What exactly is an electron--is it a tiny particle, a wave, or something else entirely? What does quantum mechanics really tell us about the nature of an electron? Join us for our next Stargazing Lecture on August 21st. outreach.astro.caltech.edu

Want to learn about the Moon from someone who has been there? We hosted Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt this week for a presentation on geology. Dr. Schmitt is a Caltech alum ('57) and one of the four surviving people who have walked on the Moon. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA7W...

How can black holes serve as cosmic fossils, revealing the lives of the massive stars that created them billions of years ago? Floor Broekgaarden, astrophysicist at UC San Diego discussed this topic at Astronomy on Tap! Her presentation is on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzn5...

Caltech will be hosting astronaut and statesman Harrison Schmitt on Tuesday, August 4 @ 2PM. Dr. Schmitt served as the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 17 and is one of the four surviving people to have walked on the Moon. For more information, see: outreach.astro.caltech.edu

What can an x-ray view of the sky tell us about dark energy and how the universe evolved over billions of years? Last month we hosted Esra Bulbul, the lead cosmologist working on the eROSITA x-ray mission, to discuss the mission and relevant science at our Astronomy on Tap event.

NASA's Roman Space Telescope launches in a month. Last week, NASA scientist Lee Armus joined us to talk about the mission and its science goals, from exoplanet direct imaging to studying the nature of dark matter and dark energy! His presentation is now up on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGVa...

Do you like national parks and astronomy? Join us in two weeks at Lassen National Park for a weekend of astronomy. There will be guided stargazing with telescopes, constellation tours, and presentations from NASA+Caltech scientists! www.nps.gov/lavo/planyou...

How do black holes literally tear apart stars? What causes the Sun to erupt and send material into space? Join us Monday, August 3rd at 7:30PM at our next Astronomy on Tap. Science, telescopes, pub trivia--all for free! outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

What goes on inside of a star cluster? What happens to black holes that form there? We recently hosted Professor Kyle Kremer to describe the extreme conditions in these dense environments and their consequences. Now up on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYAB...

We helped host the City of Astronomy Science Festival last month, featuring lots of science activities over a Sunday afternoon. It was magical with over 2000 attendees, including Mayor Gordo and Congresswoman Chu. For more information, see: www.cityofastronomy.org/about

Is there significant evidence for extraterrestrial life? What do scientists think about aliens? We recently hosted Dr. Tom Rice, Professor of Physics at George Washington University as he discussed this exciting topic. Now up on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/jt7ObvfM0xI

NASA is launching its next great observatory, the Roman Space Telescope in September 2026. What will it do? What new discoveries is it expected to make? Join us for our next Stargazing Lecture from Senior Research Scientist Dr. Lee Armus to learn more! outreach.astro.caltech.edu

How were galaxies discovered right here in Los Angeles at the Mt. Wilson Observatory? What causes gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe? Join us Monday, July 13th at 7:30PM at our next Astronomy on Tap. outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

How can we find the darkest skies in the USA, and what can we do to preserve them? Stephen Hummel, Director of Dark Sky Preservation at McDonald Observatory gave our 150th Astronomy on Tap event last month on this important topic. Now on our YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiKw...

Interested in learning about what exists in the emptiness of space? Dr. Stella Ocker gave a great Stargazing Lecture last week on this topic to a packed auditorium. Her presentation is now up on our YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/live/j1D5PgC...

What's going on in the center of our Milky Way? Our 150th Astronomy on Tap featured Prof. Cara Battersby from UConn discussing her research on star formation in the galactic center. Now on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoAX...

What fills the seemingly empty void between the stars? And how can mysterious cosmic beacons help us uncover the structure of the invisible universe? Join us for our next Stargazing Lecture on Friday, June 26 to learn more. In-person and live-streamed! outreach.astro.caltech.edu

Our City of Astronomy Science Festival takes place this Sunday (June 14) at the Pasadena Convention Center 1-5PM. Come join us for a family-friendly afternoon of science demonstrations, solar telescopes, and public presentations, all for FREE! www.cityofastronomy.org/astrofest2026

How can we study black holes as cosmic fossils? What can we learn about black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs in star clusters? Join us Wed, June 17th for our 3rd Astronomy on Tap of the week featuring telescopes, pub trivia, music, and science! outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

What does the night sky look like in x-rays and why? Do professional astronomers think aliens actually exist and why? Join us at 7:30PM Tuesday, June 16th for a very special Astronomy on Tap to discuss these questions for our 10th anniversary! Free to all! outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

How does gas form into stars in the center of our Milky Way? How can we best experience and preserve dark skies in an age of light? Join us at 7:30PM Monday, June 15th for our 150th Astronomy on Tap (and the first of three this week)! outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

Join us for a FREE afternoon of science demonstrations, solar telescopes, and public-level presentations on black holes, exoplanets, galaxies, and more. Come learn about space with scientists from Caltech, NASA JPL, Carnegie, LIGO, etc. More info at: www.cityofastronomy.org

How do can we photograph black holes and dark matter? Professor Katie Bouman joined us last week for an outstanding Stargazing Lecture explaining how scientists are utilizing AI to help take images of exotic astrophysical phenomena. Now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZIe...

The NASA Artemis II mission recently visited the Moon. We hosted Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, one of the navigation engineers for the Artemis II mission to discuss the mission and what it was like behind the scenes. Now on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDc...

How do scientists use AI, physics, and telescope observations to "photograph" black holes and dark matter? Join us for a lecture by Professor Katie Bouman, who helped take the first picture of a black hole. outreach.astro.caltech.edu

Why did a lunar lander payload put a hole in the Moon? We hosted Roshan Misra from Honeybee Robotics last week to discuss his team's LISTER instrument that put a hole in the Moon. His talk is now up on our YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/watch?v=dddB... Photos by Robb Rosenfeld.

Caltech Astro scientists recently contributed to the Night of Ideas at the Wende Museum, featuring solar telescopes, solar s'mores, and a presentation by Dr. Joanna Piotrowska on black holes. Thanks for hosting us, Villa Albertine! Photo Credit: Tag Christof

What happened behind the scenes on Artemis II's recent journey to the Moon? Why did a recent lunar lander leave a hole on the lunar surface? Join us Monday, April 27th at 7:30PM as we discuss these topics and more at our next Astronomy on Tap. outreach.astro.caltech.edu

Last month, we participated in the Great Orion Dark Sky Festival near Death Valley NP. We hosted solar demos and solar telescopes, astrophysicist Q&A panels, and astronomy presentations by Dr. Cameron Hummels on black holes, galaxies, and the formation of the solar system.

Last month, we teamed up with Ventura College to host two days of public astronomy lectures and telescope sessions. Dr. Cameron Hummels gave presentations on galaxies and black holes, and put on solar observing sessions and a star party.