UM Lecture Series to Celebrate Man’s First Steps on Moon

  MISSOULA – It has been 50 years since the adventure of space exploration began, and the final frontier has yielded many exciting discoveries. In this year’s 21st annual Community Lecture Series, “Shoot for the Moon,” University of Montana faculty will highlight these discoveries and the evolution of space exploration, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of man’s first step on the moon.

Presented by the UM Alumni Association, the lectures will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. each Tuesday, Feb. 12 through March 19, in the University Center Theater. Faculty will explore topics ranging from the history of NASA space travel to the potential for life on other planets.

A schedule of the lectures is:

• Feb. 12: “60 Years of NASA and the Atmosphere,” Anna Klene, UM geography professor.

• Feb. 19: “Did You Know NASA Does Earth Science? A History,” Steve Running, UM Regents Professor of ecology.

• Feb. 26: “Sputnik and the Launching of the Space Race,” Mike Meyer, UM history professor.

• March 5: “There’s No Place Like Home, Or Is there? Earth and its Neighbor Planets,” Nancy Hinman, UM geosciences/astrobiology professor.

• March 12: “Science Fiction on the Eve on Apollo 11: The Space Odysseys of Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke,” Rob Browning, UM science fiction lecturer.

• March 19: “To Infinity and Beyond: The Search for Life Beyond the Solar System,” Nate McCrady, UM astrophysics associate professor.

Tickets for all six lectures cost $25 for the public, $20 for UMAA dues-paying members and $10 for students. Seats are limited and sell out quickly. Purchase tickets online.