On July 4 fireworks are the stars of the night. In space, astronomical fireworks occur every night.
These explosive events, which are both spectacular to see and impact our lives on Earth, will be the topic of discussion at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, July 5, at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center. Explosions of stars are a focus for NASA and other scientists who hope to better understand stars’ births, lives, and deaths and how they interact with their surroundings.
The astronomical fireworks program will be presented by Nicholas Troup, assistant professor of physics at Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland. He conducted infrared astronomy research with scientists from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center while earning his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Delaware, Newark. He went on to earn his doctorate degree in observational astronomy from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
The NASA Visitor Center, located on Va. Rt. 175 about six miles from U. S. Route 13 and five miles from Chincoteague, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Rebecca Hudson
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
757-824-1139
rebecca.s.hudson@nasa.gov