Guest speaker Dr. Pogge from Ohio State Astronomy Dept will be speaking about “Chasing Oxygen”!

The Big Bang made only hydrogen and helium plus tiny traces of lithium and deuterium. This is why hydrogen and helium are the primary chemical elements that make up the universe today.  However, here on Earth Oxygen is far and away the most abundant chemical element.  Oxygen makes up about 46% of Earth’s crust, 22% of the air we breathe, and 65% of mass of the human body. Where was all of the Oxygen made? How is it distributed throughout the Galaxy and eventually find its way into planets and people? This talk will explore the origin of the elements heavier than helium in the universe, and describe how astronomers measure and map the distribution of Oxygen in interstellar space.

Richard Pogge is a Professor of Astronomy and Vice Chair for Instrumentation at The Ohio State University. Prof. Pogge received a BS in physics from Caltech and a PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics from UC Santa Cruz.  After being the W.J. McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas, he came to Ohio State in 1989 as a postdoctoral researcher. He then joined the faculty in 1992.

Our meetings start at 7pm

Meeting Location: United Methodist Church
1515 Fredericks Ave, San Luis Obispo.

General Information on our Meetings and Public Talks:

Our meetings include time for show-and-tell, telescope setup questions, special introductory content for newcomers, socializing time, and in-depth astronomy content for our more experienced members… in short, something for everyone!

