Kelseyville >> In this month’s Windows to the Universe program, to be held Saturday night at Taylor, the observatory ventures into the realm of astronomy and geology with a discussion of the role that past and current volcanoes play in the solar system’s evolution. Popular Taylor lecturer and local amateur astronomer Stephen Kane returns to Taylor for this lecture.
Kane will describe both the familiar earth-like volcanoes and the more recently discovered cryo-volcanoes that are now believe to occur widely in the solar system. These cryo-volcanoes may in fact exist on Pluto, which was visited earlier in the summer by the New Horizons spacecraft. Earlier they were identified on Saturn’s moon Enceladas, where their ice emissions help populate Saturn’s rings. Eduardo Alatorre’s planetarium presentation, both before and after Kane’s talk, will describe volcanic activity on Mars, the location the solar system’s largest volcano, Olympus Mons.
Prior to Kane’s talk Taylor Saturday attendees will be invited to view a fascinating video describing the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull Volcanoe in April, 2010. The video, obtained by Friends of Taylor president Bill Haddon and his wife Barbara on a 2012 visit to Iceland, is the story of the eruption of the volcano and its effect on farming families in the town of Thorvaldseyri at the base of the volcano. Perhaps there is some common ground between Thorvaldseyri and Kelseyville; we may reflect on what it was like 10,000 years ago in our valley.
The Windows to the Universe evening at Taylor begins at 7:15 with the first of two planetarium showings along with the video as an alternate activity for visitors, followed by Kane’s talk at 8 and a second planetarium show and video starting at 9. Weather permitting we’ll observe the night sky through the Taylor’s various telescopes under an almost full moon. Friends of Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium sponsors the program. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Taylor is located at the end of Oak Hills Lane in Kelseyville. For information phone (415) 209-3084, consult the website www.taylorobservatory.org or visit the Friends of Taylor Facebook page.
