Mount Hamilton Road (CA Hwy 130) is closed between Three Springs Road and Quimby Road for road repairs, and will remain closed until repairs are completed (November 2023). Visitors driving from San Jose will need to take Quimby Road, which is narrower and steeper than Mount Hamilton Road. Please drive carefully.
Event Information

Evening with the Stars. Photo (c) Laurie Hatch.

August 11th, 2023  8:00pm

Astronomy Speaker:  Dr. Andy Skemer

Lecture Information

Dr. Andy Skemer (UC Santa Cruz)

The First Year of Exoplanet Discoveries with the James Webb Space Telescope

Dr. Andy Skemer

The James Webb Space Telescope began science observations during the summer of 2022.  Prof. Andy Skemer will take a look back at the first year of scientific discoveries, with a particular emphasis on exoplanets—planets that orbit other stars besides our Sun.  James Webb is able to study exoplanets using the Direct Imaging Technique and the Transiting Exoplanet technique.  Both methods allow us to study the compositions of exoplanets in extraordinary detail.  Over JWST’s lifetime, it will search for atmospheres on rocky planets, water clouds on gas-giant planets, and allow us to learn about new types of worlds that don’t exist in our own Solar System.

Andy Skemer is an Associate Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.  He is the US lead of the James Webb Early Release Science Program for Exoplanet Imaging.  He is also leading the development of SCALES, a new exoplanet imaging instrument under construction for Keck Observatory.

Ticket Information

Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite starting May 8th, 2023 at Noon.

Join Friends of Lick Observatory (FoLO) and Get Tickets Early
If you’d like to purchase tickets as early as noon on April 27th, 2023, join our Friends of Lick Observatory (FoLO) program by March 1st, 2023. As a thank you for supporting the observatory, you’ll get special access to purchase tickets before they go on sale for the general public.

More information about tickets and pricing is available here.

Program Information

7:00 pm Doors Open Brief Telescope Visits
8:00 pm Science Talk, Lecture Hall History Talk, Great Refractor Telescope Dome
9:00 pm Science Talk (repeated), Lecture Hall Telescope Viewings
10:00 pm History Talk (repeated), Lecture Hall Telescope Viewings
12:30 am Doors Close

Gift shop is open from 7:30pm until 11:30pm.

Detailed Event Program

More general information about the event is available at Evening with the Stars.

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