NoCoAstro

The Northern Colorado Astronomical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the science of astronomy and to encourage and coordinate activities of amateur astronomers.
The March 7th, 2024 meeting will be held in-person at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, 408 Mason Ct, Fort Collins at 6:15 PM. For anyone uncomfortable with in-person meetings or otherwise unable to attend in person, the meeting will be simultaneously broadcast on Zoom via Webinar.

Download the Current Issue of the “Objective View” Newsletter: June 2018

March 7th, 2024 6:15 pm Speaker - Dr. Dan Lindsey

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

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Speaker: Dan Lindsey serves as the Program Scientist for NOAA's GOES-R program, and is stationed with CSU's Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere in Fort Collins. In this role, he oversees the program 's science portfolio which includes maximizing the value of the terabytes of data sent back by these satellites every year. He received his BS in Mathematics from the Univ. of Georgia in 1998, and an MS and PhD in Atmospheric Science from CSU in 2004 and 2008.

Abstract: The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has kept constant watch over the Earth's western hemisphere since the mid 1970s. Satellite instrument technology has improved markedly since then, of course, and the current generation provides spectacular imagery of phenomena such as hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, winter storms, and many others. Additional instruments monitor solar activity such as Coronal Mass Ejections. This presentation will include many examples of these "timelapse from space" movies. Additionally, NOAA is planning to launch its fourth and final satellite in the GOES-R series in a few months (GOES-U), and some behind the scenes looks will be shown at the satellite during its journey from Lockheed Martin in south Denver to Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it awaits launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle.

Monthly Meetings

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Regular club meetings have resumed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in the Otterbox Digital Dome Theater. They are scheduled for the 1st Thursday of every month. Please verify the meeting date and location on the club website. The business portion of the meeting is scheduled for 15 minutes starting at 6:15pm.

Regular topics include:
  • Announcements on upcoming NCAS events: speakers, stargazing, outreaching, etc.
  • Brief updates from the club treasurer and secretary
  • Items of general interest as shared by members and visitors

After the business meeting, invited speakers present an astronomy-related program beginning at 6:30pm. It is free of charge and the public is welcome. Talks are typically geared towards people with a high-school science background, but the level does vary. Feel free to contact a club officer for guidance if the target level is not apparent from the talk description. Talks typically last for 60 minutes. Questions are usually welcome both during and after the talk.

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