Evening with the Stars – August 22, 2025

Evening with the Stars – August 22nd, 2025 8:00pm

Lecture: “Journeying through Cosmic Life and Death”

Astronomer: Dr. Nayana AJ

Program Information

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

“Journeying through Cosmic Life and Death”

Stars shine for millions of years and end their life as brilliant explosions called supernovae that briefly outshine the entire galaxy. These stellar explosions are among the most powerful events in the Universe, and they leave behind mysterious remnants like neutron stars and black holes. They also play a vital role in enriching the Universe with heavy elements, shaping galaxies, and driving the evolution of stars and planetary systems. By interacting with surrounding material, supernovae reveal valuable clues about their origins and environments. In this talk, I will discuss the life and death of massive stars and the enigmatic remnants they leave behind.

Dr. Nayana AJ – UC Berkeley

Nayana A.J. is a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on studying various astrophysical transients, including supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, cataclysmic variables, and fast blue optical transients. She uses X-ray and Radio observations to understand the energetics and environments of these events.

Telescope Targets

Tonight’s guests will have the chance to observe:

Great 36″ Refractor
Objects chosen each evening.

Nickel 40″ Reflector
Ring Nebula (M57)

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

Ring Nebula / M57 – Photo by the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)

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!