2007 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: the Pioneer Anomaly
Monday, March 26, 2007 7:30 p.m.
LeFrak Theater The American Museum of Natural History Central Park West and 79th Street (enter on 77th Street) New York
Admission: $14 each ($12 students and senior citizens)
There is a mystery at the edge of our solar system. Two spacecraft, Pioneers 10 and 11, which were launched to Jupiter and Saturn more than 30 years ago, are hurtling towards the edge of our solar system -- but at a slower than expected rate. Called the "Pioneer Anomaly," the effect of this slowing is small, but measurable, and so far unexplained. This riddle has sparked an array of possible explanations, ranging from dark matter to spacecraft equipment to – most provocative of all - a new physics. The Hayden Planetarium event features a panel of expert engineers and physicists who will debate this remarkable phenomenon.
The Planetary Society has helped play a role in trying to discover the source of the anomaly. You, the Society's membership, contributed funding to help recover and validate the Pioneer spacecraft navigational data for analysis and study. For more information on these efforts, visit http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/pioneer_anomaly/
