2019 Arizona Author Series features Arizona’s role in Apollo Missions
PHOENIX – Author and KNAU science reporter Melissa L. Sevigny will present “Under Desert Skies: How Tucson Mapped the Way to the Moon and Planets” as part of the State of Arizona Research Library’s 2019 Arizona Author Series.
The event begins at 3 p.m., Friday, July 26, at the Polly Rosenbaum State Archives and History Building, 1901 W. Madison St., Phoenix. Admission is free, and it is open to the public. After the talk, there will be time for questions from the audience.
Fifty years ago, Apollo astronauts walked on the moon. But to get there, they needed help from an upstart laboratory in southern Arizona, where a diverse group of scientists were forging a brand-new field called planetary science.
"When President Kennedy made his famous announcement that we were going to the moon in 1961, scientists knew almost nothing about the moon,” Sevigny said. “If it wasn't for the vision of a handful of scientists in Arizona, whose work had been ignored and ridiculed by the astronomical community, we might have never made it there."
Sevigny shares this fascinating history from her book “Under Desert Skies: How Tucson Mapped the Way to the Moon and Planets.” Come celebrate Apollo's legacy and hear about Arizona's continued role in the exploration of our solar system.
The author grew up in Tucson, Arizona where she fell in love with the Sonoran Desert’s ecology, geology and dark desert skies. Her lyrical nonfiction and poetry explores the intersections of science, politics and history, with a focus on the American Southwest. She is the author of two nonfiction books, “Under Desert Skies” and “Mythical River,” and is the science reporter at KNAU in Flagstaff.
The Polly Rosenbaum building has free parking and is conveniently located near several Valley Metro bus routes. Please be advised that no food or drink is allowed in the building. For more information, contact the State of Arizona Research Library at 602-926-3870 or visit the website at (https://azsos.libcal.com/). The library also provides information on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StateLibAZ/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/StateLibAZ). This program is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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