The Seven Wonders of the Universe
Space, the Final Frontier! How many of you were “Star Trekkers” who would follow Jean Luc Picard to the farthest parts of the universe? Powerful telescopes have turned that fiction into reality. The Friends of the Case Memorial Library invite you to journey through space via a Zoom program on Thursday, February 29, when we will learn about “The Seven Wonders of the Universe.”
Our presenter will be Joe Rao, a “broadcast meteorologist, for over 40 years holding the Seals of Approval of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and National Weather Association (NWA). He still serves as an associate and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He also writes about astronomy for the online news service, Space.com, as well as Natural History magazine, Sky & Telescope, the Farmers’ Almanac and other publications. On July 3rd, 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named Asteroid 20009 Joerao in his honor.”
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim and in Mesopotamia. The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it was the number of the five planets known anciently, plus the Sun and Moon. In the sky above our head, there are wonders too numerous to count. But what could we choose as the seven most remarkable objects visible, either with just our eyes or with a simple pair of binoculars or a small telescope? Which seven objects might we call, “The Seven Wonders of the Universe?”
Sit back and enjoy your voyage into the universe. Registrations are required and may be made by phone at 203.891.2170 or online at www.casememoriallibrary.org. The link to the program will be emailed to you earlier on the day of the presentation.
