The BayAstro group publishes announcements of interesting events related to astronomy and aerospace in the San Francisco Bay Area. This can include events such as astronomy and interesting physical science lectures, club meetings, star parties, air shows and other events of interest mostly to amateur astronomers and science enthusiasts. Many thanks to Ken Lum, who created this event listing.
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Due to concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 virus, some events have been or may be cancelled. Many venues will be closed perhaps until the end of the year. Other events may offer online links and connections. To check on the status of a given event, check their website for updates.
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Monday, 05/10/21
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
Light and Dark. A Story of the Cosmos – Livestream
Light is the main observable in cosmology, but most of what we “see” with this light is how the dark universe behaves. We will explore how the light from millions of distant galaxies are used to shed light on the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
Speaker: Marika Asgari
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Website: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-astronomy-talk-light-and-dark-a-story-of-the-cosmos-tickets-140254941305
Cost: Free
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Monday, 05/10/21
03:30 PM – 04:30 PM
SLAC Colloquium
Seeing to the Event Horizons of Supermassive Black Holes – Livestream
Supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies power some of the brightest objects we see in the Universe; active galactic nuclei (AGN). Much remains unknown, however, about exactly how energy is released from the material falling in through the accretion disk, and from the black hole itself, to power these extreme systems, forming a powerful X-ray emitting corona and launching jets at almost the speed of light.
The X-rays emitted from the corona illuminate the material falling into the black hole and by measuring its reflection, we obtain a unique insight into the processes occurring just outside the event horizon. Most recently, measuring echoes of X-ray flares emitted by the corona, and comparing these measurements to the predictions of general relativistic ray tracing simulations, we have been able to obtain the most detailed map of the structure of the inner accretion disk and corona.
The reverberation of X-ray flares is letting us see the corona evolve in real time and witness the effects of strong gravity and general relativity as the X-rays are bent around the black hole. This gives us important insight into the small-scale processes close to the event horizon that allow black holes to power these extreme objects and play their important feedback role in the formation of structure in the Universe.
Speaker: Dan Wilkins, Kavli Institute
See weblink for Zoom connection information
Website: https://sites.slac.stanford.edu/colloquium/events/seeing-the-event-horizons-supermassive-black-holes
Zoom: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/99050595384?pwd=cGFuWHZwWUZmMkVoQ2pVU2lPeDVQZz09
Telephone: 650 724 9799 Webinar ID: 990 5059 5384. Passcode: 430601
Cost: Free
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Monday, 05/10/21 6:30 PM
UC Santa Cruz
Slugs and Steins: A Century of Paradigm Shifts in our Understanding of the Universe – Livestream
The past century has witnessed the birth of our modern view of the large scale universe as well as an astonishing list of startling changes or paradigm shifts in our understanding. The rate of new discoveries seems to be accelerating with time. This talk will take us from the contributions of Einstein and Hubble to the most recent discoveries about the early history of the universe. We will even discuss the discoveries expected from the next generation of scientific instruments as well as the likelihood of the unexpected discovery.
Speaker: George Blumenthal, Professor Emeritus, UC Santa Cruz
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Website: https://calendar.ucsc.edu/event/slugs_and_steins_with_professor_emeritus_george_blumenthal#.YIXyCS2cbEY
Cost: Free
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Monday, 05/10/21 7:30 PM
Astronomy on Tap: Los Angeles – Livestream
We’ll hear from Sabrina Pakzad: “SOFIA: NASA’s Flying Infrared Observatory” and from Dr. Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay: “The Lunar Crater Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon”. In addition, we will host interactive astronomically-themed pub trivia.
See weblink for YouTube link.
Website: https://astronomyontap.org/2021/04/astronomy-on-tap-los-angeles-may-10-2021/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dviJK1EnhYA
Cost: Free
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Wednesday, 05/12/21 1:00 PM
ExplOratorium
Checking in with Perseverance – Livestream
After the successful February 18th landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars, Exploratorium scientist Isabel Hawkins and host Ron Hipschman catch up with our plucky Martian companion and tell you all about what’s happening on the red planet. Where has Perseverance been? What has it found? Where is it going? Tune in and space out.
Speaker: Isabel hawkins, Exploratorium
See weblink for YouTube and Facebook links
Website: https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calendar/checking-perseverance
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR4I4iSvzltLN_WumwIBC3Q
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exploratorium
Cost: Free
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Thursday, 05/13/21
02:00 PM – 02:30 PM
SETI Institute
SETI LIVE: The End of Everything – Livestream
Take a look around. Everything you see, from this blue and green planet we live on to the stars and distant fuzzy galaxies in the sky, began with the Big Bang and, over billions of years, found its way to the shapes and forms they have now. But what is the fate of this vast universe filled with galaxies, stars, and planets? Beth Johnson is joined by astrophysicist and science communicator Dr. Katie Mack to discuss her new book, The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking). The possibilities include the Big Crunch, Heat Death, Big Rip, Vacuum Decay, and the Bounce.
Speaker: Dr. Katie Mack, North Carolina State University
Website: https://www.seti.org/event/seti-live-end-everything-dr-katie-mack
WATCH LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/227yqqyiO9M
WATCH LIVE ON FACEBOOK: https://fb.me/e/OSzzaHRs
Cost: Free
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Friday, 05/14/21 12:00 PM
UC Santa Cruz
From Atomic Scales to Asteroid Surfaces: Understanding Space Weathering of Airless Bodies through Coordinated Analyses – Livestream
Soil grains on the surfaces of airless planetary bodies such as the Moon and asteroids are continuously being modified by their exposure to interplanetary space. These surface materials experience micrometeorite bombardment and irradiation by energetic particles from the solar wind, a phenomenon collectively known as space weathering. Such interactions change the chemical and microstructural characteristics of soil grains and, as a result, their optical properties which we can measure with remote sensing spacecraft. In order to understand the nature of space weathering processes on airless planetary surfaces, I combine nanoscale analyses of returned samples with experimental simulations of space weathering in the laboratory. I will present my work using various techniques to simulate micrometeorite impacts and solar wind irradiation of both returned samples and analog materials. I will present results from a novel technique to simulate micrometeoroid impacts using in situ heating inside the transmission electron microscope (TEM). I will also describe the results of new laser and ion irradiation experiments of carbonaceous meteorites which simulate space weathering on the surfaces of organic-rich asteroids. I will explore the microstructural and chemical signatures of space weathering in these samples and their relationship to changes in optical properties of the material. Finally, I will put these experimental results in the context of ongoing planetary science sample return missions, including NASA OSIRIS-REx and JAXA Hayabusa2.
Speaker: Michelle Thompson, Purdue University
Zoom information can be found on the EPS advising Google calendar
Website: https://eps.ucsc.edu/news-events/igpp-seminar/spring-2021.html
Zoom Meeting 93026775152
Passcode 826619
Cost: Free
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Saturday, 05/15/21 7:30 PM
Mount Tamalpias Astronomy Lectures
Gravitational Lensing: Bends in Spacetime – Livestream
One hundred years ago, Einstein predicted that light rays would bend in the space near a massive object – much as light rays refract in an optical lens. Today, we use this fact to weigh galaxies, to discover planets of other stars, and to “see” invisible black holes. How did this idea of gravitational lensing come about, and how do we use it today to probe all fields of astrophysics?
Speaker: Fatima Abdurrahamn, UC Berkeley
See weblink for Zoom information
Website: https://www.mttamastronomy.org/calendar#h.x0snkek9r9ue
Cost: Free
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Saturday, 05/15/21 8:00 PM
San Mateo County Astronomical Society
Resolving the Local Universe with the JWST & Hubble – Livestream
In his talk, Dr. Weisz highlights the amazing science and images produced by Hubble observations of local galaxies from the past three decades. The pinnacle of these studies is the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) program, an 800-hour Hubble survey of our sibling galaxy Andromeda, and one of the largest Hubble programs ever conducted. Dr. Weisz will describe the PHAT survey and its scientific impact and discuss plans for the James Webb Space Telescope, which will succeed Hubble as the most sensitive telescope in existence following its launch in 2021.
Speaker: Dr. Dan Weisz, UC Berkeley
See weblink for Zoom information
Website: http://www.smcasastro.com/meetings.html
Zoom: ID: 253 926 2920. Passcode: SMCAS
Cost: Free
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Saturday, 05/15/21
09:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center
Virtual Telescope Viewing – Livestream
Join our resident astronomers on Facebook Live every Saturday evening live from Chabot’s Observation deck!
Each week, our astronomers will guide us through spectacular night sky viewing through Nellie, Chabot‘s most powerful telescope. Weather permitting we will be able to view objects live through the telescopes and our astronomers will be available for an open forum for all of your most pressing astronomy questions.
Other Dates For This Event:
• Saturday, 05/15/21
• Saturday, 05/22/21
Website: https://chabotspace.org/calendar/free-telescope-viewings/2021-01-02/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCarFXs-04xmdHW_PVc7LWRg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/4443135732423850/?event_time_id=4443137535757003
Cost: Free
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Sunday, 05/16/21
01:30 PM – 02:45 PM
San Jose Astronomical Society
Solar Sunday Basics: Spots, Prominences, Filaments and More – Livestream
Join us for this on-line event where we’ll look in real time for prominences (often thought of as solar flares) and intricate texture within the Sun’s chromosphere (its atmosphere). We’ll also provide an overview of how we observe the Sun in different types of light (such as red, H-alpha light), share details about the structure of the Sun, and show spectacular images taken during prior years. Ordinarily, we’d also share live views of sunspots, but our Sun is currently in its solar-minimum phase, and as a result, sunspots and other dramatic features are rare. Nevertheless, we’ll still cover a lot of cool and interesting facts about our hot Sun!
See note at weblink, and to register
Website: https://www.meetup.com/SJ-Astronomy/events/278051317/
Cost: Free
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Wednesday, 05/19/21
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
SETI Institute
SETI Talks: Why is Earth Still Habitable? – Livestream
Earth, a Pale Blue Dot in our solar system, is also the result of 4 billion years of evolution leading to a technologically advanced and intelligent civilization, humanity. When you look around almost anywhere on Earth, you see life. In the air, in the water, in the land and even underground. But was this inevitable? We know that there have been mass extinction events in the past, some taking out most of life on Earth, but not all of it, since we are here to ponder it.
Current global warming shows us that the climate can change considerably over even a few centuries. Over geological timescales, it is even easier to see climate change. Calculations show that there is the potential for Earth’s climate to deteriorate to temperatures below freezing or above boiling in just a few million years. Abrupt changes can come from natural disasters like super-volcanoes, asteroid impacts, solar flares, supernovae, and many other threatening events. Even the amount of heat from the Sun has increased as it ages, so why is Earth still habitable?
That’s a mystery that we’ll discuss with Sarah Rugheimer and Toby Tyrrell. Sarah is an astrophysicist at Oxford University who studies exoplanet atmospheres, searching for biosignatures and possible life. Toby is a professor in Earth System Science within Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton at the University of Southampton. He recently published a new perspective on why our planet has managed to stay habitable for billions of years.
This work consists of running simulations looking at how 100,000 randomly different planets responded to random climate-altering events spread out across three billion years.
Most of those planets which remained life-sustaining throughout the three-billion-year period only had a probability, not a certainty, of staying habitable.
Is Earth’s success in remaining habitable just a fluke? What can we learn from studying the climate of planets in our solar system and those orbiting other stars?
We hope to answer these questions with our speakers in this conversation moderated by SETI Institute Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis.
Website: https://www.seti.org/event/seti-talks-why-earth-still-habitable
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seti-talks-why-is-earth-still-habitable-tickets-153701020891
Cost: Free
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Wednesday, 05/19/21 7:00 PM
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers
Variable Stars and Their Stories – Livestream
Variable stars have always been the most intriguing (and fun) targets for observers, professional and amateur alike. Stellar variability provides unique insights in critical stages of stellar evolution, helps determine distances to nearby galaxies, and adds to our understanding of explosion physics and the Milky Way’s chemical enrichment. I will introduce some of the most common aspects of stellar variability and their significance in astrophysics. I will discuss their common light curves identifiers and present work by AAVSO observers, leading to cutting-edge scientific discoveries throughout the years. Finally, I will discuss how you can participate in variable star observations from your back yard, contributing to the AAVSO International Database and cutting-edge science.
Speaker: Stella Kafka, American Association of Variable Star Observers
See weblink for connection options.
Website: https://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/live-streamed-lectures/
onnect by 6:30pm on Wednesday, May 19th by clicking this Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/95830904603?pwd=UDNKdm16US9wK1EremdJeGptdjNNdz09
meeting number 958 3090 4603 and password 116064 to join the meeting.
SFAA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChuBJGp_iJYZ11q_ayA-q3A
SFAA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/152754481404310
Cost: Free
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Thursday, 05/20/21
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM
Astronomical Society of Edinburgh
The Dark Side of the Universe – Livestream
Just over 95% of our Universe comes in the shrouded form of dark energy and matter that we can neither explain nor directly detect. Together, these two dark entities play out an epic cosmic battle with the gravity of dark matter slowly pulling structures in the Universe together, and dark energy fuelling the Universe’s accelerated expansion, making it ever harder for those structures to grow.
Speaker: Catherine Heymans, Univ. of Edinburgh
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Website: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-dark-side-of-the-universe-tickets-132914586105
Cost: Free
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Thursday, 05/20/21
05:00 PM – 06:30 PM
Cafe Scientifique Silicon Valley
Where Did it All Come From? Where is it All Going? – Livestream
The physical universe, I will argue, is made of matter (or energy) and of order (or information). I’ll trace out the 13.8 billion year history of this matter/energy told by modern cosmology, as it has developed into ever-more sophisticated order and structure: galaxies and their arrangement, stars, planets, life, and very recently and locally, civilization. The survival of civilization – and life itself – through the coming century is not assured, but if it continues, what could its future look like over thousands or millions of years? No one knows, but touring topics from fundamental physics to the nature of intelligence, I will lay out some of the possibilities.
Speaker: Anthony Aguirre, UC Santa Cruz
See weblink for registration information.
Website: https://cafescipa.org
http://cafescipa.org/upcoming-event/
Cost: Free
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Friday, 05/21/21 7:30 PM
Tri-Valley Stargazers
A Walking Tour of Optical History — Artifacts and Anecdotes from the Astronomical Lyceum – Livestream
Pioneering telescope makers allowed a revolutionary ascendancy of American astronomy in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Astronomical Lyceum in New Mexico, originally built in 1936 as a theater and gymnasium, now houses a collection of telescopes, optics, archives, and literature from this ascendancy. Its volunteer staff find the artifacts and associated history surprisingly engaging for visitors of all interest levels. The presentation will include unusual items, large and small, created by some of the America’s greatest early optical artists, including Henry and Harry Fitz, Alvan Clark and Sons, Carl and Robert Lundin, John A. Brashear, George Willis Ritchey, and the pioneer of astronomical spectroscopy and photography, Lewis Morris Rutherfurd. The collection includes artifacts originating right up through the Space Age, including from the amateur telescope making movement and its surprising influence. While time allows only an overview, the presentation hopes to remind participants how history of science and technology can be powerfully engaging and interesting for essentially anyone when offered in the right spirit.
Speaker: John Briggs, Astronomer
See weblink for connection options
Website: https://www.trivalleystargazers.org
For non-members if you would like to join the meeting, please send an email to the club president, president@trivalleystargazers.org, asking for the meeting link and telling us a bit about your areas of interest in astronomy.
Cost: Free
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Saturday, 05/22/21
09:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center
Virtual Telescope Viewing – Livestream
Join our resident astronomers on Facebook Live every Saturday evening live from Chabot’s Observation deck!
Each week, our astronomers will guide us through spectacular night sky viewing through Nellie, Chabot‘s most powerful telescope. Weather permitting we will be able to view objects live through the telescopes and our astronomers will be available for an open forum for all of your most pressing astronomy questions.
• Saturday, 05/22/21
Website: https://chabotspace.org/calendar/free-telescope-viewings/2021-01-02/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCarFXs-04xmdHW_PVc7LWRg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/4443135732423850/?event_time_id=4443137535757003
Cost: Free