For release Sept. 15, 2000

Sky and Telescope Columnist to Address Love of Astronomy

Susan French of Scotia, a leading amateur astronomer and contributing editor for the world's top popular magazine of astronomy, Sky and Telescope, will give a talk entitled "For the Love of Astronomy" at the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady on October 10 at 1 PM.

French, who writes a column relating telescope observations and star lore for Sky and Telescope, will draw on her own viewing through a 14 inch telescope she built herself, and on her research at the Dudley Observatory and elsewhere, to discuss one of the sky's most familiar features, the cluster of stars called the Pleiades.

"I'm an amateur astronomer in the original sense of that word amateur -- I do it for the love of it," says French. Her interest in the subject was sparked initially by college physics courses, and renewed when, as a homebound mother, she sought intellectual stimulation and settled on the subject of astrophysics. That led to attendance at local astronomy lectures, and to the meetings of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers, where she met Alan French. "He convinced me to build telescopes, and I convinced him to look through them," she says. The two were married in 1985, and remain leaders of the Amateur Astronomers group. In addition to currently serving as the chairperson of its "Star Party" observing events, she is also Vice-President of the Board of the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady, the nation's oldest organization dedicated to the support of astronomical research. For many years she ran the Schenectady Museum's planetarium, and wrote free-lance articles for astronomy magazines, leading to her being offered the contributing editorship she currently holds.

In that role, she has been described as "a deep sky nut with too many telescopes." Deep sky observing includes all objects outside the solar system. Observation of difficult-to-see deep sky objects has led to much of this century's major advances in understanding the origin, evolution and fate of the universe. It challenges the capabilities of both professionals and amateurs. One such object, Barnard's Merope Nebula in the Pleiades, has rarely, if ever, been observed by a human eye since its discovery in 1891 (though it has been photographed in long exposures through large telescopes). In three nights observing through her own telescope, French was able to bring this long unobserved and still poorly understood object into view. This and other observations she has made to illuminate the lore and science of the Pleiades will be shared in her talk.

This is part of Archives Week, an annual event sponsored locally by the Schenectady History Alliance. It will be given at the Dudley Observatory, in Suite 201 of the Schaffer Heights Building, 107 Nott Terrace, Schenectady, on Tuesday, October 10, at 1 PM. It will be followed from by an Open House at the Dudley Observatory, which is a private foundation supporting research and education in astronomy, astrophysics and the history of astronomy.

Call 518-382-7583 for information.

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Dudley Observatory
107 Nott Terrace, Suite 201
Schenectady, NY 12308
(518) 382-7583
info@dudleyobservatory.org