Calendar
Astronomy Events in Northern California
AANC Calendar is now served by: AANC on Meetup and Night Sky Network (NSN) Calendar
Eastbay Astronomical Society Calendar (compiled by Kenneth Lum):
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Monday, 11/04/24
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
In-person and Zoom
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series
2575 Sand Hill Rd, Building 51
Kavli Auditorium
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Zoom: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/98647201734?pwd=Iyfhv8xF5vk6bqsokmcMRddI7sdBgd.1#success
What Is the Next Milestone for High-Energy Particle Colliders?
The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has discovered the Higgs boson and confirmed the predictions for many of its properties given by the “Standard Model” of particle physics. However, this does not mean that particle physics is solved. Mysteries that the Standard Model does not address are still with us and, indeed, stand out more sharply than ever. To understand these mysteries, we need experiments at still higher energies. In this colloquium, I will argue that we should be planning for a particle collider reaching energies of about 10 times those of the LHC in the collisions of elementary particles. Today, there is no technology that can produce such energies robustly and at a reasonable cost. However, many solutions are under study, including colliders for protons, muons, electrons, and photons. I will review the status of these approaches to the design of the next great energy-frontier accelerator.
Speaker: Michael Peskin, SLAC
Cost: Free
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Monday, 11/04/24
07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
In-person and Online
Hewlett Teaching Center
370 Jane Stanford Way, Room 200
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305
Sunspots, Solar Storms, and Aurorae: Exploring Solar Maximum
With dazzling auroras lighting up the night sky across the US in recent months, the Sun's increasing activity has become more apparent than ever. These awe-inspiring and far-reaching light shows are tied to the increased solar activity as we move deeper into Solar Cycle 25. In this lecture, we will explore the dynamic behavior of our Sun and its 11-year solar cycle. Specifically, we will focus on the effects of solar maximum, a period of heightened solar activity that manifests through increased sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. Beyond generating spectacular auroras, increased solar activity has the potential to disrupt and interfere with our technological infrastructure, including satellites, GPS, and power grids. I will also briefly discuss connections between the Sun's solar cycle and those observed in other stars. Lastly, I will summarize results from cutting-edge solar missions that reveal unprecedented insights into the behavior of our Sun.
Speaker: Oana Vesa, Stanford University
Register at weblink attend in person or to watch online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/astronomy-lecture-the-sun-solar-activity-registration-1048370212527
Website: https://kipac.stanford.edu/events/sunspots-solar-storms-and-aurorae-exploring-solar-maximum
Cost: Free
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Monday, 11/04/24
07:30 PM - 09:00 PM
In-person
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Dr.
San Francisco, CA 94118
Seeing Beyond Sight: Astronomical Images and the Aesthetics of the Sublime
Over the last several decades, astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to look deep into the Universe, a practice that continues with the James Webb Space Telescope. The images from these instruments, as well as those from ground-based telescopes and space probes, have introduced us to a celestial plentitude: pictures of galaxies that glitter with millions of points of light and nebulae that reach upward as giant gaseous columns; panoramas of Martian landscapes and close-ups of its geological features; aerial views of Jupiter’s swirling clouds and Saturn’s many rings in brilliant hues; visual reconstructions of black holes outlined in glowing orange.
Such cosmic pictures are based on scientific data, but they must address a vexing question: How to represent what our lies beyond our sight? This talk will consider how the aesthetics of astronomical images aid in the task. In particular, it will trace a recurring engagement with the rhetorical and visual tropes of the sublime, whether a resemblance to 19th-century landscape paintings of the American West or a reprise of the psychedelic styles of 1960s counterculture. Through the aesthetics of the sublime, astronomical images convey the awesomeness of reaching beyond our sensory limits, even as the familiarity of these tropes tame or contain the potentially terrifying aspects of transcendence.
Speaker: Elizabeth Kessler, Stanford University
Cost: $15 General, $12 Members & Seniors
==============================
Tuesday, 11/05/24
02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Livestream
UC Berkeley
Transforming Astrophysics with AI - Livestream
Joshua S. Bloom, Professor of Astronomy, will describe ways in which astrophysics is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to break through some computational and human bottlenecks that otherwise impede scientific progress.
Register at weblink to receive Zoom information: https://berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkdOGsrjwuHNKBt0Mh5ybaFza9ta2c0slG#/registration
Website: https://events.berkeley.edu/brc/event/259469-transforming-astrophysics-with-ai
Cost: Free
==============================
Thursday, 11/07/24 3:30 PM
In-person
Astronomy Colloquium
Physics North
UC Berkeley
Room 1
Berkeley, CA 94720
Binary Stars
Speaker: Jan Aldridge, Auckland, NZ
Website: https://astro.berkeley.edu/news/events/astronomy-colloquium/
Cost: Free
==============================
Friday, 11/08/24 7PM
In-person
Telescope Makers Workshop
Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94619-245
The Chabot Telescope Maker's workshop reopens! Chabot's TMW is one of only a handful of regularly scheduled telescope making workshops in the U.S., and probably the world; it meets every Friday evening throughout the year, except Memorial Day weekend. It has been in operation since December of 1930, founded by Franklin B. Wright, and is currently run by Eastbay Astronomical Society member Rich Ozer, with help from other EAS members, Dave Barosso, Barry Leska, and others. The price of admission is FREE. All you have to do is show up, buy a mirror blank and a "tool" (typically around $100 - $200 depending on the size of the mirror) and start "pushin' glass!" We supply you with instruction, the various grits you'll need to first grind, and then polish and figure your mirror, and all the testing equipment needed. With a small bit of luck, you could wind up with a telescope that costs 1/3 or 1/4 the cost of a store-bought telescope, that is yet optically superior! It does take time - depending on how much time you put in on it, and other factors, it could take a few months.. But, it's a fun project, great for kids, and at the end you get a great telescope!
Enter from the main loading dock behind the main building.
If you have a project, bring it with you so we can assess next steps.
You can also bring any other equipment or literature you may have
questions about.
For more information call or email Richard Ozer at richozer1@... or phone (510) 406-1914.
=============================
Friday, 11/08/24 9PM-11PM for night observing and Saturday 11/09/24 10AM-12 Noon for solar observing
In-person
The Foothill Observatory is open again!
Foothill Observatory
12345 El Monte Road
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Foothill Observatory now Open EVERY clear Friday night and Saturday morning
The Foothill College Astronomy Department and Peninsula Astronomical Society (PAS) have reopened public viewing programs at Foothill College Observatory on:
· Every clear Friday night from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. for star gazing
· Every clear Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon for solar viewing
ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES
The COVID and masking policy for visiting Foothill Observatory is the same as that of Foothill College per their Health & Safety information:
1) Vaccinations are required
2) masking is strongly encouraged.
Websites: https://foothill.edu/astronomy/observatory.html
=============================
Friday, 11/08/24 and Saturday 11/09/24
07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
In-person
Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd
Oakland, CA 94619
Free Telescope Viewings
Join Chabot astronomers on the Observatory Deck for a free telescope viewing! Weather permitting, this is a chance to explore stars, planets and more through Chabot’s historic telescopes. Chabot’s three large historic telescopes offer a unique way to experience the awe and wonder of the Universe. Our observatory deck offers breathtaking views 1,500 feet above the Bay. Three observatory domes house the Center’s 8-inch (Leah, 1883) and 20-inch (Rachel, 1916) refracting telescopes, along with a 36-inch reflecting telescope (Nellie, 2003).
Are the skies clear for viewing tonight? Viewing can be impacted by rain, clouds, humidity and other weather conditions. Conditions can be unique to Chabot because of its unique location in Joaquin Miller Park. Before your visit, check out the Weather Station to see the current conditions at Chabot.
Website: https://chabotspace.org/events/free-telescope-viewings/
Before your visit:
• Check humidity on our Weather Station: https://chabotspace.org/weather-station/
• Check cloud cover using the live view webcam of the Center: https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/2578
==============================
Saturday, 11/09/24
06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
In-person
City Public Star Party
Come join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers for free public stargazing of the Moon, planets, globular clusters and more!
The event will take place in Tunnel Tops National Park, parking is located adjacent to Picnic Place (210 Lincoln Blvd for GPS) with the telescopes setup in the East Meadow.
Dress warmly as conditions can be windy or cold in the Presidio. Rain, heavy fog or overcast skies cancel the event. Check the SFAA website for a cancellation notice before leaving for the star party.
SFAA members with telescopes are encouraged to attend and share their views of the stars with the general public.
Website: https://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/event-5619404
Cost: Free
==============================
Tuesday, 11/12/24
02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Livestream
UC Berkeley Retirement Center
The Renaissance of Astrophysics - Livestream
Raffaella Margutti, Associate Professor, Astronomy Department and Physics Department, will review how new observational capabilities to study the night sky have led to recent discoveries and new ways to think about the universe around us. This program is part of a three-part series on “Berkeley in Space ” organized by Donald Mastronarde.
Website: https://events.berkeley.edu/brc/event/260601-the-renaissance-of-astrophysics
Register at weblink: https://berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUtdO-grDwsEtdVo1ihSUwWMj3kMcNAtsXv#/registration
Cost: Free
==============================
Wednesday, 11/13/24
07:00 PM - 08:30 PM
Livestream
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series
Observing with the James Webb Space Telescope: Glimpsing the First Stars - Livestream
The Webb Telescope was designed to look back in time, to study the first generation of stars, and reveal our cosmic origins. In what is only its second year of operation, JWST has already brought us tantalizingly close to our dream of seeing those first stars. Dr. Coe will tell us about observations of “Earendel,” the most distant star known, seen as it was 13 billion years ago. And we will marvel at the beauty of even more distant star clusters, including the Arc of Cosmic Gems. These objects were some the most important discoveries from his Hubble observing program, among them the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 that became JWST's first stunning deep field. Soon the Euclid and Roman telescopes will survey much more of the sky, providing many more exciting targets for JWST to study in detail.
Speaker: Dan Coe is an ESA/AURA Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Watch the lecture on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/SVAstronomyLectures
Website: https://www.seti.org/event/observing-james-webb-space-telescope-glimpsing-first-stars
Cost: Free
==============================
Thursday, 11/14/24 3:30 PM
In-person
Physics North
UC Berkeley
Room 1
Berkeley, CA 94720
Astronomy and Physics Education
Speaker: Linda Strubbe, Educational Consulting
Website: https://astro.berkeley.edu/news/events/astronomy-colloquium/
Cost: Free
==============================
Friday, 11/15/24
06:30 PM - 07:30 PM
In-person
Sonoma State University Public Astronomy
Observatory
1801 East Cotati Ave
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Sonoma State Public Astronomy Viewing Nights
Check weblink before attending to see if the event is happening, or canceled due to weather.
Website: https://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/public-events/public-viewing-nights
Cost: Free
==============================
Friday, 11/15/24 7PM
In-person
Telescope Makers Workshop
Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94619-245
The Chabot Telescope Maker's workshop reopens! Chabot's TMW is one of only a handful of regularly scheduled telescope making workshops in the U.S., and probably the world; it meets every Friday evening throughout the year, except Memorial Day weekend. It has been in operation since December of 1930, founded by Franklin B. Wright, and is currently run by Eastbay Astronomical Society member Rich Ozer, with help from other EAS members, Dave Barosso, Barry Leska, and others. The price of admission is FREE. All you have to do is show up, buy a mirror blank and a "tool" (typically around $100 - $200 depending on the size of the mirror) and start "pushin' glass!" We supply you with instruction, the various grits you'll need to first grind, and then polish and figure your mirror, and all the testing equipment needed. With a small bit of luck, you could wind up with a telescope that costs 1/3 or 1/4 the cost of a store-bought telescope, that is yet optically superior! It does take time - depending on how much time you put in on it, and other factors, it could take a few months.. But, it's a fun project, great for kids, and at the end you get a great telescope!
Enter from the main loading dock behind the main building.
If you have a project, bring it with you so we can assess next steps.
You can also bring any other equipment or literature you may have
questions about.
For more information call or email Richard Ozer at richozer1@... or phone (510) 406-1914.
=============================
Friday, 11/15/24 9PM-11PM for night observing and Saturday 11/16/24 10AM-12 Noon for solar observing
In-person
The Foothill Observatory is open again!
Foothill Observatory
12345 El Monte Road
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Foothill Observatory now Open EVERY clear Friday night and Saturday morning
The Foothill College Astronomy Department and Peninsula Astronomical Society (PAS) have reopened public viewing programs at Foothill College Observatory on:
· Every clear Friday night from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. for star gazing
· Every clear Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon for solar viewing
ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES
The COVID and masking policy for visiting Foothill Observatory is the same as that of Foothill College per their Health & Safety information:
1) Vaccinations are required
2) masking is strongly encouraged.
Websites: https://foothill.edu/astronomy/observatory.html
=============================
Friday, 11/15/24 and Saturday 11/16
oi
9/24
07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
In-person
Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd
Oakland, CA 94619
Free Telescope Viewings
Join Chabot astronomers on the Observatory Deck for a free telescope viewing! Weather permitting, this is a chance to explore stars, planets and more through Chabot’s historic telescopes. Chabot’s three large historic telescopes offer a unique way to experience the awe and wonder of the Universe. Our observatory deck offers breathtaking views 1,500 feet above the Bay. Three observatory domes house the Center’s 8-inch (Leah, 1883) and 20-inch (Rachel, 1916) refracting telescopes, along with a 36-inch reflecting telescope (Nellie, 2003).
Are the skies clear for viewing tonight? Viewing can be impacted by rain, clouds, humidity and other weather conditions. Conditions can be unique to Chabot because of its unique location in Joaquin Miller Park. Before your visit, check out the Weather Station to see the current conditions at Chabot.
Website: https://chabotspace.org/events/free-telescope-viewings/
Before your visit:
• Check humidity on our Weather Station: https://chabotspace.org/weather-station/
• Check cloud cover using the live view webcam of the Center: https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/2578
==============================
Monday, 11/18/24 4:00 PM
In-person
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do
1801 E. Cotati Ave.
Darwin Hall, Room 103
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Technology Development
US Astronomers have recently listed habitable exoplanet imaging ??" imaging and spectroscopy of a planet around another star that can harbor life on it's surface ??" as a top priority in the coming decades. However, our current telescopes and state-of-the-art technologies are insufficient to enable this high priority science goal. Dr. Gerard will discuss adaptive optics and coronagraphic technologies he has been developing to bridge this gap and help enable habitable exoplanet imaging in the coming decades.
Speaker Benjamin Gerard, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Cost: Free
==============================