Monday, 03/25/24
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Attend in person or via Zoom (see weblink)
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series
2575 Sand Hill Road, Building 48
Redwood Rooms C & D
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Zoom: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/95023891262?pwd=ZUh0dFQwMGIyK3VrZTM2dnBvb0xmdz09#success
Exploring the High-Redshift Universe with Millimeter-Wave Line Intensity Mapping
Answering outstanding questions in cosmology - such as understanding the physics of inflation, dark energy, and reionization - requires observations of ever-increasing volumes of the universe. In this talk I will discuss a new technique for measuring large volumes at high redshift: line intensity mapping (LIM) of far-IR emission lines from galaxies. This technique is enabled by advances in millimeter-wave spectrometer technology. I will introduce SPT-SLIM, a pathfinder experiment at the South Pole Telescope which will demonstrate the use of superconducting on-chip spectrometers for LIM. SPT-SLIM targets galaxies from the peak of cosmic star formation, about 10 billion years ago. I will then discuss the future of mm-wave LIM and the technical advances needed to develop this technique into a next-generation cosmological observable.
Speaker: Dr. Kirit Karkare, SLAC
Website: https://colloquium.slac.stanford.edu/events/2024-03-14-exploring-high-redshift-universe-millimeter-wave-line-intensity-mapping
Cost: Free
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Tuesday, 3/26/2024
7:00 PM-9:00PM
In-person and recorded
Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society
Lindsay Wildlife Experience
1931 First Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Speaker: Professor Oscar Macias, SFSU
Title: Gamma-ray emission from the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal galaxy due to millisecond pulsars
Website:https://www.mdas.net and
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-view.cfm?Event_ID=133831
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Thursday, 03/28/24
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
In-person and Livestream
KQED, The Commons
2601 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Science Is a Piece of Cake: Astronomy Cake-off
Do you know your astronomy? Learn about all the planets and stars in our (rare night of fog-free) Bay Area sky via ... cake! KQED's Check, Please! Bay Area producer Cecilia Phillips is hosting a cake bake-off, where celestial bodies serve as our visual inspiration. Enter in the competition as a beginner, intermediate, or advanced baker, or come be in the audience to learn about the stars overhead and eat delicious cake.
Website: https://www.kqed.org/event/3960
Cost: In Person: $20 / Livestream: Free.
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Friday, 03/29/24
08:30 PM - 10:00 PM
In-person
Sonoma State University Public Astronomy
Observatory
1801 East Cotati Ave
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Public Astronomy Viewing Nights
Sonoma State University hosts astronomical viewing nights open to the public. Events are weather dependent. Check the weblink for cancelations prior to attending.
Website: https://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/public-events/public-viewing-nights
Cost: Free
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Friday, 03/29/24
08:45 PM - 10:45 PM
In-person
San Jose Astronomical Association
Houge Park
3972 Twilight Drive
San Jose, CA 95124
In Town Star Party
Come join San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) for an evening of stargazing.
Event details:
- Events are held at the parking lot of our headquarters, Houge Park San Jose. The event duration is 2hours. SJAA volunteers will share night sky views from their telescopes.
- Please refrain from bringing your own telescopes (Binoculars are welcome). If you like to be avolunteer with or without a telescope please email at "itsp@sjaa.net".
Register at weblink
Website:
https://www.meetup.com/sj-astronomy/events/298247790/
Cost: Free
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Friday, 3/29/24 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.
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Friday, 03/29/2024 9PM-11PM for night observing and Saturday 03/30/2024
10AM-12 Noon for solar observing
In-person
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
Since we are still dealing with COVID, we are adopting the following guidelines to enable safe operation of the Observatory for both our public visitors and our PAS operators. We ask that visitors please agree to complying with these guidelines before visiting the Observatory, and to direct any questions to info@....
ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES
COVID vaccination and masks no longer required on the Foothill College campus.
Websites: https://foothill.edu/astronomy/observatory.html
and https://pastro.org
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Friday, 03/29/2024 and Saturday 3/30/2024
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.
https://chabotspace.org/weather-station/
Website: https://chabotspace.org/events/events-listing/
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Saturday, 03/30/24
10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
In-person
Lawrence Hall of Science
1 Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA 94720
Sunprint Kit Celebration at the Lawrence Hall of Science
Celebrate Spring Break with solar science! We’ll have a printmaking station all week featuring our Sunprint® Kits paper in Forces That Shape the Bay. Use your creativity, a variety of fun materials, and the sun’s power to express yourself and create stunning art. On Sunday, April 7, come back from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. to see your Sunprints on display for all to see and vote on your favorites to win a prize! Every visitor gets a free Sunprint Kit when they spend $40 at The Discovery Store all week long!
Website: https://lawrencehallofscience.org/events/sunprint-kit-celebration/
Cost: Free with admission
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Saturday, 03/30/24
10:00 AM - 02:00 PM
Other Dates For This Event:
• Saturday, 03/30/24
• Sunday, 03/31/24
• Monday, 04/01/24
• Tuesday, 04/02/24
• Wednesday, 04/03/24
In-person
Lawrence Hall of Science
1 Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA 94720
Through the Looking Glass Pilot
Help us test a new activity for your future scientists aged 6 and under. Explore nature with various optical tools that can focus far beyond what our eyes typically see. Zoom in and zoom out with microscopes, periscopes, binoculars, and lenses carrying different magnifying powers. Which tools will you choose to help find what’s hidden in nature? The first hour each day (10:00 - 11:00 a.m.) is members only.
Admission is free for UC Berkeley students & staff, Members, children 2 and under, Museums for All, and active-duty military.
Website: https://lawrencehallofscience.org/events/through-the-looking-glass-pilot/
Cost: Free with museum admission ($20 for guests 3+)
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Saturday, 03/30/24
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers
Muir Woods Community Clubhouse on Mt.Tam
40 Ridge Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
A Night for Beginning Astronomers
The SFAA is hosting a night dedicated to our members beginning in visual astronomy. Beginners will bring their optical instruments and experienced members will be present to provide assistance. Cosmic delights for the evening include: Jupiter with its Great Red Spot visible and its moon Io casting a shadow, an excellent opportunity to view Comet Pons-Brooks, the great Orion Nebula, and the home of Star Trek’s Vulcans.
Join us for a BYOF picnic (cookies provided!) prior to the event at 6:00 PM. Sunset will be at 7:30 PM, therefore we suggest arriving no later than 7 PM to allow for setup.
To register, either as a beginner seeking support or an experienced astronomer wanting to mentor, please click here.
Website: https://www.sfaa-astronomy.org/event-5570880
Cost: Free