November 11, 2012 ALP Monthly Meeting Report
by James Kevin Ty & Christopher Louie Lu

Last November 11, members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines (ALP) held their monthly  meeting at Manila Planetarium.  Members who attended were ALP President James Kevin Ty and son Kendrick Cole KC Ty ,   Secretary  Christopher Louie Lu , wife Karren and daughter Frances;  PRO Armando Lee, wife Mia and son Jason Lee; Ma. Belen Pabunan , Liza Quitlong , Arnel Campos ,  Mike Enage, Oliver de Guzman, Jan Karlo Hernandez, Ronald Sison, Mark Vornhusen & Arlene Armenton ; and Norman Marigza Members of the RTU AstroSoc who were there was well were Ruby Anne dela Cruz , Maryfe Albaya, Jeroh Hiyastro, Margareth Custodio , Jonah Micah Inguito , Ma. Christina Nunez , Mitchie Anne Richelle Kenept , Macky Villa, Paul Jason Prestoza, Jeron Lamatao and Jerome Java.

Meeting proper started at around 3pm with ALP Secretary Christopher Louie Lu sharing a video as well as lecture discussion entitled "Cosmic Connection by Lawrence Krauss." 

Lawrence Maxwell Krauss (born May 27, 1954) is a Canadian-American theoretical physicist who is a professor of physics, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Physics of Star Trek and A Universe from Nothing. He is an advocate of scientific skepticism, science education, and the science of morality. - (Wikipedia.org)

In Lawrence Krauss' lecture he talks about Cosmic Connections, how we are connected to the universe, to each other and ultimately, to everything else. First he described how we are connected to the universe in the most intimate way. Massive stars, unlike our own local star, burn through their hydrogen supply faster. So instead of billions of years, massive stars burn out in just millions of years. When the massive star uses up its hydrogen supply the star starts to collapse into itself and starts to burn helium, when helium burns out, the star collapses again and starts to burn nitrogen, then oxygen, then silicon, till finally the star creates iron. At this point the star has no longer any fuel to burn and when it collapses on itself one last time the star explodes creating a supernova. This violent event not only releases the elements that the star created during its life time but it also creates other heavier elements and it is these elements that is created us into existence. The Calcium in our bones, the Iron in our Blood, the Oxygen that we breath, the nitrogen in our DNA, all this came from a massive star that went supernova. So we are all created from the elements that came from stars, we are literally 'made of Star-dust'.  

The Second Cosmic Connection that Lawrence Krauss described tried to answer the question 'how did life start here on Earth?' Currently, there are several theories on how this happened.  But Back in 1996, a meteorite was discovered in Antarctica that is believed to come from the planet Mars. We know its from Mars because we sent probes to Mars before and analyzed its rocks and soil content and the meteorite found in Antarctica contains the same content. (The meteorite is now known as ALH 84001). What's fascinating about ALH84001 is not that it came from Mars but what they found inside.  Under the electron-microscope, scientist believed that they have found traces of microbial life. What this means that maybe life didn't star here on the surface of Earth. Maybe life was seed here by means of Panspermia (this is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by meteoroids, asteroids and planetoids. - definition from Wikipedia.org) This theory has its advocates and its doubters because its still a very controversial issue among scientist. But the point is that if life 'did' start this way then all life here on Earth are descendants of microbes found out in deep space.

The Third Cosmic Connection is how we are connected by breathing in air and drinking water. For example, each breath you take in, there is an average of 10 oxygen atoms that every person breathed who has ever lived on this planet. This means that you have breathed in atoms of every living being that ever lived. 

Finally, is the connection of how GPS (Global Positioning System) works and how this technology uses the Einstein's theory of General and Special Relativity to get us to where we want to go anywhere on Earth.

ALPers and RTU AstroSoc members watch the video lecture entitled Cosmic Collision by Lawrence Krauss.	ALP Secretary Chirstopher Louie Lu then proceeded with lecture discussion of the Cosmic Collision video.
ALPers listen to Louie's explanation of the video.	ALP President James Kevin Ty discuss organization matters like the upcoming general meeting /  election / and Xmas Party preparation with fellow members.

Lastly, ALP President James Kevin Ty  discussed the December 9 ALP General Meeting / Election / Xmas Party .  ALP directors / member  that will seek a fresh new 3 year term are Jett Aguilar, Arnel Campos, Armando Lee , Edward Eli Tan and Alfonso Uy.  Only 4 will be chosen for the new term.  Also discussed were potluck lunch preparations, Bingo or Exchange Gift  as well as the November 28th Penumbral Lunar Eclipse which will occur in the early evening.

Meeting ended at around 6:00pm.