This is the last in a series of Friday posts leading up to TWC’s Shapley Lecturer presentations being given on Thursday through Saturday, October 1st-3rd. On October 1st-3rd, 2026, The Wilderness Center is honored to host Harlow Shapley Lecturer Dr. Quyen Hart, Ph.D. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research has included binary stars, large galaxy clusters and their environments and active super-massive black holes at the center of galaxies in cluster environments. Dr. Hart is an astronomer, educator, and outreach professional with expertise in science communication and project management. She is currently the Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Science Communications in the Office of Public Outreach (OPO) at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland. STScI is the operational home of the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, along with ever-growing data archives and public outreach. For over 20 years Dr. Hart has been actively involved in formal and informal astronomy education, providing unique learning experiences for people of all ages. Her extensive experience includes working on several projects for NASA’s Universe of Learning, including Girls STEAM Ahead and ViewSpace, and OPO outreach efforts for the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST, and now the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, teaching astronomy and physics classes at the college level, organizing and hosting outreach events, and directing summer STEM camps for middle school children. She is passionate about sharing the wonders of astronomy and science with the general public because she knows that everyone can be a scientist! Dr. Hart’s presentation is titled “Rising Above: How Space Telescopes Rewrite Astronomy.” Her description for this talk is intriguing: “We've always been curious about what lies just beyond our horizons. But to truly explore it, we need to rise above Earth's atmosphere itself, which blurs and even blocks some forms of light. Space telescopes let us see the universe in every type of light there is. The Hubble Space Telescope opened the door, and the James Webb Space Telescope pushed it wide open, peering deeper into the darkness than we thought possible. And soon, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will join them, giving us an even wider view of the universe. How have space telescopes rewritten the astronomy textbooks? In this talk, we'll journey through the universe, uncovering some of the most ground-breaking discoveries made with space telescopes, and the new clues they've found about the origins of stars, planets, black holes, and galaxies.” Pick the lecture date and time that best fits you and join us on October 1st, 2nd, or 3rd for Dr. Hart’s Shapley Lectures . Registration is required. All Shapley Lecture activities are free – (all lectures, Friday evening planetarium show, and star watch.) Whether you’re a lifelong astronomy enthusiast, a student exploring a future in STEM, an educator, or simply someone who has ever looked up and wondered what’s out there, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. Written by Robin Gill, Astronomy Education Specialist
Happy #WildlifeWednesday! With summer officially over and fall beginning, let's bid farewell to an iconic nocturnal animal of summertime, the lightning bug! Lightning bugs are soft-bodied beetles that are also commonly referred to as fireflies. There are more than 2,000 species in the firefly (Lampyridae) family, with about 12 dozen species found in Ohio. Lightning bugs get their name from their ability to flash bright lights in the darkness, like a tiny bolt of lightning. All lightning bugs glow as larvae. They use this glow to warn predators that they do not taste good. The larvae eat snails, slugs, and worms. Lightning bugs produce their light through bioluminescence, light emitted due to a chemical reaction in a living organism. Bioluminescence is nearly 100 percent efficient and little energy is wasted to produce their light. Lightning bugs use their flashes to attract mates, and the light can be yellow, green, or orange in color. Lightning bugs can be seen in Ohio from late May through August, with peak activity occurring June through mid-July. Be sure to visit the Enchanted Forest for a last glimmering peak at a Lightning Bug until next year! Written by Michelle Leighty, TWC Environmental Education Specialist
