Hi 59 / Lo 43
|
Hi 59 / Lo 43 |
Student Publications
©1991-2007
Last modified:
Contact:
|
Volume 72, Issue 89,
Friday, Februrary 9, 2007
News Lecturer makes use of his head Canadian astronomer Innanen waxes
scientific
by ANNE MARIE NGUYEN
Kim Innanen, a renowned Canadian astronomer, clarified the relationship between the Earth and its moon by comparing his head to a tennis ball at a physics colloquium Tuesday. Innanen, professor emeritus at York University, gave a lecture titled "The Galactic Orbit of the Solar System" for UH' s Department of Physics Colloquium. The lecture began with a simple visual example to help the audience get an understanding of the Earth and moon. "I thought about what I always use," Innanen said, explaing how he visualizes spheres. "I always use my head." If the Earth were the size of a human head, then the moon would be the size of a tennis ball, Innanen said. In the example, the tennis ball would have to be 35 heads away from the head to represent the distance of the moon from the Earth. A review of scaling, distances, rotation and density led to more detailed topics geared toward graduate students. In 1997 Innanen and two colleagues discovered an asteroid orbiting the Earth -- Asteroid 3753 -- making it and the moon the only heavenly bodies in rotation around the planet. Innanen and his colleagues were also instrumental in predicting previously unknown Mars Trojans -- small asteroids orbiting the red planet. Innanen is also the father of UH assistant professor of physics Kristopher Innanen. The Physics Colloquium is held every week for physics graduate students, though it is open to everyone. Each Tuesday a different guest lectures on a different topic for about an hour at 4 p.m. in Room 634, Science & Research 1. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
To contact the
To contact other members
of
 |