Stargazing Lecture at Caltech (File Photo – caltech.edu)
Spend a special Friday night learning about the next frontier of space exploration indoors, then join a guided stargazing session outside the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics with NASA JPL Research Scientist Amy Hoffman.
The action kicks off at 8:00 pm with the public lecture, and continues with a panel Q&A at 8:45 pm, and finally a guided stargazing session. The free family-friendly event happens rain or shine, though outdoor portions might be limited due to weather.
The Lecture
Despite sharing a similar mass, size, and orbital location with Earth, Venus remains a mystery to planetary scientists. Wrapped in a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere, with surface pressures exceeding 90 bar and temperatures averaging ~870°F (~465°C), Venus exhibits extreme runaway greenhouse conditions whose evolution remains unresolved. Existing data even call into question whether Venus ever sustained liquid water oceans on its surface, and hence whether Venus could ever have been habitable.
NASA’s upcoming DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission will investigate Venus from above its cloud deck down to its surface to decipher how the planet and its massive atmosphere formed and evolved over the past 4.5 billion years. In this talk, we’ll explore how DAVINCI will investigate Venus’s atmosphere and surface, search for clues to its watery past, and help us understand the habitability of rocky planets beyond our Solar System.
Stargazing is dependent on clear weather, but lecture and Q&A happen regardless. Event will occur in-person, with lecture and Q&A additionally live-streamed on YouTube.
For remote viewers, the event will be live-streamed here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/1algocTiwFg
About the Series
Stargazing Lectures are free lectures at a public level followed by a Q&A panel and guided stargazing with telescopes (weather permitting). All events are held at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech and are free and open to all. No reservations are needed. Lectures are 30 minutes; stargazing and panel Q&A last 60 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.
For directions, weather updates, and more information, please visit: http://outreach.astro.caltech.edu.
For more information, contact Cameron Hummels by email at chummels@caltech.edu.
