Bryan Greer, Protostar ("Improving the Thermal Properties of Newtonian Reflectors", Main Tent, Friday 7:00 p.m.) is a mechanical engineer in Columbus, Ohio, where he runs his business, Flexible Precision, Inc. As an extension of his astronomical and telescope-making interests, he has also founded ProtoStar, a company that produces small optics, optical mountings, and telescope supplies for amateur astronomers (product info: www.fpi-protostar.com). He has been building telescopes for over 20 years.

Bryan will review basic thermodynamic principles and how they relate to telescope performance, and then focus on practical strategies for thermal management using inexpensive fans. He will also describe how to detect even minor thermal problems in telescopes through the use of a simple, modified star test. The talk will make use of video clips and still images, to illustrate the results of his extensive testing.