Dr. Neil Comins
What If the Moon Didn’t Exist
Thursday, October 14 at 7:00 pm
The Moon is a vibrant part of our lives and has been celebrated for centuries in art, literature and of course science. We find it easily at night and if we look hard enough, also during the day. Most people have learned that it contributes to our tides and that it has been the goal of spaceflights since the late 1950s. What would the Earth be like today if the Moon had never existed? Certainly, the tides would be different (yes, they would still be here) and we wouldn’t have the Moon’s light to help illuminate the night. But those are only the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. Indeed, the changes to Earth and life without a Moon are “breathtaking.” Join Dr. Neil F Comins as he takes us on a virtual trip to the Moon to explore it and its importance to humanity.
Dr. Neil F Comins is professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Maine, Orono. He teaches classes ranging from introductory astronomy to general relativity. He is the author of 21 astronomy trade and textbooks. His book What if the Moon didn’t exist? has been the basis of planetarium, radio, TV, and theater shows around the world. It was the theme of Mitsubishi’s pavilion at the 2005 World Expo. His research in general relativity was cited in Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar’s 1983 Nobel Prize lecture. For the past 17 years he has been a cartoon character in Japan.
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The Science Lecture Series at Versant Power Astronomy Center will take place on the second Thursday of each month and is a partnership project with the Maine Science Festival and will feature research from a variety of science disciplines from around our state and use the digital planetarium to visualize these discoveries in a new dramatic and immersive way.
Tickets for planetarium programs are $7 for Adults, $6 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $5 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets are available online at http://astro.umaine.edu, by calling 581-1341, or at the box office.
