NASA Scientist to Discuss 'Shadow Science: Using Eclipses…' at Library of Congress Lecture

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Sep 04, 2018, 16:21 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The public is invited to a free talk called 'Shadow Science: Using Eclipses to Shed New Light on Heavenly Bodies,' with NASA Chief Scientist Dr. James Green. The talk will occur in the Pickford Theater, third floor, Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT.

Green will discuss how we continue to use shadow techniques to uncover new science and will provide spectacular examples from recent events. Eclipses are defined by the Oxford Dictionary as the obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer. It should be noted that this is nearly the same definition that describes occultations and transits. These phenomena create shadows that are regularly observed. But these shadows also allow scientists to do amazing new things, from finding new rings at Saturn to new planets orbiting other far away stars.

Green is a speaker in the 2018 NASA Goddard Lectures Series at the Library of Congress. Earlier talks in the NASA series included the topics of space weather, improved global water security and sustainability, how Mars has changed over time, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.

The Library of Congress maintains one of the largest and most diverse collections of scientific and technical information in the world. The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world and holds nearly 151.8 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The library serves Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill.

For inquiries about this or upcoming talks at the Library of Congress, the public can contact the library's Science, Technology and Business Division at 202-707-5664. ADA accommodations should be requested five business days in advance at 202-707-6382 (voice/tty) or [email protected].

The lecture will be later broadcast on the library's webcast page and YouTube channel "Topics in Science" playlist.

For directions, visit: http://www.loc.gov/visit/maps-and-floor-plans/ or www.loc.gov

For information about Dr. Green, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ocs/about_us.html

For information about NASA research on eclipses, visit: www.nasa.gov/eclipse

SOURCE NASA