Space Hazards
By
Dr. Ryan French

Is the subject of this month’s Estes Valley Astronomical Society (EVAS) meeting. EVAS, in conjunction with The Estes Park Memorial Observatory, is offering a free public open house and lecture on Saturday, May 30th at 7:00 pm. The goal of EVAS is to promote amateur astronomy and education in the Estes Valley.

Navigating the Orbital Minefield: Understanding the Hazards of Space Debris. (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)

Our planet may seem peaceful, but space is full of potential dangers to keep an eye on. In this talk, we’ll explore the most fascinating of these threats – ranging from the immediate to cosmically unlikely. From the science behind the Sun and solar flares, asteroids and meteorites, to the growing cloud of space debris orbiting our planet, we’ll discuss what we know, what we’re watching, and how experts around the world are working to keep us safe.

Dr. Ryan French, Solar Physicist

Our speaker is Dr. Ryan French:  a solar physicist, science communicator and author, currently based at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is pursuing the mysteries of the Sun at the forefront of modern solar physics research, using cutting edge telescopes on the ground and in space. His research takes him all over the world, collaborating with the global community of solar physicists. Ryan also works to share the wonders of the Sun and space with the public, through social media, museums and observatories, and in interviews on television and radio. He is the author of two books, ‘Space Hazards’ (2025) and ‘The Sun:

The observatory is just north of the high school at 1600 Manford Ave. Park in the teacher’s parking lot between the high school and the observatory. The doors will open at 7:00 pm, and the meeting will start at 7:30 pm.  The presentation, including a question-and-answer period, lasts about an hour. After the presentation, weather permitting, we will look through our 16-inch dome telescope at various celestial objects.