Date: March 5, 2011
Title: The Lunar Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector: Over 40 Years and Going Strong!
Podcaster: NASA Lunar Science Institute
Description: Instruments left on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts are still being used today. The Lunar Laser Ranging Retro-reflector experiment was deployed on Apollo 11, 14, and 15, and has provided detailed information about not only the Moon, but data involving the Earth’s rotation, as well testing Einstein’s theory of relativity. Host Nancy Atkinson is joined by Dr. Douglas Currie from the University of Maryland, who has been a part of this experiment from the very beginning.
Links: NASA Lunar Science Institute
Dr. Currie recently gave an online talk, A Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector for the 21st Century, which can be accessed at this link: http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/events/currie
Bio: The NLSI brings together leading lunar scientists from around the world to further NASA lunar science and exploration.
Douglas Currie is a Professor Emeritus in Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was a key member of the original Apollo-era Lunar Laser Ranging Team, winning an Apollo Achievement Award for his work, and was Scientific Director of the Lunar Laser Ranging Station at Macdonald Observatory in 1969-1970. He has developed image processing software for the Hubble Space Telescope, for planetary astronomy and for other US Government applications. More recently, he has been observing and developing image-processing methods and software for Adaptive Optics.
Nancy Atkinson is a science journalist and is the Senior Editor for Universe Today
Today’s sponsor: This episode of “365 Days of Astronomy” is sponsored by orbitalmaneuvers.com. “Orbital Maneuvers”, the new sci-fi thriller by RC Davison is now available online at Createspace.com and Amazon.com. Follow the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour as they struggle to survive the effects of a devastating asteroid impact on the United States, which leaves them stranded in orbit. Shuttle commander, Susan Corin, must not only contend with the aftermath of the disaster and a damaged shuttle, but must deal with a crew member whose homicidal actions to save himself have put the rest of the crew in grave danger. Check out the companion website where you can read the first 7 chapters of the book, read background information about the space shuttle, the International Space Station, asteroid impacts and more. There are also links available to order the book online. Thanks to 365 Days of Astronomy for all their hard work in making a website about astronomy that is literally for the people, by the people!
Transcript:
***Transcript coming soon.***
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365 Days of Astronomy
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