Carnegie Astronomy Lecture Series starts this March!
Exploring the early universe, forming water on exoplanets, and diving into dark matter.
I am pleased to announce the 2026 lineup of our Astronomy Lecture Series at The Huntington.
For 24 seasons, these annual public programs have brought the thrill of discovery and the wonders of the cosmos to an eager public. And this year we have four excellent new speakers ready to share some of the most exciting topics in astronomy, including dark matter, the ancient universe, exoplanet interiors, and the origins of water on rocky planets.
What makes this season particularly exciting for me is the opportunity to introduce our community to our new Carnegie Science Observatories Director Michael Blanton. Mike joined us in January from NYU where he has studied cosmology and galaxy formation and evolution for 20 years.
I am proud to bring Mike into the community we've built together in Pasadena and eager for him to get to know all of you this spring as our series progresses.
The lectures will be held in Rothenberg Hall at The Huntington. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., the program will begin with a brief musical performance at 7:00 p.m., and the lectures will commence at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are free, but reservations are required.
Reservations for the first lecture are available now. Reservations for each subsequent lecture will go online the morning after the prior evening’s talk. Each program will also be livestreamed on Carnegie Science's YouTube channel.
I can't wait to share our 24th season with you!
For 24 seasons, these annual public programs have brought the thrill of discovery and the wonders of the cosmos to an eager public. And this year we have four excellent new speakers ready to share some of the most exciting topics in astronomy, including dark matter, the ancient universe, exoplanet interiors, and the origins of water on rocky planets.
What makes this season particularly exciting for me is the opportunity to introduce our community to our new Carnegie Science Observatories Director Michael Blanton. Mike joined us in January from NYU where he has studied cosmology and galaxy formation and evolution for 20 years.
I am proud to bring Mike into the community we've built together in Pasadena and eager for him to get to know all of you this spring as our series progresses.
The lectures will be held in Rothenberg Hall at The Huntington. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., the program will begin with a brief musical performance at 7:00 p.m., and the lectures will commence at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are free, but reservations are required.
Reservations for the first lecture are available now. Reservations for each subsequent lecture will go online the morning after the prior evening’s talk. Each program will also be livestreamed on Carnegie Science's YouTube channel.
I can't wait to share our 24th season with you!
John Mulchaey | President, Carnegie Science
Ultraviolet Suspects: Using Galaxies to Shed Light on the Early Universe
Monday, March 2, 2026
7:00 p.m. PT
Dr. Anthony Pahl | Postdoctoral Fellow, Carnegie Science Observatories
One of the universe’s last phase changes, reionization, took place within the first billion years of its cosmic history. Today, astronomers can use the ultraviolet signals from distant galaxies to investigate the "who," "when," and "how" of that critical period. In this talk, Carnegie Science Observatories postdoc Tony Pahl will present his research on the high-energy radiation leaking from galaxies, which leverages data collected with a combination of instruments, including NASA’s JWST, the Keck Observatory telescopes in Hawaii, and Carnegie's own twin Magellan telescopes at our Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.
Image credit: Jingchuan Yu, Beijing Planetarium
Planetary Habitability: The Origin of Water
Monday, March 16, 2026
7:00 p.m. PT
7:00 p.m. PT
Dr. Anat Shahar | Vice President For Research, Carnegie Science
More than 6,000 planets beyond our Solar System have been discovered, sparking a fundamental question: could any of these distant worlds support life? A key ingredient for life as we know it is liquid water, and in this talk, Carnegie Science Vice President for Research Anat Shahar will explain her investigations into how water can form naturally during the earliest stages of a planet’s formative history. Many young planets are thought to be covered by vast oceans of molten rock called magma oceans and surrounded by thick atmospheres rich in hydrogen. Shahar’s theoretical and laboratory experiments show that when hydrogen in the atmosphere reacts with molten rock, large amounts of water can be produced. Remarkably, this process could have generated enough water to fill Earth’s oceans, as well as a comparable amount stored deep inside our planet. These findings suggest that water—and with it the potential for habitable conditions—may arise more easily on rocky planets than previously thought, improving the chances that some of the many known exoplanets could be capable of supporting life.
potential for habitable conditions—may arise more easily on rocky planets than previously thought, improving the chances that some of the many known exoplanets could be capable of supporting life.
REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 3
Shining a Light on Dark Matter
Monday, March 30, 2026
7:00 p.m. PT
7:00 p.m. PT
Andrew Robertson | Postdoctoral Fellow, Carnegie Science Observatories
Carnegie Science Observatories postdoc Andrew Robertson focuses on one of the key mysteries in contemporary astronomy: the nature of dark matter. We know that this mysterious form of matter makes up about 85 percent of the mass in the universe, but astronomers still don’t know exactly what it is. Drawing on his experience as a former postdoc at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Robertson will explain how astronomers came to believe that dark matter exists, and how some gargantuan collisions of galaxy clusters—particularly the famous "Bullet Cluster"—provide some of the strongest supporting evidence for its existence. He’ll demonstrate how these extreme cosmic collisions can be used to probe the fundamental properties of dark matter itself.
REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 17
How to Look Inside an Exoplanet
Monday, April 13, 2026
7:00 p.m. PT
7:00 p.m. PT
Shreyas Vissapragada | George Ellery Hale Distinguished Scholar, Carnegie Science Observatories
When we look at planets in or beyond our Solar System, we see an atmosphere and perhaps a surface—if the atmosphere is thin enough—but their interiors are hidden from view. How can we determine what the interior of a planet is really like? Carnegie Science George Ellery Hale Distinguished Scholar Shreyas Vissapragada will discuss an emerging class of “extreme” exoplanets that may provide an answer. After appearing to pass too close to their host stars, these mysterious worlds seem to have had their atmospheres shredded apart by the catastrophic gravitational interaction, exposing their interiors for our observation. These remnant cores provide an astonishing opportunity to peer into would-be giant exoplanets
REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 31