Earth to Madison: Space images shown

NASA’s Arthur Frederick “Fritz” Hasler will present the NASA/NOAA Earth Science Electronic Theater (or ETheater), in Madison Oct. 17-18 during the American Meteorological Society’s eleventh annual Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography conference at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.

Offering visually stunning views of the Earth from space, the ETheater will be presented to the general public Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in the Monona Terrace’s exhibition hall. Middle and high school students will attend previously scheduled shows during the day.

The ETheater reveals the beauty of Earth with scientific insight and technological prowess. Hasler presents the Earth in several dimensions and in a historical perspective. You’ll fly from outer space to Wisconsin and to the shores of Madison’s four lakes. Early images, from the 1960s, are contrasted with the latest U.S. and international images of the whole Earth and of tornadoes and hurricanes. From the first geostationary weather satellite image in 1966 at the University of Wisconsin through the current GOES, the Earth’s small size is evident.

Many other images will be provided by UW–Madison’s Space Science and Engineering Center, of tropical cyclones, burning fires, Antarctica, Wisconsin, and more, from NOAA and NASA satellites. SSEC has collected this data for scientific purposes since 1965. Landsat imagery showing Wisconsin in spring, summer and fall is provided by UW–Madison’s Environmental Remote Sensing Center, who also provide a digital high-resolution map of the campus, produced with the Department of Civil Engineering and others.

Hasler is a visualization scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington, D.C. He is also a Madison native and alumnus of Madison schools and UW–Madison’s Department of Meteorology.

For more information, contact Terri Gregory, SSEC’s public information coordinator, (608) 263-3373.