Hi folks, our April 11 GAAC meeting will feature guest speaker Dr. Amy J. Williams, assistant professor of geology at the University of Florida, specializing in astrobiology and geobiology. Her research focuses on the formation and preservation of biosignatures, signs of life in extreme environments on Earth, which she uses to inform the search for signs of past life on Mars and elsewhere. Dr. Williams has been a member of NASA's Mars Curiosity rover science team since 2009, and contributed to the exploration of organic molecules on Mars' surface through the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. She is also a participating scientist on the Mars Perseverance rover mission, aiding in the search for ancient microbial life and the assessment of past habitability in Jezero Crater. In a recent study published in *Nature*, Dr. Williams and her colleagues reported the detection of diverse organic materials on Mars, suggesting a more complex organic geochemical cycle than was previously understood. These findings offer significant insights into Mars' history and its potential to have supported life. We hope you'll join us at the Lanesville Community Center <https://maps.app.goo.gl/pntHAopkhrjho6XR9>on Friday, April 11 at 8:00 pm, for another great evening of accessible cutting-edge science, great conversation, and snacks. Also, new this month, each GAAC meeting will begin with a very short, 5-minute talk on practical astronomy. Zoom info follows, for those who can't join us in person. ____________ Time: Apr 11, 2025 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada). Doors open at 7:45. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86161372363?pwd=AGcDaXnyzSJP2TzwDNfLCGnobs0yxs.1 Phone stuff: Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb8rZCg6CV Meeting ID: 861 6137 2363 Passcode: 263139