New Horizons: Pluto and Beyond

Just 8 months ago the planet Pluto remained veiled in mystery. Lying 3 billion miles from the sun, it moved through a dim twilight of unimaginable cold. Now the successful flyby of the New Horizons spacecraft reveals a planet containing deep craters, towering mountain ranges, a vast plain of frozen nitrogen, and an thin atmosphere. Did I say, planet? It's now called a dwarf planet, and, by coming to this presentation, you will find out why our beloved Pluto has been "demoted" from planetary status. Tickets to this lecture are $5.00 cash only at the door. Ron Smith: In July of 1966, Ron Smith fulfilled a childhood dream by giving his first planetarium show at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Giving planetarium shows while obtaining his master's degree in astronomy, Ron went on to become a full time astronomy instructor at Santa Monica College for 14 years, followed by 18 years of full time instruction at Santa Rosa Junior College. Both of these colleges had planetariums, allowing Mr. Smith to branch out and prepare public education programs on anthropology, meteorology, paleontology, and biology. Now that tradition continues here in Kayenta.