Tuesday, 07/30/24
07:00 PM - 08:30 PM
In-person

Hopmonk Tavern
Session Room
224 Vintage Way
Novato, CA 94945

Wonderfest: Black Holes, and the Tech to Find Them

The nearest black hole lurks 1,500 light-years from Earth (~ 10 quadrillion miles!), and it neither emits nor reflects light. How can we possibly detect - far less investigate - such wondrous holes in the fabric of spacetime? High-precision astrometry is the key: adaptive optics allow ground-based telescopes to see through our turbulent atmosphere using ordinary light, and space telescopes provide high-resolution images in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Today, high technology affords astronomers many ways to discover and explore the intriguing space around black hole singularities.

Speaker: Jessica Lu, UC Berkeley

Website: https://wonderfest.org/black-hole-tech/

Cost:  Free

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Thursday, 08/01/24
07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

Register to attend in person, or watch on YouTube (see weblink)

Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Public Lecture Series
2575 Sand Hill Road, Building 51
Kavli Auditorium
Menlo Park, CA 94025

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/tX80-4SA9E8

Radio Axion: Tuning in to the Dark Matter Airwaves 

We observe that 85% of the matter in the universe is in the form of invisible "dark matter" -- but we still do not know what this dark matter is. My favorite dark matter candidate is an "axion" - a hypothetical particle suggested by the problem of explaining the fundamental symmetries of the nuclear forces. The axion has a very small mass compared to other suggested dark matter particles. In an experiment, it would behave more like a wave than a particle. So, to discover axions, we are using a method completely different from those of other dark matter searches. In the SLAC experiments ADMX and Dark Matter Radio, we are building ultra-low-noise radio receivers, immersed in high magnetic fields, to identify the axion as a new radio band coming in from the cosmos. If we discover the axion, any high school physics class will be able to tune in to the axion airwaves.

Speaker: Chelsea Bartram, SLAC

Website: https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/events/2024-08-01-radio-axion-tuning-dark-matter-airwaves
Cost:  Free

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Friday, 08/02/24  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/

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Friday,  08/02/2024 and Saturday 08/03/2024
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, 08/03/24
12:00 PM - 03:00 PM

In-person

Nike Missle Site
Field Rd
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Nike Missile Site Veteran Open House

Veterans of the Nike program come to the site to share their stories with visitors and give guided tours of SF88 between the hours of 12pm - 3pm 

The SF-88 Nike Missile Site is the most fully restored Nike missile site in the country. During the tense years of the Cold War, from 1953 to 1979, the United States Army built and operated close to 300 Nike missile sites in the United States. These sites were designed to be the last line of defense against H-Bomb carrying Soviet bombers that had eluded the Air Force’s interceptor jet aircrafts. SF-88 in the Marin Headlands was one such site. Today, Golden Gate National Recreation Area works together with a dedicated group of volunteers to preserve the site as it was during operations to remind visitors of the physical and psychological effects of the Cold War on the American landscape.

Website: https://www.parksconservancy.org/events/marin-headlands-point-bonita/nike-missile-site-veteran-open-house

Cost:  Free

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Saturday, August 03, 2024
Sunset: 8:14 PM
In-person

San Mateo Co. Astronomical Society
Crestview Park
1000 Crestview Drive 
San Carlos, CA

Public Star Parties at Crestview Park in San Carlos

SMCAS and the City of San Carlos Parks Department host a public star party at Crestview Park in San Carlos twice a month when there is a new moon.  Members set up telescopes and let the public view and share their knowledge of the night sky all for Free.  All ages are welcome.  If you have kids interested in space or science, bring them here for a real time view of planets, nebula, star clusters, and galaxies.

If you are a Non-member and own a telescope, bring it to share!  Experts are available if you need assistance or have questions about buying a telescope.

Telescope setup begins at sunset and observing starts one hour after sunset.  In the event of inclement weather (rain, clouds, fog, or high winds) the star party will be cancelled.  Because each astronomer makes his or her own decision about bringing their telescope, there is no official cancellation notice. 

Crestview Park is located at 1000 Crestview Drive in San Carlos

Website: https://smcas.net/events/star-parties/crestview-park/