Evening with the Stars – June 27, 2025

Evening with the Stars – June 27th, 2025 8:30pm

Lecture: Storms Fast and Slow: How Planets Form and Evolve

Astronomer: Dr. Jeff Jennings

Program Information

7:30 pm	Doors Open
	Lecture Hall	36-inch Great Refractor Dome
8:30pm	Science Lecture	History Lecture
9:30 pm	Science Talk (repeated)	Telescope Viewings
10:30 pm	History Talk (repeated)	Telescope Viewings
1:00 am	Doors Close

Observing passes are handed out when you check in at the door so please plan to arrive early!

Observing only ends when everyone has had a chance to look through the telescope.

Gift shop is open from 7:00pm until 11:00pm.

Weather may restrict telescope viewings, but all other activities will still take place.

Science Lecture

Storms Fast and Slow: How Planets Form and Evolve

There are more planets in the Milky Way than there are stars. But how does some dust and gas around a newborn star turn into a system of planets, and what does this process leave behind? We’ll explore these questions by looking at both our Solar System and the hundreds of planets forming around nearby stars, thinking about some of the mind-bending physics involved and what it would all look like if we could see it for ourselves.

Dr. Jeff Jennings – Flatiron Institute

Jeff is an astronomer at the Center for Computational Astrophysics, a division of the Flatiron Institute in New York City. He studies ways to image the environments in which planets form.

Telescope Targets

Tonight’s guests will have the chance to observe:

Great 36″ Refractor

Object chosen each evening

Nickel 40″ Reflector
Whirlpool Galaxy

Outside Telescopes
More telescopes will be available outside looking at galaxies, star clusters, and more!

Whirlpool Galaxy / M51 – Image Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Featured Observatory Volunteers & Staff

Hosts

Dr. Lauren Corlies

TBD

History Lecture 1

TBD

History Lecture 2

TBD

Great Refractor Operators

TBD

Nickel Reflector Operator

TBD

Nickel Reflector Control Room

TBD

Thanks to all of our volunteers for making this evening possible!

Tips and Additional Information

Refreshments

Snacks and beverages are available at the refreshment table in the main foyer. All proceeds help support the public programs. In the past, we have used proceeds to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), additional wooden benches in the main building, new speakers and amplifiers for the main building hallway, and partial funding of two spotting telescopes by the flag pole.

Dark Adjustment

Your experience at the telescopes will be better if your eyes have had an opportunity to adjust to the dark. For this reason, we try to keep the light levels low in both wings of the main hall.

Lights

Please refrain from use of flash photography or white light flashlights in the domes or adjoining hallway.

Assistance

We strive to make your visit as complete and meaningful as possible. Please let us know if you will need special assistance (for example, if you will have difficulty climbing stairs) by emailing tickets@ucolick.org, so we can make the necessary arrangements.

Our Volunteers

All of Lick Observatory’s public programs are greatly enhanced by the valuable participation of our many dedicated volunteers.

Interested in volunteering? Learn more here!