Our Upcoming Speaker
Note: Meetings are Hybrid with Zoom and In-Person at the Lodge at the Birmingham Zoo

​Title: "Look Out Below!  Alabama's Crazy History With Meteors!"

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Speaker: Dr. Lawrence Krumenaker, Astronomer and Science Journalist​​​

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Abstract:

   Alabama's license plates have the slogan "Stars Fell Over Alabama."  Why did the state adopt this idea?  The meteors fell over lots of places but most never hit the state.  However, two interesting things meteoritically did happen here.  Two history lessons---the state's only meteor crater--and one of them unique--a meteor hit a woman, who lived--will be discussed, along with driving tours discussed to see what's left of these events on the landscape today.

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About the Speaker:

   Dr. Lawrence Krumenaker started professional life as an astronomer.  In more recent years, his science research and educator works segued into a career that included astronomy and historical journalism.  His articles and books in historical tourism are based on the idea that history is best understood both by telling the *story* part of history, and doing that is done best by seeing the site of the historical event and viewing what’s left of the past. 

   As an astronomer, Dr. Krumenaker is best known in the science community as the discoverer of the first microquasar in the galaxy, as a stellar spectroscopist and a cartographer of the planet Mercury.   He has been a science journalist for more than three decades, and once President of the International Science Writers Association.  In addition to doing talks on historical events, Dr. Krumenaker has often done workshops and courses in astronomy education for teachers, and writes astronomy-based newsletters on Substack, notably the internationally-read The Galactic Times.

Dr. Krumenaker has a Star Trek astronomy book, “Federation Space,” due out early next year.

 

After over two dozen address changes, in multiple Northern and Southern States, and residencies and travel in numerous countries in Asia and Europe, the peripatetic Dr. Krumenaker currently resides in Alabama.  

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Links:

https://www.hermograph.com/krumenaker

https://www.hermograph.com/lafayette

https://www.thegalactictimes.com

https://www.toteachthestars.net

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