Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Explore the Wonders of the Universe
2012 ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS
our 24th season on the mountain
| April 21 8:30pm | Dr. Alex Filippenko, UC Bekeley Dept of Astronomy “The May 2012 Annular Solar Eclipse, the June 2012 Transit of Venus, and the Search for Transiting Exoplanets” Be prepared to observe two exciting upcoming celestial events and learn their connection to the search for planets orbiting other stars. |
| May 26 8:30pm | Krisstina Wilmoth, NASA-Ames Research Center “Sustainability Base” NASA is using lessons and innovations from space exploration to build the government’s greenest building on Earth. Sustainability Base will be an evolving exemplar for the future of buildings. |
| June 23 8:30pm | Dr. Michael Kuhlen, UC BerkeleyTheoretical Astrophysics Center “The Milky Way as a Dark Matter Laboratory” Over the next decade, a combination of astronomical observations and particle physics experiments hold great promise to finally shed light on the nature of dark matter. |
| July 21 8:30pm | Dr. David J. Des Marais, NASA-Ames Research Center “Astrobiology Investigates Life in the Context of Space” How does life begin and evolve? Does life exist beyond Earth? What is our future, here and beyond? Research and space exploration effectively pursue these questions in inspiring ways. |
| August 18 8:30pm | Ransom W. Stephens, Ph.D. “The Reality Interface” Every emotion, memory, concept-however abstract or concrete, everything you know is derived from your five senses. Learn how the brain processes sensory data and affects your perceptions of reality. |
| Sept 22 7:30pm | Dr. Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer Seti Institute "What Happens if We Find ET?" Searches for signals from intelligent extraterrestrials are getting better as technology improves. So a signal might be discovered in your lifetime. But then what? Would you be told, and would it be dangerous? |
| Oct 20 7:00pm |
Dr. Chris McKay NASA-Ames Research Center |
Immediately following each month's lecture, the audience is invited to remain in the Mountain Theater for a brief Night Sky Tour by the Urban Astronomer, highlighting the prominent constellations, stars and planets visible in the night time sky, before enjoying the observing session (starparty) conducted by the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers in the Rock Springs parking lot.
To print the 2012 schedule. click here.
For 2010 schedule, click here.