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Investigating Space: Our Big, Bright Universe
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Free with admission
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
How do incredible space telescopes see more than what meets the eye? Scientists measure the light of the electromagnetic spectrum as radio waves, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays, microwave, visible and x-ray. Space telescopes measure light in each of these seven ways. Join us at this expanded Investigating Space program for a constellation of demos, hands-on activities, workshops, films and talks that will demonstrate each of these un-seen phenomena.
Beyond the Violet
With Ron Hipschman
11:30 a.m., Theater
No, it’s not a superhero, but when you make light waves shorter than violet, we can no longer perceive them with our eyes. These waves are ULTRAVIOLET. Even though they are invisible to us, they can still cause things to glow, and these energetic rays can still burn you. Come and explore beyond the violet with Ron Hipschman and see the unseen.
Exploratorium Senior Scientist (and Loose Cannon) Ron Hipschman has worked at the Exploratorium for over 50 years as an exhibit developer, author, teacher, public programs presenter, and webcast host.
Seeing Stars: Using Visible Light to Study the Cosmos
With Gerald McKeegan
12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. Nellie Telescope on the Observation Deck
How do astronomers use visible light — the light we see with our eyes — to study the characteristics of planets, stars, clouds in space, and galaxies? Learn the meaning of terms like spectroscopy, absorption lines, and redshift. And see how astronomers combine images in different colors to form beautiful Astro photos.
Gerald McKeegan joined the Chabot Space & Science Center in 2000 as a volunteer and adjunct astronomer. Gerald serves on Chabot’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Eastbay Astronomical Society.
First Results from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
With Alex Filippenko
1:00 p.m., Theater
The 21-foot diameter James Webb Space Telescope was launched in December 2021 after 14 years of delays. It reached its destination one million miles from Earth, and in July 2022 the first stunning images were released. So far, the results from this amazing telescope, which is sensitive to heat radiation (the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum) have been spectacular, and a few of them will be highlighted in the lecture.
Alex Filippenko is a Richard & Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences, and a Miller Senior Fellow at the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science at UC Berkeley.
The Milky Way in X-rays: Searching for extreme objects in our backyard.
With Ben Coughenour
3:00 p.m., Studio 3
Astronomers estimate that there are nearly 100 million black holes in our galaxy, the Milky Way. So where are they? And what other extreme objects exist in our stellar metropolis? We typically only see black holes when they’re eating – material falling into a black hole heats up to millions of degrees and shines in X-rays! To study them, we rely on satellite X-ray telescopes in orbit around the Earth.
Ben is a postdoctoral researcher at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Lab, looking at black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs in X-rays. He received his doctorate at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, after attending the University of Michigan as an undergrad.
Gamma rays from the most energetic explosions in the universe .
With Wenbin Lu
3:30 p.m., Theater
Gamma rays from the universe are blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere and they were first detected by the US Vela satellite in 1967 in an unexpected way. After half a century of research, astronomers have now understood the origins of these mysterious gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) reasonably well. Dr. Lu will discuss the many secret ways GRBs affect human life — prehistoric extinction events, nutrition, nuclear weapons, batteries, noble metals, clocks, and many other aspects.
Lu received a Ph.D. degree in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the Astronomy Department at UC Berkeley as an assistant professor, Lu was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology and Princeton University.
ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, AND DEMOS
The Microwave Secrets of Our Universe, Young and Old: Virtual Reality visualizations of data from the Planck Space Observatory.
With Anton Baleato Lizancos
10:00a.m. – 1:00p.m., Studio 3
See the Universe through the eyes of a microwave telescope with these immersive visualizations of real data from the ESA Planck space observatory. Marvel at the oldest light we will ever be able to see: the cosmic microwave background, a baby picture of our Universe.
The activity will be guided by Antón Baleato Lizancos, a UC Berkeley cosmologist, so you will get to ask all your questions.
Space in Your Face! presents RADIO WAVES!
With Julie DeMarines and Howard Isaacson
11:00 a.m., Noon, 2:00 p.m., Lab 2
Join Julia DeMarines and Howard Isaacson to explore the size of radio waves, radio telescopes, what the universe looks like in radio light, how we can use radio waves to find aliens (if they are out there), and we will visualize what radio waves all around us look like! Bring something that transmits radio waves (like a garage door opener, car key fob, or walkie-talkie) to add to our live demonstration.
Julia DeMarines is Space in Your Face and a Ph.D. student, Astrobiologist, and science communicator working with the UC Berkeley SETI Research Center & Blue Marble Space.
Howard Isaacson is a researcher in the Astronomy department at UC Berkeley and Berkeley SETI.
What’s in a rainbow? Exploring optics and astronomical imaging.
With Sophia Risin
11:00a.m. – 1:00p.m., Studio 3
In this two-hour session, come join Sophia Risin, an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying astrophysics, in exploring all sorts of optics and telescopes. In this session, you will build your own (telescope, spectrograph) and learn about how astronomers build their telescopes to see into the distant cosmos.
Sophia Risin is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying astrophysics. They are interested in cosmology and large-scale galactic structure. They work as a member of Dr. Alex Filippenko’s group as well as with Dr. Zarija Lukic and study supernovae, transients, and galactic structures.
Peeking Inside a Microwave Oven
With Zeke Kossover
1:30 p.m., Studio 3
Ever wondered how microwave ovens cook food? Perhaps you’ve consulted the internet and found lots of explanations and then discovered that they contradict each other? In science, we do experiments to decide what explanations are not good. Join us for some experiments in our trusty microwave oven that will help us separate fact from fiction.
Marc “Zeke” Kossover has been presenting stories as part of his physics circus shows all over the country in venues from coffee shops and music halls to the National Science Foundation and Capitol Hill. Zeke was a physics and environmental science teacher before dying and going to teacher heaven and getting a job at the Exploratorium.
Uncovering Color
With Galaxy Explorers
10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m., Studio 2
Enter a room where a special light bulb removes colors from images and your surroundings. What’s going on?
This light source, called a Low-Pressure Sodium vapor lamp emits visible electromagnetic radiation in a very narrow band of the spectrum, about 589nm (1 nanometer is equal to one billionth of a meter).
The visible electromagnetic radiation spectrum comprising colors ranges from about 400nm to about 700nm, from the shorter red wavelengths to the longer Violet wavelengths.
This limited access to reflected color causes your eyes to perceive things more in a shaded greyscale, or like seeing in black and white, with the effect gradually increasing as your eyes adjust.
Shine a white light onto these images to reveal their true, more colorful appearance.
Spectra Cart
With Galaxy Explorers
10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m., Studio 2
What are rainbows? How do astronomers identify distant gases in stars, nebulae, and exoplanet atmospheres? The answer to both these questions is spectra! Look at different light sources with a special tool to split their light into different colors. You may find that not all rainbows are the same.
Build a Spectroscope
With Galaxy Explorers
10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m., Studio 2
Build your spectroscope! Learn what a diffraction grating does and how it divides light into its component colors. Visitors can build a spectroscope at this station and take it with them through AstroLight and to the Spectra Cart Demo.
Solar Viewer
With Galaxy Explorers
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Observation Deck
It’s dangerous to look directly at the sun unless you have the right technology! Different materials block different amounts of light and different kinds of light. A solar viewer blocks all UV light and almost all visible light so you can safely look at the sun.
Join us quarterly on the third Saturday of the month for Investigating Space as we explore and discuss the big topics in space exploration with some of the leading scientists and researchers in the Bay Area. In this new series, Chabot Space & Science Center highlights the latest discoveries, science research, and space missions.
