Monthly Society Meeting
December Monthly Meeting
We recently received an offer from a former member to present, and we want to welcome John
Thomas on Friday, December 20! We will have pizza at 7:00pm and the presentation at 7:30. Bring
a friend and please join us that night.
Mr. Thomas’ talk covers a historical survey of Mars, including current Mars missions, and a
brief discussion of future Mars missions. Finally, he will present a simulation of satellites in orbit
around Mars, and Martian geography and places, using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter
(MOLA) elevation data gathered by the Mars Global Surveyor.
Mr. Thomas is a native of Alabama. He was born in Gadsden and graduated from Jacksonville
State. A past member of VBAS, he currently resides in Dayton, Ohio, where he is a Technology
Analyst with the City of Dayton. An active Amateur Astronomer, Currently he is the 1st Vice
President and ALCOR for the Cincinnati Astronomical Society. He is a member-at-large of the
Astronomical League, and Secretary of the Astronomical League Great Lakes Region.