Former professor lectures Cache Valley Astronomy Society

Hollis R. Johnson, a former professor of astronomy at Indiana University, spoke to the Cache Valley Astronomy Society on Wednesday night about the formation of the stars and galaxies.

The lecture, held at Utah State University’s Science Engineering Research building, included a discussion on the Big Bang theory, red giant formation and Johnson’s experience with writing research grants for NASA.

“We were incredibly excited to have Hollis come speak to us,” society secretary Dale Hooper said. “He has been an active coordinator between astrologists and NASA by helping write grants that have awarded universities over $2 million for undergraduate cosmology research.”

Having engaging speakers like Johnson encourages attendance and participation from its members, society president Tom Westre said.

Johnson now dedicates his time to traveling across the United States to speak to clubs and classes.

“I always set aside time to visit Logan when scheduling out my lectures for the year,” Johnson said. “The club always has a great turnout.”

Johnson said he loves sharing his experiences and passing on his knowledge to others.

“One of the greatest adventures of the human spirit is the discovery of the universe,” Johnson said.

The astronomy club meets every third Wednesday of the month, with some exceptions for guest speakers. 

The club’s next meeting is March 19 in the Science Engineering Research building on USU’s campus. For more information, contact Westre at 435-787-6380 or by email at twestre45@aol.com.

Whitney Fletcher, Kelsey Richardson, Melissa Allison, Taylor Murray, Erin Cox and Mike Cannon contributed to this report.