Organization:  VENTURA COUNTY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Contact Person: Carl Ashley, Publicity Chairman
Contact Phone:  (805) 642-5166
Email:  vcas1@aol.com
Website:  www.vcas.org
Speaker: Dr. Marshall Perrin
Subject: ”Imaging of Planet Formation”
Date of event: Friday, May 16, 2008
Time of Event: 7:30 PM
Location of Event: Multipurpose Room, Mesa Union School, 3901 Mesa School Rd., Somis CA
 
For recorded information: contact Starline at (805) 520-9666

The Ventura County Astronomical Society (VCAS) will hold its monthly membership meeting
on Friday, May 16th at 7:30 PM in the Multipurpose Room at Mesa Union School, 3901 Mesa
School Road in Somis CA. The speaker will be Dr. Marshall Perrin, a National Science
Foundation Astronomy Postdoctoral at UCLA. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, he
studied physics and astronomy at Harvard, before heading to Berkeley and obtaining his
doctorate in astronomy in 2006.  Dr. Perrin’s research focuses on obtaining highly
sensitive images of material very close to stars, such as the dusty disks out of which
planetary systems are built.  Dr. Perrin will summarize what they have learned about
young solar systems from such observations, present a selection of recent images from
ongoing adaptive optics and Hubble Space Telescope observing campaigns, and preview
several exciting near-future instruments that will advance this work, particularly the
Gemini Planet Imager.  Do not miss the latest images and news from this exciting field of
Planet Formation.  The public is invited to share in this educational and enjoyable
evening.