Non-Planetarium

Talk with Gerald McKeegan Friday, August 7 8-9 p.m. Join astronomer Gerald McKeegan for an update on space news, followed by a no-math lesson in orbital mechanics. He'll explain how NASA plans the flight path for sending spacecraft to Mars, and why it takes so long to get there. Calculators not required! RSVP on Facebook […]

What's happening in the sky this month? Friday, August 14 8-9 p.m. Free Join Chabot's astronomers, with Gerald McKeegan & Don Saito on Facebook Live for a short tour of this month's nighttime sky. Learn to recognize many of this month's constellations and bright stars, and even learn a little about celestial navigation! RSVP on […]

Take a look back through more than 135 years of Oakland history! Wednesday, August 19 8-9 p.m. Watch on Facebook Watch on Zoom Zoom Passcode: 588124 Chabot Space & Science Center has very old roots in Oakland and the East Bay, and no fewer than three incarnations as a student and public observatory and science […]

Friday, August 21 8-9 p.m. Join us as we celebrate our 20th anniversary at our Skyline campus! RSVP on Zoom RSVP on Facebook   This August, Chabot Space & Science Center is celebrating is 137th birthday and 20th anniversary at its Skyline location. Join us as we celebrate these milestones virtually with a one-of-a-kind star […]

Talk by Faride Khalaf Friday, September 4 8-9 p.m. Free on Facebook LiveWe are taking a special camping trip to Earth's moon! Join us on Facebook Live as we imagine extreme camping excursions at Camp Luna.  What goes through the mind when leaving the comforts of home and dramatically changing our environment, traveling a great […]

What's happening in the sky this month? Friday, September 11 8-9 p.m. Free Join Chabot's astronomers, with Gerald McKeegan & Don Saito on Facebook Live for a short tour of this month's nighttime sky. Learn to recognize many of this month's constellations and bright stars, and even learn a little about celestial navigation! RSVP on […]

Friday, September 18 8-9 p.m. Free on Facebook Live Join us for our monthly virtual hike with Naturalists from the East Bay Regional Park District. As the summer fog gives way to the crisper dry autumn, the redwood forest is in transition. Learn about how this seasonal change affects the lives of the redwood forest […]

    Talk with Dr. Megan Bruck Syal and Dr. Mary Burkey- Lawrence Livermore National Lab Friday, September 25 8-9 p.m. Free on Facebook Live Our planet has been continually bombarded by asteroids since its formation, 4.5 billion years ago. While the frequency of large impacts has decreased, many potential Near-Earth Object (NEO) threats remain […]

Talk with Brian Day, Deputy Staff Scientist at NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Saturday, September 26 7-8 p.m. Fifty years ago we were in the midst of human exploration of the Moon through the Apollo program. In this presentation, we will look back at each of the Apollo landing sites, why they were […]

Saturday, September 26 9-10:30 p.m. Free on Facebook Live Join us for a special Virtual Telescope Viewing with our resident astronomers. We will go on a guided tour of the Moon for International Observe the Moon Night!   About International Observe the Moon Night International Observe the Moon Night is an annual worldwide public event […]

Friday, October 2 7-8 p.m. Free on Facebook Live Did you know that bats are the only mammals that fly? It’s true. Learn about the bats of northern California from the experts from the East Bay Regional Park District. We will learn how they use echolocation to find food, why they come out at night, […]

Tuesday, October 13 7-8 p.m. Free on Facebook Live We’ve all be stuck at home recently, so what better way to escape than taking a cruise to the center of the Milky Way! Our luxury space liner will speed us out of the solar system with barely a nod to the laws of physics, and […]

What's happening in the sky this month? Friday, October 16 8-9 p.m. Free Chabot Space & Science Center and Oaklandside are teaming up for a special tour of the October nighttime sky. Learn about this month’s constellations and bright stars with Chabot’s astronomers and Oaklandside community reporter Azucena Rasilla. Together, we will discuss what’s new […]

Friday, October 30th 7-8 p.m. Free on Facebook Live & YouTube If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Scientists! Join us on Facebook Live for our variety show all about spooky science. Tune in for exciting science demos led by our Galaxy Explorers, learn how to make your own Halloween candy […]

Saturday, October 31 9-10:30 p.m. Free on Facebook Live Join us for a special, spooky virtual telescope viewing on Halloween night! This Halloween, we are celebrating a sight that only comes around once in a Blue Moon. The last time we had a Full Moon on Halloween was in 2001, and this year is extra […]

What's happening in the sky this month? Friday, November 13 7-8 p.m. Free Join Chabot's astronomers, with Gerald McKeegan & Don Saito on Facebook Live for a short tour of this month's nighttime sky. Learn to recognize many of this month's constellations and bright stars, and even learn a little about celestial navigation!   How […]

Talk by Dr. Margaret Race, Sr. Research Scientist SETI Institute Tuesday, November 17 7-8 p.m. Free on YouTube and Facebook Humankind has always dreamt of traveling to new places and exploring new frontiers.  When the Pilgrims' arrived in the New World on wooden sailing ships in the 1600's, they celebrated the first Thanksgiving with Native […]

Talk by Ben Burress Friday, November 20 7-8 p.m. Free on YouTube and Facebook Live Long before a rocket carried the first person into space, people journeyed to the Moon, Mars, and other worlds on flights of fancy—imaginative voyages of fictional storytelling. Beyond entertaining us, science fiction tales have sometimes foreshadowed real events of space […]

Talk by Faride Khalaf Friday, December 4 7 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Above our life sustaining atmosphere resides an international team of scientists living onboard an orbiting complex we know as the International Space Station (ISS).  The ISS is the crowning achievement of many nations. It symbolizes a new beginning in the exploration […]

Talk by Dr. Franck Marchis, Senior Planetary Astronomer at the SETI Institute Tuesday, December 8 7-8 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Exoplanets are everywhere. Astronomers have discovered more 4,000 of them and today we know that in average each star in our galaxy has 2 planets! Among them, 300 million could be habitable. That’s […]

What's happening in the sky this month? Friday, December 18 7-8 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Join Chabot's astronomers, with Gerald McKeegan & Don Saito on Facebook Live for a short tour of this month's nighttime sky. Learn to recognize many of this month's constellations and bright stars, and even learn a little about […]

Monday, December 21 5-6 p.m. Free, Watch On Facebook and YouTube Join Chabot astronomers virtually on Facebook and YouTube for a rare celestial event! Every 20 years, Jupiter gets very close to Saturn as seen from Earth, an event astronomers call "conjunction." This year, the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will be especially close, the closest in 800 […]

Virtual Telescope Viewings will take a holiday break on 12/26, but we look forward to viewing the cosmos with you in the New Year! Every Saturday 9-10:30 p.m. Free on Facebook Live and YouTube Join our resident astronomers on Facebook Live and YouTube every Saturday evening live from Chabot’s Observation deck! Each week, our astronomers […]

What's happening in the sky this month? Friday, February 12 7-8 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Join Chabot's astronomers for a short tour of this month's nighttime sky. Learn to recognize many of this month's constellations and bright stars, and even learn a little about celestial navigation! Your Support Matters Your support fuels exciting […]

Fasten your seat belts – this is going to be a bumpy ride! Tuesday, January 19 7-8 p.m. Free, Watch on Facebook and YouTube  In 2020, we took a cruise to the center of the Milky Way.  In 2021, we leave the comfort of our home galaxy and head to the Times Square of the […]

Talk by Gerald McKeegan   Friday, January 29 7-8 p.m. Free, Watch on Facebook and YouTube Get ready to land on Mars! The Mars 2020 spacecraft, carrying the Perseverance rover, is already close to Mars, and the rover will land on February 18, 2021.  Join us Friday evening as astronomer Gerald McKeegan gives a Mars 2020 mission […]

Talk by NASA’s Jose Santos, Aerospace Engineer and MEDLI2 Deputy Project Manager Friday, February 19 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Entry, Descent, and Landing – often referred to as "EDL" – is the shortest and most intense phase of the Mars 2020 mission. It begins when the spacecraft reaches the […]

Did you know there's a telescope flying through the sky? Talk by Dr. Dana Backman Tuesday, February 23 7-8 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Get to know SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which recently helped scientists find water on the Moon. SOFIA is a specially-modified Boeing 747SP aircraft that carries a very […]

We’ve made it to Mars! Now what comes next? Talk by Faride Khalaf Friday, February 26 7-8 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube The best part of traveling is when you arrive at your destination. You gather your belongings, freshen up and then start your trip. The Mars rover goes through a similar process. When […]

Join Chabot astronomers for the ultimate astronomy challenge! March 13-14 7:30 p.m. - 6 a.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Tune in virtually as we explore the skies with a Messier Marathon, an event where astronomers observe as many Messier Catalog objects as they can. During this favorable time of the year, the Moon is […]

SETI Talk with Daniel Peluso  Tuesday, March 16 7-8 p.m.  Watch on Facebook and YouTube Learn about how students are using the Unistellar eVscope smart telescopes to engage in citizen science and exoplanet research! With the eVscope a novice astronomer can partake in exciting astronomy observation even from the heart of a city thanks to intelligent Light Pollution Reduction.  Our team (University of […]

Your news desk on space...in space! Thursday, March 18 7-7:30 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube What’s going on in space? Chabot’s Breaking Space News live stream shines a light on recent and upcoming events in space exploration, astronomy, and any other startling or amazing things going on in the solar system and universe beyond.  […]

Saturday, March 27 11:00 a.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube  In honor of Women’s History Month and World Water Day, join us for an exciting talk from the founder of Solvatten, Petra Wadstrom. She will talk about her company's solar safe water system, that provides people living in developing countries with safe and hot water in a portable, environmentally friendly way.  Solvatten (Swedish for “Sun […]

Your news desk on space...in space! Thursday, April 15 7-7:30 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube What’s going on in space? Chabot’s Breaking Space News live stream shines a light on recent and upcoming events in space exploration, astronomy, and any other startling or amazing things going on in the solar system and universe beyond.  […]

Friday, April 23rd  7pm  Free, Watch on Facebook and YouTube Join us for a special screening of Saving The Dark, a documentary movie on astronomy and light pollution. Learn more about the significance of astronomy and the night skies, effects of light pollution on astronomy, human health, wildlife and beyond, what we can do to fight […]

SETI Talk by Dr. Michael Busch  Tuesday, April 27th  7pm  Free, Watch on Facebook and YouTube Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are small solar system bodies in orbits that come near or cross the orbit of Earth. Dr. Michael Busch will review NEAs as unique physical worlds, as potential impact hazards to Earth, and as accessible destinations for spacecraft.  Michael […]

Talk by The SETI Institute's Beth Johnson Tuesday, May 18 7-8 p.m. Free on Facebook and YouTube We’ve all traveled to Tatooine, and some of us to Vulcan or Pandora, but how do these sci-fi worlds compare to the real life exoplanets like Kepler 16b, or the seven planets of TRAPPIST 1?  Join us on […]

Talk by Dr. Dimitris Menemenlis, Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.  Friday, May 21 7 p.m. Free on Facebook and YouTube Learn more about climate science at NASA with Dr. Dimitris Menemenlis, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Working with the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, […]

Get cozy for this special virtual event! Wednesday, May 26 1:30-5 a.m. PDT Watch on Facebook and YouTube Stay up with Chabot astronomers to virtually watch a total eclipse of the Moon as it passes through the shadow of the Earth. It has been more than two years since we’ve enjoyed a total lunar eclipse, […]

Wednesday, June 30 7-8 p.m. Free on Facebook and YouTube  Join us for an asteroid day celebration, a global effort to highlight asteroid detection, research, as well as the current and future missions to explore them. Our celebration will include a recorded interview by a panel of Chabot’s teen Galaxy Explorers of Astronaut Dr. Edward Lu, Executive Director of the Asteroid Institute and one of the founding members of B612, an organization that works towards protecting the […]

Saturday, July 24 6:30-10 p.m. Chabot Observation Deck Enjoy a warm summer evening of activities and stargazing on Chabot's stunning Observation Deck! Learn about stellar concepts and preview our new offerings with special demonstrations, hands-on challenges and more. When the Sun goes down, the stars come out for exploring the cosmos through historic telescopes.   […]

August 11-12 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. Chabot Observation Deck Adults $15 Youth $7 Members Free Weather permitting TICKETS SOLD OUT Witness the peak of the dazzling Perseid Meteor Shower during this special in-person viewing on Chabot’s Observation Deck. Stay up late as the shower makes it annual trip through our atmosphere and lights up […]

SUNSET SCIENCE 8/27 RESCHEDULED  Tonight’s Sunset Science event is rescheduled for future dates due to air quality concerns from wildfire smoke. Thank you for your understanding as we work to offer safe, fun and accessible events during this challenging time   Reschedule Your Visit Ticket holders are encouraged to contact Education Programs Manager, Lisa Hoover […]

Sunday, September 26 6:30-10 p.m. Chabot Observation Deck Adults $15   Youth $5   Members Free   Enjoy a warm summer evening of activities and stargazing on Chabot's stunning Observation Deck! Learn about stellar concepts and preview our new offerings with special demonstrations, hands-on challenges and more. When the Sun goes down, the stars come out for exploring […]

Friday, October 8 6:30-10 p.m. Chabot Observation Deck Adults $15   Youth $5   Members Free   Get Tickets   Enjoy a warm summer evening of activities and stargazing on Chabot's stunning Observation Deck! Learn about stellar concepts and preview our new offerings with special demonstrations, hands-on challenges and more. When the Sun goes down, the stars come […]

Saturday, October 16 8:30-10 p.m. Watch on Facebook and YouTube Join us virtual for an International Observe the Moon Celebration with special guests from NASA and Chabot’s resident astronomers. Our astronomers will take you on a live virtual tour of Earth's Moon through our research telescope. As you explore you will learn about some of the moon’s geologic features and land formations and […]

Event Cancelled for 10/23 9 p.m. Free, Watch on Facebook and YouTube Join our resident astronomers on Facebook Live and YouTube every Saturday evening live from Chabot’s Observation deck! Each week, our astronomers will guide us through spectacular night sky viewing through Nellie, Chabot‘s most powerful telescope. Weather permitting we will be able to view […]

Cancelled Due To Poor Weather Conditions Witness a nearly total lunar eclipse! On this special night, the Moon will be darkened by the Earth’s shadow will occur for much of North America. Join our astronomers for a live stream on Facebook or YouTube through Chabot’s most powerful telescope, Nellie!  There is no in-person viewing on Chabot's Observatory Deck for this event.  […]

December 13-14 11 p.m. - 3 a.m.  Weather permitting  This event has been canceled due to poor weather conditions. Ticket holders will receive an email from our team with more information. Join Chabot astronomers on the Observation Deck and be dazzled as we make our annual trip through the Geminid Meteor shower. The Geminids, is […]

Get Admission Tickets Saturday, December 18 10-5 p.m. Free with admission  The largest space telescope ever made is scheduled to launch soon! This new instrument will unveil invisible mysteries of the universe never before captured in infrared radiation from the early universe and the birth of stars to distant other worlds. Join us for an […]

Friday, December 31 CANCELLED Out of an abundance of caution, all programs are canceled through January 15. During this holiday surge in COVID-19 cases, we are taking this break to prioritize the health and safety of our visitors, staff, volunteers and community.  If you have already purchased tickets, you will receive an automatic refund. Ring […]

Steps Toward the First Human Journey to the Red Planet   By Dr. Pascal Lee Saturday, January 15  1 p.m. Free with admission  Get Tickets The first human mission to Mars will be humanity’s greatest adventure in space exploration this century. As with all expeditions, its success depends on planning. The first steps are already underway, as we […]

Launch into the starry night! Friday, February 4 6-10 p.m. $15 adults; $10 kids/seniors; $5 members Buy Tickets Online Have a stellar night of after-hours fun as we relaunch our fan-favorite First Friday series. Get the inside scoop on everyone’s favorite dwarf planet, Pluto and winter’s constellations. Then, gaze into the depths of the cosmos […]

What's next for space tourism? With Mike Wall, Space.com  Saturday, February 19 1 p.m. Free with admission Buy General Admission Tickets   Look at the next big mission in private space travel and discuss the industry’s next steps with Space.com senior writer, Mike Wall. 2021 was a big year for space tourism, as Virgin Galactic […]

GET TICKETS   What lives in Oakland’s redwoods?  Friday, March 4 6-10 p.m. $15 adults, $10 kids/seniors, $5 members.   Get up close and personal with live appearances by ladybugs, newts and banana slugs and short films of them with KQED’s Deep Look nature series.   Discover the mycelium network with the film Fantastic Fungi. Experience live […]

Buy General Admission Tickets   Celebrate Women’s History Month with talks and activities led by women in STEM! Saturday, March 19 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free with General Admission Scientific Adventures for Girls is teaming up with Chabot Space & Science Center for an out-of-this-world day that brings together hands-on activities and interactive conversations […]

Get Tickets A night where nothing is what it seems! Friday, April 1 6-10 p.m. $15 adults, $10 kids/seniors and $5 members Celebrate April Fool’s Day with captivating, colorful and sometimes confusing mind tricks. Learn about how your senses work together to understand the world around us while enjoying whimsical perception-bending fun!    First Fridays […]

  Saturday, April 16 1 p.m. Studio 3 Free with General Admission Buy General Admission Tickets As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the fourth SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket is preparing to launch from Kennedy Space Center later in April! This mission will carry 4 astronauts to the International Space Station.  […]

What will food in the 21st century look like? More importantly, what will it taste like?  Friday, May 6 6-10 p.m. $15 adults, $10 kids/seniors and $5 members Buy Tickets Get a taste of the future and explore how new advancements in space, robotics, climate and biotechnology will influence tomorrow’s food. Bring a healthy curiosity […]

Sunday, May 15 8-11 p.m. $15 Adult, $7.00 Youth, Members and Children under 2 free This event is sold out. Want to learn more about the Moon and NASA's next big mission? Join us on May 28-29 for NASA's Artemis Preview Weekend. This weekend includes a new rover model unveiling, interactive activities, conversations with NASA […]

 Buy General Admission Tickets Learn about the technology behind NASA’s next big mission to the Moon!  Saturday, May 21 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Studio 3 Free With General Admission NASA’s Artemis mission hopes to return humans to the Moon by 2025. How are they going to get there? Get a sneak peek at the […]

Buy General Admission Tickets Saturday, June 18 1 p.m. Theater Free with General Admission  You might have heard of the Peregrine Falcon, but have you met its robotic counterpart? Inspired by the fastest animal on Earth, the lunar lander code-named “Mission Peregrine” will experiment on the Moon this summer and deposit the remains of science […]

Buy Tickets Friday, June 24- Saturday, June 25 6 p.m. - 9 a.m. $100, $95 members Spend this Father's Day with dad on this unique, out-of-this-world camping experience at Chabot. Your sleepover includes hands-on activities, exclusive after-hours time in the exhibits, planetarium shows and telescope viewing amidst the backdrop of the redwood forest. Enjoy hot […]

Buy Tickets Saturday, June 25 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. $24 Adult, $19 Youth Get ready for a day of hands-on bubble fun! Chabot’s 2nd BubbleFest celebrates the joy of bubbles with shows, activities, music and more that will blow you away! Learn about the science of bubbles with captivating shows from famous bubble artists […]

Thursday, June 30 7-8:30 p.m. VIRTUAL: Free on Facebook and YouTube Join us for a celebration all about asteroids. Learn about global efforts to highlight asteroid detection, cutting-edge asteroid research, as well as the current and future missions to explore them. Expert scientists will explore the latest asteroid science and answer your biggest questions and […]

Friday, July 15 1 p.m. In-Person/Virtual: Theatre & Facebook Live The Gateway, a vital component of NASA’s Artemis program, will serve as a multi-purpose outpost orbiting the Moon that provides essential support for long-term human return to the lunar surface and serves as a staging point for deep space exploration. NASA is working with commercial […]

Buy General Admission Tickets Saturday, July 16 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. As NASA plans Artemis, our next mission to the Moon, we are remembering the 1969 landing that changed everything   53 years ago, the first humans landed on the Moon as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. We look back at the story and […]

Buy Tickets Sunday, July 31 6:30-9:30 p.m. $15 Adult, $5 Youth, Members Free  Enjoy a warm summer evening of activities and stargazing on Chabot's stunning Observation Deck! Learn about stellar concepts with special demonstrations, activities and more. When the Sun goes down, the stars come out for exploring the cosmos through historic telescopes. Graze while […]

Buy Tickets Friday, August 12-Saturday, August 13 11:45 p.m. -3 a.m.  $15 Adult, $7.00 youth, Members free Join Chabot astronomers for a watch party of one of most abundant meteor showers of the year, the Perseids. Every August the earth passes through the debris of the giant Comet Swift Tuttle, the origin comet of this […]

Thursday, August 18 9-10 p.m. Free Watch on Facebook Watch on Youtube Stay up with Chabot Astronomers on a journey to the sixth planet from the Sun, Saturn, also known as the "Jewel of the Solar System"! With Saturn near opposition, this is a great time to view it.  Saturn is the second largest planet […]

Buy Tickets Friday, August 19th- Saturday, August 20th 6 PM- 9 AM $100, $95 Members ages 4+ Spend an out-of-this-world camping experience at Chabot. Your sleepover includes hands-on activities, exclusive after-hours time in the exhibits, planetarium shows and telescope viewing amidst the backdrop of the redwood forest. Enjoy hot chocolate while gazing at the stars […]

Buy Tickets Saturday, August 20 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free With General Admission Celebrate the clearest, deepest look at space we’ve ever had.   NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is more advanced than any telescope…ever. As the first images come back, we begin shedding light on some of the mysteries of the Universe. What are […]

Buy Tickets Learn all about asteroids, meteors and comets! Friday, August 26 6-9 p.m. $15 Adult, $5.00 Youth, Members Free Enjoy summer evening astronomy programs with engaging speakers, thematic programs, and activities for all ages! Enjoy comet demonstrations, hands-on activities that unlock the mysteries about these space objects. Compare earth’s rocks, minerals, tectonic plates, and […]

UPDATE: NASA Artemis 1 Launch Watch Party is postponed following the launch delay.  The Center is open today for general admission hours from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Come by to explore NASA Ames Visitor Center, the telescopes and more. Stay tuned for updates: nasa.gov. Buy General Admission Tickets   Saturday, September 3 10:30 a.m. […]

Buy Tickets Saturday, September 17 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free With General Admission Learn all about asteroids by engaging in hands-on activities that will teach you how to identify Earth rocks from space rocks using magnets and microscopes. Hear from special guest speaker Ariel Graykowski, a researcher in Planetary Science, discuss NASA’s Double Asteroid […]