Marvelous, Mysterious Mars with Denis Williamson

LITCHFIELD, Conn. - April 13, 2016 - PRLog -- What do Har Decher, Nergal, Ares and Mars have in common? They are all names for the planet we call Mars. To the Egyptians, it was Har Decher - The Red One. To the Babylonians, it was Nergal - The Star of Death. The Greeks called it Ares - The Fiery One, and we use the    Roman name - Martius or Mars.

In this talk we'll discuss how ancient peoples thought of Mars, its place in the ancient world view, its significance in the development of modern astronomy and the amazing discoveries made by spacecraft and rovers. Along the way we'll look at the enduring fascination Mars has had on popular culture - from more than 100 novels, countless short stories and at least 74 movies including The War of the Worlds and The Martian.

Denis Williamson is the Secretary of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club where he has been an active member since 2009 and organizes the star parties hosted by the club at White Memorial. He gives talks on various astronomy topics and enjoys engaging new and advanced amateur enthusiasts. Retired from a career in the computer industry, Denis spends clear days sailing on Bantam Lake and clear evenings stargazing.

The Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club, founded in 1957, promotes the enjoyment and pursuit of astronomy with regular meetings and public events.  For more information about the LHAAC, visit their website at lhastro.org.

All Oliver Wolcott Library events are free and open to the public. Space is limited. Registration is required and can be done by calling 860-567-8030 or logging onto www.owlibrary.org and clicking on Programs/Adult Programs.