Rick Luttmann, Sonoma State University Professor Emeritus
From the Earth we cannot measure distances to heavenly bodies directly. However, we can measure angles and time, and with a sextant and a clock as our only tools (and some occasional physics) we can work our way up—beginning with the size of the Earth; then the sizes and distances of the moon, sun, and other planets; then the distances of nearby stars, and then other stars in our galaxy; finally the distances of remote galaxies. (Along the way we infer the speed of light.) Most of our calculations are done using nothing deeper than elementary trigonometry.
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Zoom Link for Spring 2023 M*A*TH Colloquium Talks (Zoom will open at approximately 3:45 before each talk)
The M*A*T*H Colloquium is our weekly public lecture series. Talks are on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. in Darwin 103 and on Zoom; see link above (first four talks are on Zoom only). Maps to and of campus are available. A parking permit is required to park on campus, and is available for $5.00 at machines in the parking lots. Talks are otherwise free.
The M*A*T*H Colloquium has been in operation during every semester since Fall, 1974. See below for previous posters.
