Mr. Ted Blank

Artists are mankind's tour guides, taking us to places we cannot be and creating images of things we cannot see. They also offer new perspectives on everyday scenes and events. In this talk, an amateur astronomer with no artistic talent will try to tell the story of the classic science-fiction illustrators and modern astronomical artists whose art inspires us to look at things from new perspectives. Ted Blank has been a NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2010, communicating the science and excitement of NASA's space exploration missions and discoveries to people in his community and on cruise ships. He is a past President of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and enjoys sharing his knowledge on any topic related to astronomy and the solar system. His scientific activities include observing and recording occultations of stars by asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects. Ted bought his first telescope in 2007 and still frequently sets one up on the sidewalk to share the views with the public. He is a retired IT professional, having spent more than 35 years as a performance analyst with IBM and Oracle. He currently lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona with his wife Peggy.