On Tuesday, August 20, Cornell’s Spacecraft Imaging Facility Manager Zoe Learner Ponterio will present “Shooting the Moon: A History of Photographing our Cosmic Neighbor”. The talk will be streamed at 8PM to the Coykendall auditorium at SUNY New Paltz and may be seen there or via Zoom.
Just one year after the first photograph of a human was taken, the first image through a telescope was captured. The subject of that first astrophotograph was the Moon. Now, robotic spacecraft carrying state-of-the art cameras send back images of newly explored worlds from millions of miles away, but our fascination with our nearest neighbor in the vastness of space has only grown. We still strive to capture its serene beauty, and even in the pure pursuit of science we cannot help but create art.
Zoe Learner Ponterio is the manager of Cornell’s Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility (SPIF), and has been at this position since 2017. She has experience working in science and public outreach on NASA mission teams, including the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, as well as 10 years teaching experience in high school math and physics. She now works closely with PreK-12 schools, community centers, colleges and universities, private and government research centers, and non-profit organizations, coordinating and facilitating technical workshops and public engagement programs that reached over 8,000 people last year.
The live streamed event will immediately follow the regularly scheduled business meeting of the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association which starts at 7:30. A link to the Zoom event will be sent to registered participants. To register go to midhudsonastro.org and select “ATTEND” at the MHAA MeetUp site. The zoom link will be sent to those registered by the day of the event. To attend only the presentation join in before 8 PM and you will be admitted to the final minutes of the association meeting. The presentation will begin at 8. To attend both events join in or attend live by 7:30. The talk will be recorded so that it can be viewed later by anyone who cannot attend.
Participants may call or text Tim Denman at 845-245-5483 for assistance or for further details.