Monthly Meeting: What is a Planet?

Indy Kochte of The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, who has worked on both the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter project and the New Horizons Pluto Flyby mission, will present a thought-provoking talk on what exactly defines a planet.  In light of the IAU’s controversial demotion of Pluto, this should generate a spirited discussion

Our monthly meetings are usually held on the last Thursday of each month. Our speakers are drawn from all around the country, including experts from NASA, the Smithsonian, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and other scientific institutions. Our members also give presentations about subjects of interest to amateur astronomers.

The events are held at the Greenbelt Community Center. We encourage visitors to attend in person, although we will also broadcast the talk on Zoom. Come back a few days before the meeting to see how to join the Zoom meeting. We begin the meetings at 7:00 pm with informal conversation. The presentation begins at 7:30 pm.

The presentations are free and open to the public.

Per our insurance requirements, anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Virtual Zoom meeting information: