Sunspots, Murder, Whiskey, and Witchcraft - Mar. 26

International Year of Astronomy celebrations continue with the 2009 Nerenberg Lecture on Thursday, March 26. An award-winning scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Sallie Baliunas will discuss sunspot patterns and take listeners on a journey through historical influences on sunspots, including witchcraft laws, and murder forensics. Sunspots have been observed by telescopes since the early 17th century, and records have been kept of their numbers ever since.  That number usually varies in cycles of about 11 years, but the peak intensity of the sunspot cycle also changes. The number of sunspots decreased to an unexpected low in 2007, but the number still has not risen again as it should. The Nerenberg Lecture honours the late Morton Nerenberg, professor for more than a quarter century, and founding member of Western’s Department of Applied Mathematics. The event, organized by the Department of Applied Mathematics, is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 in Conron Hall, 224 University College Building from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.