Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences

We’re delighted to relaunch our Benjamin Dean Astronomy Lecture Seriesonline! Our first talk will feature Suzanne Smrekar from NASA’s Jet propulsion Laboratory, describing the future mission to Venus that just got approved! It takes place this coming Monday, 14 June, at 7:30 p.m. Pacific on (where else?) Zoom. More information here: morrisonpla.net/dean-jun2021

Throwback Thursday: Morrison Planetariums projector build team (the Bunton Bunch), circa 1952. Front (l-r): CAS Director Robert Miller, technician Fred Lehman, team leader G Dallas Hanna, projector designer Albert Getten, optical technician Frances Greeby, Morrison Director George Bunton. Back (l-r): staff astronomer Leon Salanave, technicians Alvin Gundred, Herb Jow, Raymond Greeby. Bottom image: Leon Salanave operates the classic star projector (note the Golden Gate Bridge towers on the horizon behind him).

Live from our Morrison Planetarium: Go faster than the speed of light to explore the farthest reaches of the known Universe! It's an experience unlike any other thanks to NASA’s OpenSpace software, so tune in to tour the Digital Universe with planetarium audiencesand get your astronomy questions answered in real-time just by leaving them in comments.

An annular solar eclipse occurs tomorrow! Observers in the northeast will see only a partial eclipse at dawn, but along a narrow path that extends from Hudson Bay to southern Baffin Island and northern Greenland into Siberia, the Sun will appear as an annulus, or bright ring. This is the only eclipse of the 21st century whose path crosses directly over the north pole. Remember, if youre located where it can be seen, observe safely, using proper eye protection! timeanddate.com/eclipse/globe/2021-june-10

What lurks beneath the rocky surface? Last week we showed you how our artists were able to recreate a rock from the Atacama desert for our upcoming Living Worlds planetarium show. Now, with a work-in-progress shot, we’ll take you into their rocky depths to see the microbial life that inhabits these unusual environments.

The largest gathering of astronomers in the world is taking place this weekvirtually, of course! Join The Spacewriter Carolyn Collins Petersen and Morrison Planetarium Director Ryan Wyatt for this week’s Cosmic Conversation about cutting-edge announcements from the American Astronomical Society meeting.

Join us on Facebook Live for a quick glimpse of the current night sky. What planets are visible? What phase is the Moon in? What stars can you see, and how does the sky change through the night? This is a great way to preview the night sky and ask your stargazing questions!

For this week’s Cosmic Conversation, join Morrison Planetarium staff in celebrating the reopening of the Academyalbeit without our beloved theater open to the public! Take a behind-the-scenes tour of a very empty dome and learn about some of the free software we use both inside the dome and out. Friday at 11:30 a.m. Pacific here on Facebook Live or on OpenSpace Project's YouTube.

Join us for an online version of our Hohfeld Hall interactive program Shine and Seek! Before the program, grab a flashlight and some toys you have around your home. We'll start with storytime and read Moonbear's Shadow by Frank Asch. Then we'll use our flashlights and toys to explore how shadows change during the day, and see if we can make some funny shadows ourselves at home! This program is designed for the kids ages 2-7, but all are welcome! Free and open to the public. Shine and Seek was created in partnership with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. For more storytime and activities be sure to check out their Live Storytime series: http://astrosociety.org/storytime.

Do you love space? Come and join a California Academy of Sciences Morrison Planetarium presenter on a wander through our Solar System and beyond. Come ready with your questions about planets or astronomy in general! Explore with us in this Facebook live presentation using Openspace software, which you can use in your own home! Check it out here: https://www.openspaceproject.com/... If you cannot join us on Facebook, check us out on the OpenSpace YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft touched down on asteroid Bennu today, in an attempt to collect a surface sample for return to Earth. No images are expected until tomorrow, perhaps during the post-touchdown briefing at 2:00 p.m. Pacific. Here’s a 360 video simulating how it’s thought to have gone! youtube.com/watch?v=KGdooPr8XfI

This week from the Dean Lecture archives we have Amy Mainzer on tracking Near Earth Objects, such as asteroids and comets. Today’s video is a little differentit features footage and visualizations from NASA and our own planetarium and visualization studio teams. And stay tuned for more from Dr. Mainzer! She’ll be joining us next Friday for a Cosmic Conversation here on Facebook Live...

Join us for a virtual version of Moon Explorers, normally presented live in Hohfeld Hall at the California Academy of Sciences. In this interactive presentation we'll explore the many shapes the Moon makes in the sky, then fly like astronauts to visit the Moon ourselves, all from the comfort of our own homes! Come ready with all your burning Moon-related ideas and questions. This live 20-minute presentation is designed for children 5 and under, but all ages are welcome.