Dr. Sandra Faber to Host Astronomy Salon, Friday Evening, April 3, in West Newton

"Iconic Images from the Hubble Space Telescope: Their Meaning for Astronomy and for Humanity"

Dr. Faber will tour the Universe using the most beautiful and notable images from the Hubble Space Telescope and will use these as a springboard to discuss the impact that modern astronomical images have had on our thinking about the history of our species and its role and future in the Universe.

Dr. Faber has been chosen to receive the 2009 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the historic Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. She will be honored on April 23 for "extraordinary advances in our knowledge of the properties of distant galaxies, dark matter, large scale structure of the Universe, and black holes in galactic nuclei; and for innovative leadership in the development of astronomical facilities." Dr. Faber is the discoverer of the so-called "Faber-Jackson relation" linking the brightness of elliptical galaxies to the speeds of stars orbiting within them. Her work with Hubble Space Telescope focuses on the centers of galaxies, which often harbor massive black holes, according to evidence gathered by her team. She has played a major management role in the construction of the world's largest telescopes, the twin 400-inch Keck Telescopes in Hawaii.

ON THE AGENDA: an amazing talk and slide show, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums and a delicious light dinner cooked by our cherished host, Mary Jane Suzman. (The sooner you can rsvp, the easier you make it for Mary Jane to prepare for the grocery shopping.)

WHEN: Friday, April 3, 6:30-10 p.m. (7:30 p.m. dinner- 8:30 p.m. talk begins)

COST: $7

DEADLINE to RSVP: Friday, March 27

WHERE: At the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman, 14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP to me and send your checks NOW made payable to "Erika Tarlin" to:

Erika Tarlin, 7 Bradford Ave., Somerville, MA 02145

Questions? Contact Beata at tel. 617-496-1775 or by email: beata_panagopoulos@harvard.edu

BSLUG Tour of Shepard Fairey Exhibit a Great Time

Ok, so perhaps our elderly docent didn't know much about guerrilla street art--maybe, she learned more from us than we did from her, but the BSLUG visit to the Shepard Fairey exhibit (Feb. 7, 2009) was still a lot of fun. The ICA space was very conducive to having a big group of excited people, sharing their knowledge and experiences. The consensus was that Shepard Fairey's art is very cool and much of it beautiful. Here are some of the comments from our group:

• "We had a fabulous time. It was wonderful to meet everyone and reconnect with a taste of Santa Cruz. "
  
  
• "This was my first outing with the group, and I'm already looking forward to the next one!"
  
  
• "Many of you had insights into how to look at or “see” the art, and it added greatly to the experience. Thank you all for what you brought. I’d love to go see some more art with you in the future."

After the exhibit, eleven of us had lunch together at a nearby restaurant, capping off a great day.