The Chicago Astronomical Society
Meeting Friday, February 10, 2017 at the Adler Planetarium

This very stimulating and informative meeting began at 6:30 pm with an update about Chicago's
LED street lighting plan given by Larry Silvestri and President Anthony Harris.
Our proposals for warm lights with cutoffs are being met with some indifference,
and members are being urged to contact their leaders about it.

Mrs. Eman Sarhan who teaches physics and astronomy at Amundsen High School
in Chicago gave us a lecture of how Arabic countries view the stars and constellations,
their meanings and their correct pronunciations.   Ably assisted by her daughter Sarah
at the computer, she gave us a new perspective of the night sky as a different culture
sees it.

Dr. Melissa Brucker of the Adler Planetarium, a postdoctoral research fellow observing
near-Earth asteroids, gave us all an update on the Kuiper Belt.   She discussed the
different populations of Kuiper belt objects and how dwarf planets and their moons
have changed our ideas of how the early solar system evolved into what we see today.
She also highlighted some of Pluto’s crazy geology.

After this highly informative evening some of our group retired to
Connie's Pizza on Archer Avenue for an evening get-together of food,
drinks and further conversation.