20140606

Program for the June 6, 2014, OAS meeting

A Voice from Mars:

Astronomy-related Highlights from the Omaha World-Herald, 1885-1899

By Ryan Pendell

Summary:

Using the Omaha Public Library archives, we will look at the history of astronomy through the lens of the local Omaha newspaper circa 1890. We will investigate how 19th Century citizens of Omaha thought about prominent night sky objects that we observe today. We will also compare their scientific knowledge to our own and see how well they match up! Attendees will leave with an appreciation for how astronomy has changed in 130 years.

Speaker Bio:

Ryan Pendell is a professional writer from Elkhorn, Nebraska. For several years he was a writing professor at several Iowa colleges and universities. His work has been published in Metro Magazine, on local corporate web sites, and in literary publications nationwide. He has been a member of OAS since 2013. He uses a pair of high-powered astronomy binoculars to find his way around the sky. He is currently working on the constellation observing program.