City of Astronomy Week 2025
Blast off to discovery
This November, the Carnegie Science Observatories will join 15 local organizations to celebrate Pasadena’s rich astronomical heritage.
For more than 100 years, astronomers have flocked to the city’s many institutions of research and higher learning—including the Carnegie Science Observatories, and partner organizations such as Caltech and the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization—advancing our knowledge of the universe and keeping Pasadena at the center of the global astrophysics community.
To commemorate this legacy, Pasadena was officially designated the City of Astronomy in 2016. Since then, local scientists and educators have worked together to develop programs that share the wonders of the cosmos with space-lovers of all ages.
Invested in Outreach
"Pasadena is a hotbed of astronomical discovery and it is important that we create opportunities for our local communities to travel with us along the paths of discovery. We thank the mayor’s office and the city of Pasadena for their commitment to showcasing the region’s prominent place in the past, present, and future of astronomy.”
- Jeff Rich, Carnegie Science Observatories astronomer and outreach
Schedule of Events
- Science Festival - Pasadena Convention Center - Sunday, November 16, from 12-4 p.m. Highlights: Comet construction, pocket Solar Systems, solar telescopes & s’mores, electromagnetic experiments, and accessible science presentations every 30 minutes on topics ranging from black holes to space weather—including a presentation on radio astronomy from Carnegie’s Allison Matthews. Plus, astro trivia!
- Astronomy on Tap - Dog Haus Biergarten - Monday, November 17, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Highlights: Astronomy trivia, telescopes, and public-level talks on dusty plasma and building a star on Earth.
- Watson Lecture - Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium - Wednesday, November 19, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Highlights: Learning about the Mars Curiosity rover.
- Astronomy on Tap- Dog Haus Biergarten - Thursday, November 20, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Highlights: Astronomy trivia, telescopes, and public-level talks on the Sun and fusion energy.
