Cameron Hummels

What is dark matter and how can we find it? Watch our recent Astronomy on Tap talk by Dr. Ana Bonaca from the Carnegie Observatories, who discusses her research to track down this elusive dark matter. Her presentation is now on our YouTube channel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cek...

What happens when two black holes collide? How do scientists use computer simulations to model black holes? Join us at our next Astronomy on Tap on June 23rd, featuring science talks, pub trivia, telescopes, and live music!

outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

On May 25, we'll help host the Space Ride, a bike ride to 4 major astronomy sites in Pasadena (Caltech, Carnegie, NASA JPL, and Planetary Society). Each stop will have a short presentation about its role in astronomy, and science done there. More info:

www.eventbrite.com/e/space-ride...

Join us in one week for our Altadena Stargazing Night at Gwinn Park! We were out there two nights ago and took these images, so you should expect that you'll get to see these beauties and more.

More information on our website including directions:
outreach.astro.caltech.edu

Come join us for a night of stargazing in Altadena!

How can exoplanet atmospheres teach us how planets form? Dr. Aurora Kesseli explains at our Astronomy on Tap earlier this week. Her presentation is now up on YouTube here:

youtu.be/rhrON66wQSE

Galaxies are collections of gas, stars, and dark matter held together by gravity. But how do galaxies, like our own Milky Way, change over their lives? Join us for a 30-minute lecture about galaxies followed by guided stargazing with telescopes:
outreach.astro.caltech.edu

YouTube video by Caltech Astro Astronomy Pub Trivia - Cameron Hummels - 03/24/2025

Do you like pub trivia? How much do you know about astronomy? Take our astronomy-themed pub trivia from last month's Astronomy on Tap and test yourself. The linked video reveals the answers and explanations. Feel free to share your score below!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KD8...

With Trump’s proposed NASA budget…

1st samples from Mars: 🇨🇳 Tianwen 3 (instead of 🇺🇸+🇪🇺 Mars Sample Return)

1st resource prospecting on the Moon: 🇨🇳 Chang’e 7/8 (instead of the *already built* 🇺🇸 VIPER mission)

1st mission back to an ice giant: 🇨🇳 Tianwen 4 (instead of 🇺🇸 Uranus Orbiter & Probe)

(2/3)

Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA “This would decimate American leadership in space.”…

For all the talk in the halls of congress about beating China and maintaining US leadership in space…

A 50% cut to NASA science would *devastate* earth and space science in the US. This budget would be Trump literally handing the reigns to China.

(1/3)

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...

Roughly half of the normal matter in the universe is unaccounted for, so where is it, and how do we see it? Dr. Jack Sayers explains where these "missing baryons" are at Astronomy on Tap! The recorded presentation is now up on our YouTube channel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpV8...

We recently helped out at the Great Orion Dark Sky Festival outside Death Valley. We performed science demonstrations, hosted an astrophysicist Q&A panel, and gave several presentations on black holes, cosmology, and the moon, all under the incredible dark skies of Death Valley.

SPHEREx and PUNCH Launch Coverage of the launch for SPHEREx, the agency’s newest telescope and its rideshare PUNCH, a mission to study the Sun’s solar wind.

We congratulation the NASA SPHEREx team for their launch last week of the newest space telescope! The SPHEREx mission was designed and built by scientists at Caltech and NASA JPL, and now begins its operations to study the universe.

plus.nasa.gov/video/sphere...

How can we use gravitational lensing, the magnifying of light around massive objects, to detect faint distant objects? Dr. Mandy Chen explained it at a recent Astronomy on Tap. You can watch a recording of her presentation here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=itxe...

NASA launched the Europa Clipper mission to look for life on one of the moons of Jupiter. We recently sat down with Matt Stumbo, one of the engineers at NASA's JPL who worked on Europa Clipper. He gave a presentation, and his talk is now up on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=obIO...

We had a blast last weekend helping put on the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival. We brought scientists up to give talks, do science demos, and operate telescopes. A great weekend for all--see you next year!

While at the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival, we also hosted two Astronomy on Tap events at the Badwater Saloon and the Wildrose Tavern. Many thanks to our speakers for some fantastic public science presentations: Mike Kelzenberg, Emily Silich, Delaney Dunne, and Aniket Sanghi.

Last Friday, we hosted Dr. Martijn Oei to discuss "Powerful Jets from Supermassive Black Holes" at our most recent Stargazing Lecture. If you missed his public presentation, you can find it on our YouTube channel now!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_VB...

Join us tonight for science and guided stargazing through telescopes! Weather forecast is promising despite all of the recent rains. Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is the pre-RFK vaccination schedule for your kids. Please download it before he is confirmed and changes/deletes it.

Give it to your pediatrician and say this is the schedule you want your kids on.

Making this my pinned post.

As part of the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival next weekend (February 21-23), we'll be hosting two special Astronomy on Tap events at venues in the national park. For more information on the weekend, please visit:

www.nps.gov/deva/planyou...

Happening tonight!

At our previous Astronomy on Tap, we hosted Dr. Peter Boorman who described which objects light up the sky in x-rays: supermassive black holes! If you missed it, his presentation is now on our YouTube channel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTf7...

We hosted Professor Margaret Lazzarini for an insightful talk about how black holes and stars look in x-rays at our last Astronomy on Tap. A great presentation! It's now available to watch on our YouTube channel here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVYN...

Join us next Monday for our next Astronomy on Tap featuring public astronomy talks, telescopes, and astronomy-themed pub trivia at a bar in Pasadena. Free and open to all!

For those affected by the fires throughout our community, there are donations available for free at Caltech's Red Door Cafe until Sunday, Jan 26, each day between 9AM-6PM. Items include clothing, water, food, toiletries, medicine, and really all sorts of stuff. Thanks to Caltech Grads and Postdocs!

In response to the Eaton Fire which has devastated our Pasadena / Altadena community, we will be postponing our Stargazing lecture on "The Physics of the Warp Drive" by one week to Friday, January 24. Stay safe, everyone!

What causes the mysterious radio explosions known as Fast Radio Bursts? Why did NASA just send a ship to the Jupiter system to search for life? Come to our next Astronomy on Tap in 3 weeks to find out!
outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot

We recently had a presentation on how black holes are presented in movies at Astro on Tap! Black hole researcher Dr. Lisa Drummond demonstrated how filmmakers are getting increasingly accurate at portraying the science of black holes. YouTube link: youtu.be/mmY70tITros