Moons, moons, and more moons

Forsyth Astronomical Society

May Meeting

Wednesday, May 11 @ 7:30 pm

Kaleideum North (formerly SciWorks)

400 West Hanes Mill Road

Winston-Salem, NC

https://north.kaleideum.org/visit/directions/

Most of us are familiar with the planets of the Solar System; All eight of them … okay maybe nine.

How about moons? We often look up at the Earth’s Moon as it hangs high in the night sky. However, our moon isn’t alone. According to NASA there are 205 moons around the eight official planets. If the dwarf planets are included, the number is 214.

Many of these moons are extremely small, but a few are large enough to be spherical and they really are worlds in themselves. Two are larger than the planet Mercury. Some have underground oceans of liquid water and might be the most promising places to find life outside of the Earth. One is covered with Sulphur volcanoes. Another has liquid methane seas and has been visited by a spacecraft from Earth. And, yes, you’ll learn the true location of Shangri-La and Xanadu.

We’ll take a tour of the larger solar system moons at the May meeting of the Forsyth Astronomy Society.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a member to attend. The meeting is free and open to the public. Just bring your curiosity and sense of adventure. The Society’s business meeting will take place after the program.