WASI Monthly Members Meeting

Monthly members meetings are held at 7:00 PM Eastern time on the second Wednesday of the month at the Bear Branch Nature Center, 300 John Owings Rd. Westminster, MD and online via Zoom. There’s a demo or class at 7:00 PM, followed by the featured guest speaker presentation at 7:30 PM.

Our May 13, 2026 meeting features a talk by Dr. Brad Tucker of the Australian National University.

Brad Tucker is an Astrophysicist/Cosmologist and Associate Professor at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mt. Stromlo Observatory and the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, at the Australian National University. 

Brad frequently gives talks to school groups and the public about Astronomy and has regular segments on various radio and TV stations. He has also developed a series of Astronomy coins with the Royal Australian Mint, consulted on science fiction movies, and has been featured in TV specials. He is currently in the process of writing his first popular book and has developed an online Astronomy course.

Brad will talk about Mt. Stromlo: Formally found in 1924, Mt Stromlo just celebrated its 100th year as an organization. From solar observations, measurements of the size of the Universe, exoplanets to the discovery of dark energy, and more, Mt Stromlo Observatory has been at the forefront of astronomical discoveries. However it also has a huge legacy in areas that most people to not know about. In this talk, I will explore the history of Mt Stromlo Observatory, as well as what the future has in store. Along the way, we will talk about some of the interesting parts of its history as well as how it is shaping the future of astronomy and Canberra - in particular light pollution and how we are a becoming a test case for future combating of light pollution.

Meeting ID: 879 7384 1396
Passcode: 965007

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Previous Meetings

You can see videos of previous meetings on our Youtube channel here