Abstract
Humans have relied on their keen sense of sight in exploring their environment. The basic properties of light, color and intensity, convey a wealth of information about the source and intervening media, and remains at the core of modern astronomy. We will discuss how visible and infrared radiation, most relevant in the exploration of planets, are used in understanding their diverse atmospheres. Each atmosphere has a plethora of molecules that impart distinct signatures in their glow, and the interpretation of such observations can be complex. Nevertheless, it is an interesting enterprise spanning a range of science disciplines. What processes give rise to these signatures and how are they measured? How is the information disentangled? These questions form an interesting detective story! Recent examples of exciting science results from ground- and spacecraft-based observations of planets will be discussed in this context.
Further Reading:
http://sundaytimes.lk/110213/Plus/plus_16.html
If you're attending please your name and NIC # to chamika @ ieee [dot] org to be included in Visitor list at security gate.
About Lecturer : http://epoxi.umd.edu/1mission/bios/hewagama_t.shtml
