Welcome to the Friends of the Observatory (FOTO) talks page! These are a series of short, informal presentations on a variety of astronomy-related topics. These talks cover UMBC Observatory operations, backyard astronomy, physics demonstrations, and undergraduate research projects.
Open to the entire UMBC community, FOTO Talks are advertised on myUMBC. They provide FOTO members with opportunities to practice public speaking and science communication skills, and help recruit new observatory members. Each talk is recorded (slides, PDFs, visuals, etc.) for future reference. A core set of talks is offered each semester, with new topics regularly solicited. Talks are generally scheduled during weekday observatory working shifts (6-7 PM ET), with the schedule set by August 15th for the Fall semester and January 15th for the Spring semester. Each session consists of a 30-40 minute presentation, followed by Q&A and a recap.
For the Spring Semester, the topics are as follows:
| Topic | Speaker | Date | Time | Recording/Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celestial Sphere | Percy Yu | 2025-02-19 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM in PHYS 401 | Slides |
There is nothing to show at this time.