Stargazing Lecture

Stargazing is dependent on clear weather, but lecture and Q&A happen regardless. Event will occur in-person, with lecture and Q&A additionally live-streamed on YouTube.

For remote viewers, the event will be live-streamed here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/p6aujkzDrQg

8:00–8:45 p.m. - Public Lecture
8:45–9:45 p.m. - Panel Q&A and Guided Stargazing

Earth and the other planets in our Solar System were born 4.5 billion years ago out of a disk of dust and gas orbiting our infant Sun. Some of the big open questions in this field are how, where, and when that dust coalesced into what became the precursor objects to our planets and then the planets themselves. Answering these questions requires a multi-pronged approach: we look at planetary systems like ours forming around other stars to see this process in action, and we study the leftover fragments from this time period in our own Solar System: asteroids and meteorites. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and other observatories, we can identify the detailed composition of asteroids, which are made up of the same materials that formed our planets long ago. Such observations give us a new window into the early history of our Solar System.


About the Series

Stargazing Lectures are free lectures at a public level followed by a Q&A panel and guided stargazing with telescopes (weather permitting). All events are held at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech and are free and open to all. No reservations are needed. Lectures are 30 minutes; stargazing and panel Q&A last 60 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.

Stargazing is only possible with clear skies, but the lecture and panel Q&A take place regardless of weather.

For directions, weather updates, and more information, please visit: http://outreach.astro.caltech.edu.