NASA Senior Mission Manager Chuck Tatro. Photo Courtesy LANL
LANL NEWS RELEASE
Bradbury Science Museum Association present a special edition of their Night with a Nerd speaker series on Oct. 12, featuring NASA’s Senior Mission Manager (and former Labbie) Chuck Tatro. His presentation will dive into the spectacular science of the upcoming “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse. Held at Fuller Lodge, Night with a Nerd admission is $10, or free for BSMA members. Tickets will be available on the BSMA website. Registration is required.
Los Alamos and the surrounding region will be a prime location for viewing the eclipse. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is near the part of its orbit that is most distant from Earth. Since the moon is farther from Earth than it is during a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t block out the entire sun. Instead, it leaves a bright “ring of fire” visible at the peak of the eclipse. Cue up Johnny Cash, put on your safe solar viewing glasses and get ready for an amazing spectacle in the sky.
A special meet-and-greet with Tatro will be available for BSMA members at 5 p.m. Members will also receive a complimentary drink ticket. Doors open for the general public at 5:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin at 6 p.m. Eclipse viewing glasses and other cool giveaways will be available while supplies last.
BSMA membership provides free admission to Night with a Nerd programs, free entry to science centers in the ASTC Travel Passport Program and a 10% discount at the Bradbury’s Gadgets gift shop. Plus, your membership supports STEM education in Northern New Mexico. To learn more, get tickets and become a member, visit the BSMA website.
Thursday, Oct. 12
5 -5:30 p.m. BSMA members reception
5:30-7 p.m. Presentation with NASA’s Chuck Tatro
Fuller Lodge, 2132 Central Ave., Los Alamos, NM
Admission is $10; free for BSMA members
About the speaker:
Charles (Chuck) Tatro is a senior mission manager with the Launch Services Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He is responsible for commercial launch vehicle advisory to the Artemis III Human Landing System and Gateway Deep Space Logistics, as well as the mission manager for TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) and other NASA missions. Tatro began his NASA career at Glen Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1986. Prior to joining NASA, he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Test Center. Read more about Tatro here.
