Prof. Noella D'Cruz's Web Page
Welcome to my home in cyberspace. If you wish to contact me phone me at 815-280-2572 or email me at ndcruz_at_jjc.edu (please convert the _at_ to @ before sending email.)
I teach Descriptive Astronomy (ASTR 101) at Joliet Junior College, which is described below. My classroom is the Trackman Planetarium which houses a Spitz 512 star projector.
I will soon be teaching a newly approved astronomy course - Life in the Universe. Check out more below.
A little bit about me: I grew up in Mumbai, India, and earned my B. Tech in Engineering Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai. I received my Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Virginia in 1998. After a short post-doc at the University of Washington, I spent three and a half years at the University of Sydney teaching and doing research. Upon returning to the US, I worked at the University of Chicago's Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics. Then I taught physics and astronomy at DePaul University for two years. I taught astronomy and led outreach activities at Columbus State University in Georgia before joining Joliet Junior College in Fall 06.
Fall 08 Guest Speaker: Dr. Mark Hammergren, from the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, will give a talk titled "The Heavens as Iron, the Earth as Brass: A Brief History of Meteorites and their Impacts," at 6pm on Wednesday December 3rd in D-2001. Refreshments will be available at 5:45pm in D-2001.
Abstract: Since prehistory, people have seen rocks and metal fall from the sky and have revered these mysterious objects in many different ways. From sacred icons from the heavens to terrible destroyers of life, from humanity's first source of iron for metal tools to their current regard as important records of the formation of the solar system, meteorites have always held a special place in popular and scientific culture. In this talk, we will explore the remarkable history of these strange visitors from space, and what they can tell us about our own origins.
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Spring 08 Guest Speaker: Dr. Matthew Bobrowsky, from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD will give a talk titled "Telescopes: Giant Eyes on Earth and in Space" at 6pm on Monday April 28th in D-2001. Refreshments will be available at 5:45pm in D-2001.
Abstract: Telescopes reveal dazzling views of celestial objects. How is that possible? And why do astronomers want to have telescopes in space? How have things improved from Galileo's first telescope to today's Hubble Space Telescope? Hear why the Hubble Space Telescope is so successful! In this illustrated presentation, you will see not only how telescopes work, but you will also be treated to many of the exciting discoveries that were made with our best, modern telescopes, including the presenter’s own pictures taken with Hubble. Find out just what it is like to use large telescopes, and see views of many astronomical objects, including planets, stars, glowing clouds of gas, and distant galaxies!
The talk is sponsored by the Harlow Shapley Visiting Lectureship Endowment Fund, the American Astronomical Society, Joliet Junior College's Department of Natural Sciences and Trackman Planetarium.
The descriptive astronomy course at Joliet Junior College is a semester long survey course aimed at non-science majors. It covers topics such as:
I had recently proposed a new astronomy course, and it has been approved and is being offered in Fall 08. It is called PHSCI 125 "Life in the Universe." This course is a lecture only course and covers