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First Friday: Science Obscura
November 3, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Friday, November 3
6:00pm – 10:00pm
$15 Adult, $10 Kids/Senior, $5 Members
All ages, family friendly
Did you know there are scientists that study glowing organisms, a whole agency looking for alien life, and people that are designated asteroid hunters? This First Friday we will explore the surprising world of the unknown side of science. Spend the evening learning about some of the lesser-known interesting fields of science with guest speakers, workshops and science demonstrations for the whole family!
Live Science: Light Lab
Theatre
6:30PM
Light is all around us, even when it is unseen! In this lab, the nature of light is uncovered and built upon to further the audience’s understanding of what light is, where it comes from, and how the electromagnetic spectrum can reveal the invisible universe through a series of illuminating demonstrations.
Asteroid: Mission Extreme
Planetarium
6:30PM
(25 min) Asteroid: Mission Extreme takes audiences on a journey 65 million years in the making to discover how asteroids are both a danger and an opportunity for those of us on planet Earth. The danger of course lies in the possibility of a cataclysmic collision; the opportunity is the crazy idea that asteroids could be stepping stones to other worlds — veritable way stations in space — allowing us to penetrate the deepest realms of the universe. The challenges are enormous, but the idea could ultimately save humankind. Explore with us the possibilities in Asteroid: Mission Extreme.
Glowing Aliens in your Backyard: Bioluminescent Creatures of the Deep-Sea
with Steven Haddock, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Theatre
7:00PM
The Sky Tonight: Live Zeiss Show
with East Bay Astronomical Society
Planetarium
7:30PM
Explore the cosmos as a Chabot Astronomer leads you through the galaxy using a Zeiss Universarium Mark VIII Star Projector.
Telescope Makers Workshop
with East Bay Astronomical Society
Lab 2
7:30PM – 10:00PM
Open to all ages, the Telescope Makers’ Workshop is an all-volunteer group committed to helping people build their own telescopes. Drop in to see what they are up to.
The Eastbay Astronomical Society serves Bay Area residents and astronomy enthusiasts with events, classes, and Oakland’s premier views of the universe.
Mercury, the Moons of Mars, Titan, and the Asteroid Belt: Exploring the Solar System with Gamma Rays
Theatre
8:30PM
NASA’s Psyche mission launched on October 5th from Kennedy Space Center and is now headed to the asteroid belt. That mission will study the unusual metallic asteroid known as 16-Psyche. Dr. Morgan Burks, from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, headed a team that built the gamma-ray spectrometer, one of the prime science instruments on this mission. This instrument is a one of a family of gamma-ray spectrometers that his team has built for exploring Mercury, as well as upcoming missions to the Moons of Mars and Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Dr. Burks will lead us on a tour of these missions and discuss how gamma rays can help us learn about the Solar system. As a bonus, he will also bring space hardware for show and tell!
Dr. Morgan Burks is a physicist and planetary scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA. He builds high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers for space and terrestrial applications. When not working he likes to dance Argentine Tango and rock climb.
Q&A – Asteroid Spotting
with Gerald McKeegan
Nellie Telescope, Observation Deck
8:30PM
Star Stories
Observation Deck
9:00PM
Come listen to Stories of the Stars from all over the world! In addition to the Greek and Roman Classical Myths, you’ll hear Native American stories, as well as lore from India, Ancient Egypt, Viking Scandinavia, Ghana, Pacific Islands such as Hawaii, Kenya, and who knows where else?
Einstein’s Gravity Playlist
Planetarium
9:00PM
(23 min, ages 8 and up) Einstein’s Gravity Playlist is an original planetarium show that explores the ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, and a century later, scientists detected these waves using incredibly precise laser technology here on Earth. In this show, viewers follow Lucia, a PhD student in physics, on an exploration of how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them.
