Baking with the Stars: Recipes for getting started in Astrophotography
Baking and astrophotography share many things in common: You need the right equipment, attention to detail, and a creative flair. If it seems intimidating, following a recipe can be a great way to start. SFAA member Jason Griesbach will guide you through four astrophotography recipes, using only modest equipment. The result will be a heavenly four-course "meal", as we explore various ways to experience the night sky.
See weblink for Zoom and YouTube information
Cost: Free
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Wednesday, 08/21/24 7:00 PM
In-person
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell St. @ Van Ness
San Francisco, CA 94102
Nerd Nite SF #145: Semiconductors, Missing Antimatter and the Mighty American Beaver
This month we're asking the Big Questions:
Where's all the stuff that's supposed to make up the universe?
Can we solve the climate crisis and keep our smartphones?
Could we perhaps solve the climate crisis with help from beavers?
Answers to these questions - and more - will be at our August 21st show!
"The Semiconductor Climate Conundrum"
Speaker: Joe Palazzo, Google
From cars and dishwashers to phones and all things AI, semiconductors are everywhere in most of modern society, and their relationship with the climate is extremely complicated. In 2021, the semiconductor industry accounted for an estimated 500 Megatonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, the same as over 100 million gas cars on the road. But there is potential for positive change and impact. Join Joe Palazzo on his lifelong journey to unpack and share his hope for the complicated relationship between semiconductors and the environment.
"Lopsided Mystery: Searching to Solve the Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry of the Universe"
Speaker: Tessa Johnson
Do you ever think about how we got here? Do those thoughts ever span back to the very first microseconds of the universe after the Big Bang? Before matter formed atoms, and atoms formed stars, and star dust formed planets, and on at least one planet, life evolved enough for you to read these words, some of the antimatter created during the Big Bang must have disappeared. Without this missing antimatter, there would be no stars or planets, and no you - making matter-antimatter asymmetry the ultimate existential problem. Join us on the journeys of scientists trying to figure out the fate of this missing antimatter, spanning from deep underground caverns to the depths of outer space.
"Bringing Back the Beaver!"
Speaker: Samuel Weingast
Symbiotic Restoration partners with beavers to create healthy habitat, fire resilience, and naturally draw down carbon out of the atmosphere. We'll dive into the ins and outs of process based restoration and see how humans can have a powerful effect in rebuilding critical ecosystems.
Get tickets at weblink
Website:
https://sf.nerdnite.com
Cost: $10 advance, $15 at door
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Thursday, 08/22/24 5:00 PM
In-person
The Dutch Goose
3567 Alameda de las Pulgas
Menlo Park, CA 94025
What’s the (dark) Matter with our Universe? Rubin Observatory is on the Case!
Discovering millions of galaxies and unraveling the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy is far out! Join us when SLAC engineer Hannah Pollek will talk about the LSST Camera and how it will help the Vera C. Rubin Observatory catalog the cosmos, creating a decade-long 3D-movie of space. Have a drink, learn about what’s hop-pening in space, and stick around after the talk for some trivia, giveaways and a hands-on activity. It will be out of this world.
Register at weblink
Website:
https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/events/2024-08-22-whats-dark-matter-our-universe-rubin-observatory-case
Cost: Free
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Thursday, 08/22/24 5:30 PM
Livestream
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
NASA’s Mission to Touch the Sun -- Parker Solar Probe - Livestream
![Kelly Korreck]()
What is faster than a speeding bullet? What can fly though turbulence without fastening its seat belt? What can tell us about the origins of our solar system at the same time performing its main mission to understand our closest star? NASA’s Parker Solar Probe! The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft was designed to solve 3 mysteries of the Sun as well as the very practical goal of furthering our understanding of space weather. The talk will cover Parker’s measurements of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs- billions of tons of material hurling through space at millions of miles an hour - part of space weather), as well as recent Venus encounters and a few other surprises that Parker has discovered as the mission gets ready for its closest planned approach in December 2024!
Speaker: Kelly Korreck, NASA Headquarters
Register at weblink
Website:
https://astrosociety.org/get-involved/events/
Cost: Free
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Friday, 08/23/24 5:30 PM
Livestream
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
'Small Town University' - Livestream
Cost: Free
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Friday, 08/23/24 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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As of July 11, 2024, the Foothill Observatory is temporarily closed while we address a number of technical and dome issues.
We hope to be back up and running, and looking at the stars with you again very soon!
Check back for updates, and follow us on the PAS Meetup group:
https://www.meetup.com/peninsula-astronomical-society/
or the PAS website at:
https://pastro.org
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Friday, 08/23/2024 and Saturday 08/24/2024
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.
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Saturday, 08/24/24
07:30 PM - 09:00 PM
In-person and Livestream
East Bay Astronomical Society
Chabot Space & Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd
Classroom 4 formerly knows as Copernicus
Oakland, CA 94619
Space Science Fact vs. Hollywood Space Science-Fiction, What they Get Right and What they Get Wrong
![Star Wars image]()
Much of what we think we know about space comes from film and television, but Hollywood’s job is to entertain more than to educate. In this presentation, Prof. Thomas Targett of Sonoma State university will sort fact from fiction, taking a tour through the worlds of Star Trek, Star Wars, and much more.
Speaker: Thomas Targett, Sonoma State University
Attend in person or online via Facebook
Website:
https://eastbayastro.org/events/
Cost: Free
