Libraries To Host Astronaut & Author Terry Virts On Sept. 23

TEWKSBURY, MA – Six Massachusetts libraries have joined forces to host bestselling author and astronaut Terry Virts for a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 7pm EST.

Virts will be discussing his brand new book, How To Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide To Leaving Planet Earth, in conversation with moderator J. Kelly Beatty. This event will be appropriate for adults, teens and families.

Space is limited. Registration is required and can be found at www.tinyurl.com/howtoastronaut.

While this virtual event is completely free, attendees can purchase an autographed copy of the book to be shipped to their homes from the event’s bookstore partner - Wellesley Books - at www.tinyurl.com/buyhowtoastronaut.

Colonel Terry Virts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989, and a master of aeronautical science degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Selected by NASA in 2000, he was the pilot of STS-130 mission aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. In March 2015, Virts assumed command of the International Space Station, and spent over 200 days on it. Virts is one of the stars (and photographers) of the IMAX film, A Beautiful Planet, released in April 2016. He is also the author of View from Above (National Geographic, 2017). He lives near Houston.

A wildly entertaining account of the rules, lessons, procedures, and experiences of space travel, How To Astronaut is a book that will appeal to anyone— male or female, young or old—with even a passing interest in space. Written by Col. Terry Virts, a former astronaut, space shuttle pilot, and International Space Station commander who spent 200 consecutive days in space, it answers all of our curious questions and much more. A born storyteller, Virts reveals the often-untold side of space travel in 51 short chapters filled with a mix of you-are-there detail, a dose of science made simple, and the inherent drama of describing something few will ever know first-hand.

J. Kelly Beatty, the event’s moderator, is senior editor for Sky & Telescope magazine. Specializing in planetary science and space exploration, Beatty conceived and edited The New Solar System, considered a standard reference among planetary scientists. His work has been honored twice by the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society.

This event is sponsored by a collection of North of Boston libraries, including the Memorial Hall Library in Andover, Billerica Public Library, Flint Memorial Library in North Reading, Tewksbury Public Library, Wilmington Memorial Library, and Woburn Public Library.

This event is a part of a series of virtual discussions with bestselling authors held this fall. The next event in the series features a discussion with Eleanor Herman, author of the new book Sex with Presidents: The Ins and Outs of Love and Lust in the White House, on Friday, September 25, 2020 at 7pm EST. Herman is also the bestselling author of the books, Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry and Revenge and Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics.