"For years our program has aimed not only to present the progress of astronomy, but to give an opportunity to our members to hear, see, and visit with eminent scientists who actually are contributing to the ever-widening horizon of our knowledge of the universe. ”
1947 quote from club founder Dr. Jason J. Nassau
The Cleveland Astronomical Society
LECTURE NEWS: MEETINGS:
2025 - 2026
The Cleveland Astronomical Society Lecture Series
has announced the lineup of speakers for the 104th Season.
February 5, 2026
Tom Benson in person at BWU
Title: Artemis – Return to the Moon
Description: On December 16, 1972 Gene Cernan, Dr. Harrison Schmidt, and Ron Evans left lunar orbit for a return to Earth as part of the Apollo 17 lunar mission. Humans have not returned to the Moon since. NASA currently plans to launch a crewed mission to the Moon in 2026 as part of the Artemis Program. The talk will present details of the proposed Artemis II mission and compare and contrast it to the Apollo Lunar program. Later Artemis missions, including eventual lunar landings will also be discussed.
Bio Information: Tom Benson is a retired aerospace engineer from the NASA Glenn Research Center. He earned bachelor and masters degrees in aerospace engineering from Ohio State University in 1971. He spent four years in the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB doing supersonic wind tunnel testing and installed engine performance calculation. During the last 15 years of his NASA career, Mr. Benson worked in educational outreach. He is the author of The Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics, a large educational website that houses the many interactive computer programs he had written, including FoilSim, EngineSim, and RocketModeler. Mr. Benson was a frequent presenter for NASA’s Digital Learning Network, delivering lessons to students using interactive television. During the Centennial of Flight Celebration honoring the Wright Brothers, he and Mr. Roger Storm gave educational presentations around the country as Wilbur and Orville.