Stargazing telescope set up on athletic field for Caltech Stargazing Lecture night (Photo – Christophe Marcadé, caltech.edu)
You’ve heard of Hubble. Probably James Webb. Get ready for the newest kid on the galaxy block: the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
By Melanie Hooks
Thanks to the ongoing Stargazing Lectures on Pasadena’s Caltech campus, this Friday night is the time to learn about it when Lee Armus, Senior Research Scientist of Caltech IPAC, presents his talk, The Roman Space Telescope: NASA’s Next Great Observatory.
The free public event will take place from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, located at 1216 E. California Blvd. The evening will begin with the lecture from 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm, followed by a question-and-answer session and guided stargazing, weather permitting.
The Lecture
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics observatory, scheduled to launch this September. Combining the sharp vision of the Hubble Space Telescope with a field of view more than one hundred times larger, Roman will enable astronomers to survey the Universe with unprecedented speed and detail.
Roman will search for planets beyond our Solar System, map the distribution of dark matter, investigate the mysterious force known as dark energy, and reveal how galaxies have formed and evolved over billions of years of cosmic time. Enjoy the introduction to the Roman Space Telescope as NASA and their partners, including Caltech IPAC, prepare for its launch and explore the exciting discoveries it is expected to make.
For those unable to attend in person, the lecture and Q&A session will also be livestreamed on YouTube.
The Series
The Stargazing Lectures series is designed to make astronomy accessible to the public. Each session features a short lecture, followed by interactive discussion and telescope viewing opportunities. While stargazing depends on clear skies, the lecture and Q&A portions will proceed regardless of weather conditions.
All events in the series are free and open to the public, with no reservations required. Attendees are welcome to stay for any portion of the program. The events are held at the level of a layperson with no science background. Children are welcome to join, although some of the material may be a little bit advanced, depending on the topic of the month.
For additional details, including directions and weather updates, visitors can check Caltech’s astronomy outreach website or contact Cameron Hummels at chummels@caltech.edu.
Astronomy Lecture & Stargazing Friday, July 24, 2026 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Location Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics 1216 E California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125 Free. No registration required.
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