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 […]
Category: News
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
Speaker: Theo Schutt
Presentation on March 6, 8:00 pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Theo Schutt, Cosmologist, Stanford/SLAC, KIPAC From First Light to Feature Film: Preparing Rubin to Record a Decade-long Cosmic Show Sorry, this event has sold out, tickets no longer available. You may try attending on standby basis, no guarantee of entry. This event is […]
🎉 SMCAS Annual Holiday Party – January 31, 6–9 p.m. 🎉
We’re excited to announce that this year’s Society Annual Holiday Party will be held a little later than usual, but it promises to be a wonderful evening! If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for Saturday, January 31, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the welcoming Crystal Springs United Methodist Church (2145 Bunker Hill […]
Speaker: Chanan Greenberg
Presentation on 12/5/2025, 8:00pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Chanan Greenberg: Astrophotographer Capturing Cosmic Magic through Astrophotography Free and open to the public. Why do people bother with astrophotography, especially when high quality images are available for free from professional telescopes? In this presentation you will learn about the joy and magic of capturing images […]
More Sad News … In Memory of Edmund “Ed” Pieret – A Valued SMCAS Member
We received word that another longtime board member and member, Ed Pieret, passed the morning of October 30. If you didn’t see the email that was sent to the Society this is what the president sent October 31: Dear SMCAS Members,It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of our […]
Speaker: Dr Sofia Sheikh
Presentation on February 6, 8:00 pm PST in the CSM Planetarium Speaker: Dr Sofia Sheikh, Technosignature Research Scientist, SETI Searching for Technological Life in the Universe Free and open to the public. Free Parking in nearby lots. An image of the 42-dish Allen Telescope Array (ATA), at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California. […]
A Highly Successful Family Science Day at College of San Mateo
This year’s Family Science Day at the College of San Mateo broke recent attendance records with an estimated 2,500 attendees! It was so successful that the Planetarium is considering doubling the number of shows next year to accommodate demand. Although it was the first time without a couple of our dear long time board members, […]