On Sunday, a coalition of premier scientific institutions, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech, will transform the Pasadena Convention Center into a free science festival, offering the public a rare, hands-on gateway to the cosmos and those who study it.
The City of Astronomy Science Festival will take place Nov. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. , offering free admission and hands-on science programming.
The festival opens City of Astronomy Week, which runs Nov. 16–21. According to Caltech’s official event listing and the City of Astronomy website, the event will feature interactive exhibits, solar telescope demonstrations, and public science presentations every 30 minutes. No tickets or reservations are required.
Confirmed speakers include:
- 12:00 p.m. – Dr. Anjali Tripathi, NASA JPL: “Planet Quest”
- 12:30 p.m. – Dr. Joanna Piotrowska, Caltech: “AI in Astrophysics”
- 1:00 p.m. – Dr. Gabe Muro, Caltech: “What is Space Weather?”
- 1:30 p.m. – Sam Rose, Caltech: “White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes”
- 2:00 p.m. – Dr. Allison Matthews, Carnegie Science: “Tuning into the Cosmic Radio”
- 2:30 p.m. – Dr. Gabriele Vajente, LIGO Laboratory: “When Black Holes Collide”
- 3:00 p.m. – Dr. Cameron Hummels, Caltech: “How Do Galaxies Form?”
- 3:30 p.m. – Mat Kaplan and Sarah Al-Ahmed, Planetary Radio: Astronomy Trivia
Interactive exhibits will include solar s’mores, demonstrations of infrared and radio telescopes, VR simulations, plasma and electromagnetic experiments, gravitational demonstrations, and a “Build a Comet” activity. Science booths will operate continuously throughout the event.
The festival is co-organized by Caltech and Carnegie Science Observatories, with participation from more than a dozen institutions including IPAC, LIGO, The Planetary Society, Mount Wilson Observatory, UCLA, USC, and Princeton University. Supporting organizations include Pasadena City College, Pasadena Unified School District, Kidspace Children’s Museum, and the Los Angeles Astronomical Society.
Metro access is available via the A Line to Del Mar Station, located at 202 S. Raymond Ave., approximately a 10-minute walk from the venue. The station offers paid parking and bike racks, with peak weekday service every eight minutes. Transit connections include Metro Bus lines 260, 267, 501, 660, and 662; Foothill Transit 187; and Pasadena Transit lines 20, 33, 51, and 52.
Parking is available at the Convention Center garage and nearby city lots. Paseo Colorado mall offers 90 minutes free with validation. No attendance cap or health restrictions have been announced. The event is indoors and not weather-dependent.
The City of Astronomy designation was issued by Pasadena officials in 2016, recognizing the city’s century-long legacy in astronomical research. Milestones include the founding of Carnegie Observatories in 1904, Edwin Hubble’s discovery of the expanding universe in the 1920s, and the dedication of the Hale Telescope in 1948.
“Pasadena is a hotbed of astronomical discovery,” said Jeff Rich of Carnegie Science Observatories in a statement published Oct. 31. “It is important that we create opportunities for our local communities to travel with us along the paths of discovery.”
Additional events during City of Astronomy Week include:
- Monday, Nov. 17: Astronomy on Tap at Dog Haus Biergarten, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Topics: Plasma physics and fusion.
- Wednesday, Nov. 19: Watson Lecture at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium, 7:30–8:30 p.m. Topic: Mars Curiosity rover.
- Thursday, Nov. 20: Astronomy on Tap at Dog Haus Biergarten, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Topics: The Sun and fusion energy.
For more visit https://www.cityofastronomy.
