Explore the Night Sky at Community Astronomy Night on March 11!

Are you interested in viewing planets and identifying constellations? Ever wanted to take apart a telescope to see how it works? Join the Cambridge STEAM Initiative and other partners at the annual Community Astronomy Night event to explore the night sky, guided by high school interns from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP). You'll also be able to explore a model of a black hole, learn about life on other planets, view Jupiter through a Dobsonian telescope, and more!

Community Astronomy Night (Rain or Shine!)
Wednesday, March 11
Cambridge Street Upper School Cafeteria and Courtyard
850 Cambridge St.
6 - 8 p.m. 

Free pizza provided at the event!

View the Event Passport (PDF)

Event Schedule and Speakers

6:15 - 6:45 p.m. Finding Habitable Worlds: Measuring the Size and Temperature of Low-Mass Stars

Join Harvard student, CRLS Alum and former SRMP intern, Alex Mahajan, for a talk on how astronomers figure out the size and temperature of small, faint stars. She’ll explain the tools and methods scientists use and why these measurements help us better understand stars and the planets that orbit them. Measuring these small stars is critical in the search for finding other habitable planets like Earth!

6:45 - 7:15 p.m. A Universe in Tension: Challenges to our understanding of the Universe

Join Mouza Almualla, a PhD candidate at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, for a talk about how our Universe began and how it has changed over time. Scientists have a leading theory for how the Universe works — but new observations are raising questions that don't quite fit. We're seeing unexpected differences between what happened right after the Big Bang and what we can measure in the Universe today. Are these clues pointing to something brand new in physics, or are there simply things we don't yet understand? Come explore what these mysteries could mean for the future of cosmology.

7:15 - 7:45 p.m. Are We Alone?: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Join Philippe Reekie from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian for a short, engaging talk about the search for life beyond Earth and what alien life might look like. Learn about recent discoveries and what they tell us about the chances of finding life elsewhere, and also explore the surprising ways signs of alien life could last for millions—or even billions—of years.

About SRMP

SRMP is an astrophysics mentoring program that provides an opportunity for students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) to work on a year-long independent research project in astrophysics under the guidance of a Center for Astrophysics (CfA) astrophysicists. Students learn what it is  like to conduct real, cutting-edge research and work closely with living scientists from diverse backgrounds. The funding for CRLS student and faculty liaison stipends for the SRMP program are funded by Cambridge STEAM Initiative and the Office of Workforce Development.

Learn more about SRMP and its connections to STEAM learning on the STEAM Rises podcast episode Wobbles and Wonder - Mentoring in an Astrophysics Program.