Wednesday, 09/04/24
05:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Livestream

Watch on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@aotsatx

Watch on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=aot%20satx

Astronomy on Tap

Astronomy on Tap San Antonio #47 - Two talks about Space Weather - Livestream

We are excited to hear from Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Robert Ebert: Space Weather Report: Making SWiPS: The Solar Wind Monitor for NOAA’s Space Weather Mission, SWOF-L1 and The University of Texas at San Antonio PhD Candidate Kim Moreland: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sun - Inside NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center

Website: https://astronomyontap.org/event/aotsatx-47-space-weather-report-making-swips-the-solar-wind-monitor-for-noaas-space-weather-mission-swof-l1-unlocking-the-secrets-of-the-sun-inside-noaas-space-weather-prediction-center/

Cost:  Free

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Thursday, 09/05/24
04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
In-person

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley
2200 University Drive
Berkeley, CA 94720

What is 'Oppenheimer' Good For? Panel Conversation and Q&A

Join us for a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary panel and Q&A discussion about the film Oppenheimer. We’ll hear from historians, physicists, and a filmmaker about Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award??"winning film. Reception to follow.

• Panelist: Dmitri Brown, Assistant Professor of History, UC Berkeley
• Panelist: Cathryn Carson, Professor and Chair of History, UC Berkeley
• Panelist: Jon Else, Professor Emeritus of the Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley
• Panelist: Yasunori Nomura, Professor of Physics and Director of the Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, UC Berkeley
• Panelist: Kyoko Sato, Associate Director of Science, Technology, and Society, Stanford University
• Moderator: Steven Kahn, Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Presenter: Benjamin Hermalin, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, UC Berkeley

Register at weblink

Website: https://events.berkeley.edu/otsp/event/252709-on-the-same-page-presents-what-is-oppenheimer-good-fo

Cost:  Free

There are also free screenings of Oppenheimer at 5PM, Wed. Sept.4 and 1PM, Sun. Sept. 8 at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive but are only open to UC Berkeley students, staff, and faculty. If you are one of those, you will be admitted with the proper ID.

https://events.berkeley.edu/BAMPFA/event/254388-free-uc-berkeley-film-screening-oppenheimer

and

https://events.berkeley.edu/BAMPFA/event/254389-free-uc-berkeley-film-screening-oppenheimer

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Thursday, 09/05/24  4:00 PM
Livestream

Skeptical Inquirer

The Elections and the Supreme Court: On the Brink of the Total Collapse of Science and Secularism - Livestream

Today’s religious right wing and their enablers on the Supreme Court are not just poised to abolish the separation of church and state; they seem determined to repeal all modern progress made by humanity in the past 300 years by repealing the very Enlightenment itself.
Join us for our final Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream of 2024. Our guest will be Edward Tabash, a respected constitutional lawyer and chair of the CFI Board of Directors. The Center for Inquiry does not support or oppose candidates for political office. However, we can both legally and scientifically discuss the likely consequences of more religious right-wing extremist judges on the Supreme Court and the federal appellate and trial courts??"consequences that would be dangerous and far-reaching.

Register at weblink

Website: https://skepticalinquirer.org/video/the-elections-and-the-supreme-court-on-the-brink-of-the-total-collapse-of-science-and-secularism-edward-tabash/

Cost:  Free

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Thursday, 09/05/24
06:00 PM - 10:00 PM
In-person

ExplOratorium
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street) 
San Francisco, CA 94111

After Dark: Out There

From icy moons to asteroids, outer space holds many wonders and unknowns. This After Dark invites you to get inquisitive about the vastness above with our partners at NASA??"learn more about the Europa Clipper Mission, which will send a spacecraft to investigate Jupiter’s moon, and a study on asteroid threat assessment to Earth. Then keep exploring with our exhibits on astronomy and space sciences, including mesmerizing artworks that evoke aerial views of planets from space.

Ages 18+

Website: https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calendar/after-dark-out-there

Cost: $22.95, Free for members

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Friday, 09/06/24
06:00 PM - 10:00 PM
In-person

Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd
Oakland, CA 94619

First Friday: Sci Fi

Think you got what you've got what it takes to be a main character in a Sci-Fi movie adventure? This First Friday, grab your hoverbike and head to Chabot Space and Science Center, where adventure awaits. Explore the science behind the fiction with special guest speakers, design your own spacesuit with Spaceship Runway, and groove to live music in the Pleiades Courtyard. See you there, astronaut!

Website: https://chabotspace.org/calendar/first-friday-sci-fi/

Cost:  $10 General, $5 <12, srs, stdnt, Free for Members

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Friday, 09/06/24
07:30 PM - 08:30 PM
Livestream

YouTube:  boi.st/astrobroncoslive.

SETI Institute

First Friday Astronomy: Stargazing and Beyond: A Global Network of Citizen Astronomers - Livestream

Dr. Franck Marchis, Senior Astronomer and Director of Citizen Science at the SETI Institute and Chief Science Officer and co-founder at Unistellar, will present: “Stargazing and Beyond: A Global Network of Citizen Astronomers”.

The event is free and open to the public.

For those that cannot attend in person, the lecture will be live-streamed on YouTube at boi.st/astrobroncoslive. Those attending the live-stream are welcome and encouraged to ask questions via chat.

Website: https://www.seti.org/event/first-friday-astronomy-stargazing-and-beyond-global-network-citizen-astronomers

Cost:  Free

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Friday, 09/06/24  8:00 PM, Pizza at 7PM in the ISC Room
In-person

San Mateo Co. Astronomical Society
CSM Planetarium
College of San Mateo Bldg 36
1700 W Hillsdale Rd
San Mateo, CA 94402

The Future of Mars Helicopters

Ingenuity has shown that flying in the Martian atmosphere is possible, and that helicopters can provide critical insight and support to ground-based assets. Though Ingenuity was designed for five flights, to date, 66 flights have been completed with ~119 min of flight time and ~9 miles flown. What would it take for an Ingenuity-class helicopter to help return the first samples from Mars to Earth? To start, it would include the smallest robotic arm ever flown on Mars, more capable rotors, a driving system, and flight software upgrades. The Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters are in development to provide back up to the Perseverance rover as part of the Mars Sample Return mission concept. Come hear about the work required to quickly transition a helicopter design from a technology demonstrator to a flying, driving, sample collecting capable vehicle and the potential future of rotorcraft on Mars!

Speaker: Shannah Withrow, NASA Ames Research Center

Website: https://smcas.net/events/speakers/shannah-withrow/

Cost:  Free

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Friday, 09/06/24  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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Saturday, 09/07/24
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, 09/07/24
01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
In-person

Roxie Theater
3117 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Documentary Film Screening & Discussion - Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience(2024)

Film screening followed by an audience discussion with Director George Csicsery & University of San Francisco Associate Professor Of Mathematics & Statistics, Dr. Emille Davie Lawrence, featured in the film. 

Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience is part one of two films produced by Zala Films as part of the Journeys of Black Mathematicians project (https://www.jbmfilm.com). Forging Resilience traces the evolution of a culture of Black scholars, scientists and educators. The film follows the stories of prominent pioneers, showing how the challenges they faced and their triumphs are reflected in the experiences of today’s working Black mathematicians. Their mathematical descendants in turn are contemporary college students, and K-12 children across the U.S. who are learning that they belong in mathematics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). 

Co-presented by San Francisco State University Mathematics Department & the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath).

Website: https://roxie.com/film/journeys-of-black-mathematicians/

Cost:  $15 General, $12 Seniors and under 12

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Friday,  09/06/2024 and Saturday 09/07/2024
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, September 07, 2024
Sunset: 7:28 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/

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Saturday, 09/07/24
08:00 PM - 10:00 PM
In-person

College of San Mateo Bldg 36
1700 W Hillsdale Rd
San Mateo, CA 94402

Jazz Under the Stars

Jazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us in building 36 on the 4th floor observatory for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own KCSM 91.1. Founded in 1964, KCSM has grown to become one of the top 35 most listened to non-commercial stations in the US. With their help, the Astronomy department at CSM opens its observatory doors and balcony, for a night of science and fun! We operate for public viewing 8” dobsonian telescopes, prefect for viewing the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. We also have a 140mm refractor, with which we view the craters on the moon. Finally, our 11’ schmidt-cassegrain is for our deep sky needs. It can peer deep into globular clusters, and nebulae. Occasionally we even have the chance to image galaxies on our 20" telescope. Our astronomers will also be available for questions and conversation, which you wouldn’t get anywhere else! Feel free to ask us your questions about the cosmos. Don't miss out, join us at our next Jazz Under the Stars!
*Weather in the bay area is notoriously hard to predict, and often the sources we use don't get it correct. Before leaving you home, be sure to check this webpage. If we are to cancel it will be posted here at least a few hours before the start of the event.*

Website: https://collegeofsanmateo.edu/astronomy/observatory.asp

Cost:  Free