Astronomy expert to visit Keystone

La Plume - Noted Astronomer Heidi B. Hammel, Ph.D., will present two lectures at Keystone College this month.

Dr. Hammel will present, “Exploring the Ice Giants: New View of Uranus and Neptune,” on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 12:45 p.m. in the President’s Dining Room in Hibbard Campus Center.  Later that day, she will discuss, “Pluto: Planet or Pretender?” at 7 p.m. in Room 208 of Capwell Science Hall.

A graduate of Abington Heights High School, Dr. Hammel is executive vice president of AURA, Inc., a consortium of 44 affiliates that operates world-class astronomical observatories. Her current research involves studies of Uranus and Neptune with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck 10-m telescope. An expert in her field, she was named one of the 50 most important women in science by Discover Magazine.

Both lectures are open to the public and are free of charge. For more information, contact Douglas O’Neal, Ph.D. at (570) 945-8145.