Blog

  • In Memoriam of Robert Fies (1939-2023)

    By Ken Lum It is with heavy heart that I announce that long-time SMCAS member, Bob Fies, passed away in December 2023. I was informed about this by his niece, Ms. Barbara Brady. He was 84 years old. Bob was best known by the local amateur astronomical community as a kind and generous person who…

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  • Gear Up for the Celestial Spectacle of the Year!

    Greetings to the Society,  The anticipation is building for what promises to be the highlight of the year: the total solar eclipse on April 8th, visible across North America! Many of our society members, including myself and my daughter, are venturing to Texas to witness this awe-inspiring event firsthand. We eagerly look forward to the…

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  • The Annular Eclipse in Roswell, New Mexico

    Although I had been told and warned that the annular eclipse wasn’t as dramatic or even as good as a total eclipse, because during a total eclipse it briefly becomes night during the day, still I had to make the assessment for myself and trekked out to the annular path that was not close. As an…

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  • Speaker: Emmanuel Schaan

    Presentation on May 3, 2024 8:00pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Dr Emmanuel Schaan: Staff Scientist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory A Cosmic Shadow Theater: How Galaxy Silhouettes Reveal Their Dark Side Using the Cosmic Microwave Background to reveal the invisible components of galaxies to shed light on the nature of Dark Matter, Dark Energy…

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  • Speaker: Rob Hawley

    Presentation on March 1, 8:00pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Rob Hawley, Eclipse Chaser; Fremont Peak Observatory Association Experiencing the Great North American Eclipse Free and open to the public. On April 8 the Great North American Eclipse will occur. This will be an eclipse you will want to experience and photograph.  It will be…

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  • Speaker: Shannah Withrow

    Presentation on September 6, 8:00pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Shannah Withrow, Aerospace Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center The Future of Mars Helicopters Free and open to the public. Ingenuity has shown that flying in the Martian atmosphere is possible and that helicopters can provide critical insight and support to ground-based assets. Though Ingenuity…

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  • SMCAS News Events of Week of 02/19/2024 and Beyond

    Tuesday, 02/20/24  3:30 PMIn-person Hewlett Teaching Center370 Jane Stanford Way, Room 201Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305 Chaotic quantum dynamics and the quantum geometry of spacetime Research in string theory has uncovered deep connections between strongly coupled quantum systems with chaotic dynamics and the quantum physics of black hole spacetimes. The realization of these ideas for cosmological spacetimes such…

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  • SMCAS News Events of Week of 01/28/2024 and Beyond

    Click here for the events of the week!

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  • Bay Area Events of the Week for Jan 22 2024

    Click here for the events of the week!

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  • Speaker: Pascal Lee

    Presentation on Friday February 2, 2024, 8:00pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Pascal Lee: Senior Planetary Scientist, SETI; Chairman, Mars Institute; Director, NASA HMP N ~ 1: Alone In The Milky Way Free and open to the public. Planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee will review our present knowledge about each term of the Drake Equation…

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