Presentation on September 4, 2026 8:00 pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Dr. Andrew Rasmussen, SLAC/Stanford, Staff Scientist, Fundamental Physics Directorate The LSST Camera and Mission in Focus Free and open to the public. Free parking in nearby lots. Details at bottom of page. The NSF-DOE funded Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of […]
Category: News
Volunteer at the Chabot Science Center August 1 or August 2
The Society has been invited to be a part of Space Week Festival at Chabot Space and Science Center on August 1 and August 2! It will be the culminating event for their Space Week. Volunteers will be needed to man our table from 9:30 am to 4 p.m. We understand that some might not […]
Volunteer at Gamble Garden– July 11
The Society annually supports the Gamble Garden’s Second Saturday event with solar activities. Come volunteer for a rare daytime event, Saturday, July 11, at the historic Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto. Volunteers are needed at 9:45 a.m. to man the membership table or to share our solar system model. The event runs from […]
Don’t Forget to RSVP for SMCAS’s Annual StarBQ July 18
Our annual family-friendly event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Society’s designated park, Crestview Park, 1000 Crestview Drive, San Carlos. Please RSVP here to let the Board know how many people will be in your party. We want to be sure enough food is purchased everyone. Then, feel free to arrive and leave at […]
SMCAS Members: Don’t Forget to Vote – Voting Closes July 18
Online voting for the San Mateo County Astronomical Society’s Officers and At-large Directors for the 2026-27 term of office is now open. The nomination for the Society’s Board are: OfficersMichael Cooke – PresidentJason Zaman – Vice PresidentMarion Weiler – Co-SecretaryMichelle Morales-Torres – Co-SecretaryAndy Thanos – Treasurer At-large DirectorsKimberly AlgerChanan GreenbergStephen KwongJulian SalkinKevin Simpson Voting ends […]
Speaker: Dr. Jeff Cuzzi
Presentation on October 2, 2026 8:00 pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Dr. Jeff Cuzzi, NASA Ames Research Center Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn, its Moons and Rings Free and open to the public. Free parking in nearby lots. One of the most accessible, fascinating, and brighter planets in the night sky for amateur astronomers […]
Speaker: Prof. Brian Lantz
Presentation on May 1, 8:00 pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Prof. Brian Lantz, Stanford Exploring the Gravitational Wave Universe with LIGO Free and open to the public. Free parking in nearby lots. Measuring gravitational waves is a revolutionary new way to do astronomy. In 2015, LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) first detected […]
Another Successful Holiday Celebration
This year’s holiday celebration, held at the Crystal Springs United Methodist Church, took place a week later than usual due to a scheduling conflict, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits January 17. There was another feast of delicious food for everyone who attended. The room was filled with the inviting aroma of savory dishes and […]
Ed Pieret Remembered and His Telescope Collection
Mary Ann McKay, a fellow SMCAS member, used to volunteer for the villages with Ed Pieret approximately between 2020 and 2022. She shared the following that he prepared for the organization: “I graduated with a Batchelor in Science in Physics from Clarkson College. During a summer job I discovered I had more of an aptitude […]
Art Without An Artist:
Can AI Be Considered An Artist? Friday, March 20, 2026 at CSM