Houston Science Enthusiasts

HYBRID: The Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society will hold a meeting featuring a presentation by Dr. Prajkta Mane, Staff Scientist with the Lunar and Planetary Institute, in a talk entitled "Revealing the Earliest Era of the Solar System: Isotopic Records of the Planet Formation Process."

Dr. Mane’s research "focuses on the study of chemical, microstructural, and isotopic characteristics of meteorites. She analyzes Calcium-Aluminum-rich Inclusions (CAIs) to decipher chronology of early solar system events, observes the recorded nucleosynthetic anomalies in them, and studies their microstructural characteristics to determine the mechanisms of CAI formation. She also analyzes Martian meteorites for their hydrogen isotopic composition to understand the evolution of Martian water reservoirs."

The meeting at will be held at the University of Houston-Clear Lake STEM Building, Room 1203 starting at 7:30 p.m.. People should arrive between 7 and 7:15 p.m. Attendees should park in Parking Lots D3 or D4 no earlier than 7 p.m.

Please see the UHCL Map here -- Please park in lots D3 and D4. The STEM building is building #5 on the map. Come in from the east side and go left. When you come to the end of hallway, you should find the auditorium where the meeting will be.

The meeting can be accessed by going to the JSCAS YouTube Channel at the link: https://www.youtube.com/c/JSCAstronomicalSociety

Also, the JSCAS YouTube Channel link will be posted on the JSCAS web page: http://www.jscas.net

To submit questions for our presenters during the meeting, please either enter your questions as a YouTube comment (if you have an account that will allow doing so) or send your questions to: jscaslive@gmail.com

JSCAS is open to anyone who wants to learn about astronomy and membership is free. After joining, you’ll have access to our amazing Astronomy DVD Library with 100’s of choices to learn from (from Astronomy Magazine, NASA, The Great Courses, Discovery Channel, etc.).

IN PERSON: Let's meet and talk about how to think like an astronaut based on Chris Hadfields' book.

"Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane, and been temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. The secret to Col. Hadfield's success-and survival-is an unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: prepare for the worst- and enjoy every moment of it.

"In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Col. Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks, and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement — and happiness. His own extraordinary education in space has taught him some counterintuitive lessons: don't visualize success, do care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff.

"You might never be able to build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, make a music video or perform basic surgery in zero gravity like Col. Hadfield. But his vivid and refreshing insights will teach you how to think like an astronaut, and will change, completely, the way you view life on Earth — especially your own."

Everyone is welcome whether you have read the book or not.

You can:

• read sample
• view past selections
• view pool of candidates
• add your ideas to the pool of candidates

At this meeting each person can nominate a book to be voted on whether it is from the pool of candidates or not.

We'll be meeting at Cafe Express. There is ample parking in the nearby lot.

Come prepared to discuss the ideas in the book and have a good time.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

HYBRID: The Lunar and Planetary Institute presents a presentation (offered in-person and virtually) by Dr. Walter Kiefer, Director of the LPI. Dr. Kiefer will discuss NASA’s Europa Clipper mission and its 1.8-billion-mile journey to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Launched in October 2024, Europa Clipper is the first mission designed to conduct a detailed study of Europa.

This event will take place on Thursday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. MT/ 5:30 p.m. PT). In-person attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. A short reception with the speaker will follow the presentation.

In-person at the Lunar and Planetary Institute
3600 Bay Area Blvd, Houston, TX 77058

For those who are unable to attend in person, the event will be streamed live through the LPI YouTube channel beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Map and Directions: Research Institute Events : Maps & Directions | Houston Methodist

Parking: Parking is available in the Texas Medical Center parking garages but it is expensive. Information: Medical Center Parking Lots | Texas Medical Center | Houston (tmc.edu)

Metro: The Houston Methodist Academic Institute is also easily accessible by the Metro Red Line: https://www.ridemetro.org/riding-metro/transit-services/metrorail