewed on SABC Morning Live, in the Sunday Times, and on SAfm. Throop has been working on NASA’s New Horizons mission since 2003, in preparation for its arrival at Pluto in July, 2015. In South Africa, he has presented to the public at Scifest Africa, Sci-Bono, and Sci-Enza, as well as dozens of talks for the public, learners, and students. To him, Pluto will always be a planet.

Wednesday, 20th May at 19h00:

The Namibia Bird Club invites members and friends to a slide show and talk by Barbara Curtis

Birding Tour Uganda

Barbara Curtis joined friends for a 5 week birding tour of Uganda in Feb/March 2014, visiting a variety of different habitats, where they saw 365 species, many of which were lifers.  She will share Suzi van de Reep’s photos of some of these birds with you.

All events are open for public – everyone welcome! Venue is Namibia Scientific Society, Robert Mugabe Ave 110, opposite National Theatre. Safe parking in yard – Love street entrance.
Please note: The opinions expressed during any presentations, films or events are not necessarily in accord with ours.