Drawing of Observatory
Public Talks
Most Fridays (year round):
AAI members make
informal presentations at Sperry Observatory beginning at 8:30 p.m.  (See "Fridays At Sperry" schedule)

Presentations For Youth Groups:
By prior arrangement, talks suitable for younger audiences can be scheduled at 7:30 p.m. These presentations range in subject from Solar System objects to the constellations.


Groups are urged to contact the scheduler to confirm the availability of space.

On the third Friday of each month from September through May:
AAI holds its monthly
General Membership Meeting at which a featured speaker from outside the organization presents a topic of interest in astronomy or a related field. The meeting is held on the Cranford, New Jersey campus of Union County College in either the Main Lecture Hall or in the Roy Smith Theater. See description below.

A brief business meeting is held at 8:00 p.m., and it is followed by the speaker's presentation. There is no admission charge. All are welcome to attend, and there is plenty of free parking.

After the meeting, all are invited across campus to Sperry Observatory for an informal time of refreshments, conversation, and observing. This is a perfect opportunity to meet the speaker one-on-one and to learn more about AAI from our members. 

Contact AAI Vice President Dave Satkowski for more information.


Dr. Hyam Benaroya
Dr. Hyam Benaroya

February 17, 2012

Turning Dust to Gold:
Building a Future on the Moon and Mars

Dr. Hyam Benaroya, Rutgers University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department

8:00 p.m. The Main Lecure Hall

Our continued prosperity and survival as a species will depend, in part, upon space exploration and manned settlement on other worlds like the Moon and Mars. But what will these settlements look like? How can man commercially utilize the resources of the Moon and Mars? How will colonies be built, and how will humanity evolve on the Moon, Mars, and beyond? At Rutgers, Dr. Benaroya studies challenging environments like off-shore drilling, aircraft design, and lunar surface structures for manned habitation.

Turning Dust To Gold "Turning Dust to Gold" He has recently completed a book titled, "Turning Dust to Gold: Building a Future on the Moon and Mars". His talk will focus on lunar and Martian settlements. Professor Benaroya received his B.E. from Cooper Union in New York, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania

Click here for the complete 2011-2012 General Membership Meeting schedule of speakers.
Click here for a listing of General Membership Meeting prior lectures.

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