Event Details

Learning Forum - "The Mountain and The Moon"

January 20, 2019 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Don't miss this weekend's Learning Forum - it's two for the price of one!

2 p.m. - Photographer/author Paul Horsted will discuss a recent re-survey of the elevation of Black Elk/Harney Peak - the first time it's been measured since 1897.

Through historic photographs, he’ll talk about the earliest documented ascents of the mountain in the 1870s and show how the fire observation towers have changed.

Horsted is a nationally-published independent photographer and publisher based in the Black Hills. He specializes in re-creating historic photos for a “then and now” comparison.

“These photopairs inform our understanding of history, the environment, and development, and reveal much about the surprising changes and amazing similarities between past and present,” Horsted says.

4 p.m. - Look forward to a lunar eclipse, a super moon and a blood wolf moon all on the same day!

Arjun Ayyangar, a master's student at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, will discuss common phenomena associated with the moon and the moon's importance to Earth.

Arjun says there is renewed interest in going back to the moon and using it as a training lab for an extended stay in outer space. Ayyangar says the moon “is also to be used as a staging point for further exploration of the Solar System, in particular, Mars.”

Ayyangar is also known internationally as a talented multi-instrumentalist. At age 4, he performed in the NBC series “America’s Most Talented Kid.” Watch him in Animal Planet's show, "The Most Extreme - Tough Babies" (about 25 minutes, 33 seconds in).

Learning Forums are thought-provoking presentations on a wide variety of topics. Each program features a 45-minute presentation, followed by an open forum with questions and discussion about the topic.

Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, half-off for members, & FREE for students ages 6 - 17 (includes museum admission). Call 605-394-6923 to reserve tickets.

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