Astronomy on Tap launches in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES - When you think of bar activities, pool, darts and the occasional game beer pong come to mind. Add learning about the universe to that list, thanks to Astronomy on Tap (AoT), an event created in New York City that has now has spread all over the country, including this year to Las Cruces.
AoT Las Cruces is spearheaded by Wladimir Lyra, an assistant professor of astronomy at New Mexico State University and Emma Dahl, a fifth-year graduate student in the Astronomy Department also at NMSU. Lyra also pens the "Star News" column publishing the first Sunday of the month in the Sun-News' SunLife section.
"AoT happens worldwide. There are more than 80 locations around the globe," Lyra said. "I moved here in August from Los Angeles and I was used to going to AoT. I was looking for that kind of event here and just thought it would be a good idea to bring it here.
"Our AoT events will be monthly and will feature two speakers," he added. "Each of them will have a presentation on any topic in astronomy that is interesting to the general public and we will have fun quizzes."
AoT will be free and open to the public.
The speakers for the first AoT will be Candace Gray, a support astronomer at Apache Point Observatory and Alec Herczeg, a graduate student at NMSU who is studying heliophysics.
The first AoT will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at Bosque Brewing Co., 901 E. University Ave., #3A. For information on future AoT meetings visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AoTLasCruces, follow them on Twitter, @AoTLasCruces or visit Bosque Brewing's website at www.bosquebrewing.com
Astronomy legacy in Las Cruces
Dahl said there is a huge interest in astronomy in Las Cruces, likely because of the city's history in space exploration and local space industries such as NASA and Virgin Galactic.
"With Clyde Tombaugh discovering Pluto in 1930 and White Sands Missile Range's work with NASA, there's already a legacy here," Dahl said. "We want to build on that legacy. It's exciting. There’s an audience for it for sure."
Dahl said most of the astronomy outreach is catered toward children in schools and other entities. She said AoT is a great way for non-students to learn about space.
"AoT is for people that go to bars and are interested in learning more about astronomy that might not have the resources," she said.
Why astronomy?
Dahl said she's been reaching for the stars since she was young.
"My earliest memories are watching 'Star Trek' with my dad and I loved it. I kind of knew early on that I wanted to study astronomy," Dahl said.
Lyra recalls the moment he became obsessed with astronomy: He was 5 years old and browsing through his older sister's science book.
"I saw a picture of the solar system," he said. "I had already learned about the sun, the moon and the Earth but not the other planets.The image hit me that the Earth was one of many planets and at that moment I wanted to learn more about it.
Read Wladimir Lyra's Star News column:
- Starliner puts New Mexico front and center for the new Space Race
- Zeroing in on an alien ocean: Water vapor found around moon of Jupiter
"I would add that, astronomy, of all the sciences, most closely approaches the arts — trying to answer the questions throughout history to the realm of philosophy and religion — how do we fit? And how does the Earth fit in the universe?" he said.
Jacqueline Devine can be reached at 575-541-5476, JDevine@lcsun-news.com or @JackieIsDevine on Twitter.
