Tuesday, 7/23/2024  7PM
In-person and recorded

Mount Diablo Astronomical Society
Lindsay Wildlife Experience
1931 First Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Speaker: Dr. Franck Marchis, SETI
Title:  Stargazing and Beyond: A Global Network of Citizen Astronomers

Website:  https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-view.cfm?Event_ID=133835

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mt+diablo+astronomicalsociety

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Friday, 07/26/24  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,  07/26/2024 and Saturday 07/27/2024
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, 07/27/24
06:00 PM - 07:30 PM

Attend in person or online

Commonwealth Club
110 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105

How Earth Came Alive!

We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth - we are Earth! Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis that supports and is shaped by life.. . .
Join acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr as he reveals a radical new vision of Earth where lush forests spew water, pollen and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea; and humans alter more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis.
Jabr will draw on the work in his new book Becoming Earth, which delves into the hidden workings of our planet and its many lifeforms and invites us to reexamine our place in it. What we do next will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come .

Speaker: Ferris Jabr, author; Jenny Odell, Writer and Artist, Moderator

Website: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-27/how-earth-came-alive-ferris-jabr

Cost:  $22 General, $12 Members in person $10/Free online

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Saturday, 07/27/24  8:30 PM
In-person

Lick Observatory
7299 Mt. Hamilton Rd
Mt. Hamilton, CA 95140

“We are stardust: the story of cosmic alchemy”

Each year Lick Observatory brings world-renown musicians and astronomers to the summit of Mount Hamilton for a musical night to remember.

The event activities include:

• Concert
• Astronomy talk by world-renowned scientists
• Viewing through the historic 36-inch Great Lick Refractor telescope
• Viewing through the 40-inch Nickel Reflector telescope
• Astronomy discussions with amateur astronomers and viewing through small telescopes
Dr. Sanjana Curtis is currently working on many interesting problems in astrophysics - supernovae, merging compact objects (e.g. neutron stars), and the origin of the chemical elements. Her primary motivation is to understand how fundamental forces and particles interact under extreme conditions. She utilizes both theoretical and computational methods for her research.
 
Dr. Curtis is an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Astronomy at UC Berkeley. Before joining Berkeley, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago. She has lived and worked in India, the Netherlands, and all four US time zones. She also is a science communicator, publishing articles in popular science magazines such as Scientific American.
Speaker: Sanjana Curtis, UC Berkeley

Artist: Jimbo Scott

Tickets go on sale April 17 at Noon.

Website: https://www.lickobservatory.org/events/music-of-the-spheres/mos-2024-07-27/

Cost:  $60 General, $99 Preferred, $129 Preferred+

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Saturday, 07/27/24
09:00 PM - 11:00 PM
In-person

Rancho Cañada Del Oro Open Space Preserve
4289 Casa Loma Rd
Morgan hill, CA 95037

Starry Nights Star Party

The San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA), working with the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA), is glad to co-host a public star party at Rancho Canada del Oro (RCDO) Open Space Preserve. This site, just 30 minutes south of downtown San Jose, features dark skies. It's dark enough to see the band of our Milky Way galaxy in the summer.

Do not bring your own telescope (binoculars are welcome, but please no tripods). SJAA club members will set up their telescopes to help star party guests get the most knowledge and enjoyment out of the dark night sky.

Website: https://www.meetup.com/sj-astronomy/events/300804185/

Cost: Free

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Saturday, July 27, 2024
Sunset: 8:21 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/