The Members-Only Star Party scheduled for Saturday October 9 is CANCELED, due to unfavorable weather forecast.

LVAAS General Meeting

Sunday November 14, 7:00 p.m. 

--- Meeting will be held on-line ---

The Search for Life in the Outer Solar System

Jonathan I. Lunine

David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences; Chair Department of Astronomy, Cornell University

Jonathan Lunine is the David C Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences and Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University. He is interested in how planets form and evolve, what processes maintain and establish habitability, and what kinds of exotic environments (methane lakes, etc.) might host a kind of chemistry sophisticated enough to be called "life".  He pursues these interests through theoretical modeling and participation in spacecraft missions.  He is co-investigator on the Juno mission now in orbit at Jupiter, using data from several instruments on the spacecraft, and on the MISE instrument for the Europa Clipper mission.  He is on the science team for the James Webb Space Telescope, focusing on characterization of extrasolar planets and Kuiper Belt objects.  Lunine has contributed to concept studies for a wide range of planetary and exoplanetary missions. Lunine is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has participated in or chaired a number of advisory and strategic planning committees for the Academy and for NASA.

A meeting invitation will be emailed to all members.

Prospective new members who wish to attend the meeting should email membership@lvaas.org.