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Ladd Observatory, owned by Brown University, opened in 1891 as not only the premier astronomy facility for the school, but also the time-keeping center for the region. As the Providence area has always been very industrialized, the need for precise time has been a necessity. In addition, the first director, Winslow Upton, also recognized the need for the community to have a place in which to be informed as to the latest in scientific research, and he regularly opened Ladd Observatory to the public. That tradition has continued to the present day as the building is open every clear Tuesday evening. This presentation offers and an overview on the observatory, time-keeping and astronomy. Group tours can be arranged as well.
Francine Jackson, an educator focused on teaching science, has written three children’s books on Astronomy. She currently is Staff Astronomer at the Ladd Observatory and has consulted at the Cormack Planetarium, Museum of Natural History, Providence; the Hayden Planetarium in New York; the Science Museum of Connecticut; and the Peninsula Nature & Science Center in Newport News, VA. She is a member of the International Planetarium Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, amongst other associated professional involvements.
Needs: Slide Projector and screen or Powerpoint Projector/screen; water