On Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 7 pm (PST), Dr. Eugene Chiang (U of California, Berkeley) will give a free, illustrated, non-technical lecture entitled:
"Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust --- The Birth and Death of Worlds"
in the Smithwick Theater at Foothill College, in Los Altos (see directions below)
* We ask that attendees be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and wear a mask while indoors at the event. Extra masks will be provided. Thank you.
The recording will be on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SVAstronomyLectures
The talk is part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, now in its 23rd year.
For centuries we have known that Earth is only one of multiple worlds orbiting the Sun. Near the turn of the 21st century we discovered that our solar system is but one of countless others. Where did these planets come from? What are their fates, and ours? Dr. Chiang will describe the life cycle of planets, how they are born and die and are born again. The story follows microscopic grains of dust, from the dark and icy clouds of the Milky Way, to the fiery winds from planets burning in the glare of their stars.
Eugene Chiang is a Professor of Astronomy and of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley. He is a theoretical astrophysicist with interests in all things planetary, from planet formation to orbital dynamics to planetary atmospheres. He has served as Chair of the Berkeley Department of Astronomy, is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is the recipient of the Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest award for teaching on the UC campus.
Foothill College is just off the El Monte Road exit from Freeway 280 in Los Altos.
For directions and parking information, see: https://foothill.edu/parking/
For a campus map, to find the Smithwick Theater (Bldg. 1000), see: https://foothill.edu/map/
The lecture is co-sponsored by:
- The Foothill College Science, Tech, Engineering & Math Division
- The SETI Institute
- The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
- The University of California Observatories (including Lick Observatory).
Past lectures in the series can also be found on YouTube at: http://youtube.com/svastronomylectures
and as audio podcasts at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1805595