Previous Lectures
Recordings of past guest speakers and member talks from our Monthly Lecture Series — astrophotography, planetary science, and current research from PAS members and visiting researchers.
41 lectures
No lectures match your search.
2023–2024 Season
James Renn, Vatican Observatory ·
Dr. James Head, Brown University ·
Greg Brennecka, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory ·
Dr. David Williams, Arizona State University ·
- A Space Analog for Moon & Mars
Kai Staats, Director of Research, University of Arizona ·
Dr. Rhonda Stroud, Arizona State University ·
- Eclipse Ballooning Project
Jacqueline Do ·
2022–2023 Season
Shadia Habbal ·
Brian Day, NASA ·
Dr. Tom Sharp, ASU ·
Mark Johnston, PAS member ·
Tom Klare ·
Dr. Alex Vrenios, PAS member ·
Dr. Rogier Windhorst, ASU ·
Dr. David Williams, ASU ·
Ted Blank, PAS member & NASA Ambassador ·
Dr. Klaus Brasch, Lowell Observatory ·
2021–2022 Season
Ted Blank, PAS member & NASA Ambassador ·
Michael Mackowski, National Space Society ·
Dr. Renu Malhotra, University of Arizona ·
- The Origin of the Elements
Dr. Edward Murphy, University of Virginia ·
Dr. Emily Levesque, University of Washington ·
Dr. David Williams, ASU ·
Dr. Klaus Brasch, Lowell Observatory ·
Dr. James Lynch, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute ·
Anna Engle, NAU ·
2020–2021 Season
Dr. Alex Vrenios, PAS member ·
Dr. Richard Sauerbrun, PAS member ·
Mark Johnston, PAS member ·
Mike Marron, PAS member ·
Dolores Hill, ASU Planetary Lab ·
Dr. Alex Woronow, PAS member ·
Professor Danny Jacobs, ASU ·
Wil Oldroyd, NAU ·
Dr. Rogier Windhorst, ASU ·
Dr. David Williams, ASU ·
Vincenzo Cataldo, Arizona State University ·
- Galactic Tails of Plasma Part 3
Mike Marron, PAS Member ·
proposes that jets from supermassive black holes create and shape galaxies, spiral arms, star clusters, and larger cosmic structures. It extends this idea to suggest the universe cycles through repeated “Big Bang” events centered on a giant black hole, with galaxies eventually returning to that center. These are the author’s speculative ideas, presented alongside astronomical images and observations.
- Photographic Legacy of Lowell's Great Refractor
Dr. Klaus Brasch, Lowell Observatory ·
2015–2016 Season
- Basic Astronomy
Mike Marron, PAS Member ·
The presentation is an introductory tour of astronomy, from Earth’s seasons and constellations through the Solar System, stars, and galaxies. It covers how planets and moons differ, how stars evolve and end as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes, and how galaxies form clusters and larger structures. It also advances some speculative claims about stellar magnetic fields and galactic jets alongside standard astronomy.
2014–2015 Season
- Stellar Tails of Plasma- Part 2
Mike Marron, PAS Member ·
The presentation argues that stellar evolution, supernovae, and planetary systems can be understood through plasma jets. It proposes that magnetic fields and rings of fusing material near stellar poles drive jets, novas, and supernovae; that a nearby supernova seeded the cloud that formed our Solar System; and that jets helped shape planets and nebulae. It extends this model to neutron stars and black holes, suggesting their jets arise from magnetic or accretion-disk processes. These are the author’s proposed explanations; the deck presents them alongside established astronomical observations and concepts.