June 30, 2017
8:30 p.m.
Astronomy Speaker: Prof. Aaron J. Barth, UC Irvine
Lecture Information
"A Brief Introduction to Black Holes"
Prof. Aaron Barth is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UC Irvine. He earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy at UC Berkeley in 1998. As a graduate student, he spent many nights observing supernovae and active galaxies at the Lick Observatory Shane and Nickel telescopes. After postdoctoral appointments at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and at Caltech, he joined the UCI faculty in 2004.
His research group carries out observational studies of
supermassive black holes and quasars using data from Lick Observatory,
the Keck Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Atacama Large
Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and Las Cumbres Observatory Global
Telescope Network.
Program Information
| 7:30 p.m. | Doors Open | Brief Telescope Visits |
| 8:30 p.m. | Science Talk, Lecture Hall | History Talk, Great Refractor |
| 9:30 p.m. | Science Talk (repeated), Lecture Hall | Telescope Viewings |
| 10:30 p.m. | History Talk (repeated), Great Refractor | Telescope Viewings |
| 1:00 a.m. | Doors Close |
Driving to Lick Observatory
Please allow a one-hour drive from San Jose. The rood is good, but windy. The event typically lasts between 4 and 6 hours; prepare to drive home late in the evening. There are no automative services or gas stations for 20 miles, so please plan ahead. See more information on driving directions and parking here.
Recommended Attire
Casual, comfortable clothing and walking shoes. A sweater or light coat is recommended.
Safety
Please be careful when walking around in the dark outside; bringing a flashlight is recommended. Children under age 8 are not allowed at this event, and it may be unsuitable for children under the age of 12 due to late hours.
Telescopes
The large telescopes will be available for viewing as soon as the sky is dark. Telescopes will remain open until every guest has had an opportunity to see through both the 36-inch Great Refractor and the 40-inch Nickel Telescope.
In order to view through the telescopes, guests will receive a numbered pass at the door. Guests with the lowest telescope numbers are admitted to the telescopes first - so we recommend getting to the observatory early! Please note: Due to historic construction of the telescope domes, the 36-inch Refractor and the 40-inch Nickel Telescope are not wheelchair accessible at this time.
Volunteer amateur astronomers also set up ground telescopes in the back parking so guests can view additional cosmic objects.
Gift Shop
Lick Observatory souvenirs and astronomy merchandise will be available for purchase between 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. You can also visit our Gift Shop online 24/7.
Refreshments
Snacks and beverages will be available near the Nickel Telescope. Vending machines and fountain water are also available.
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), so we can make the necessary arrangements.
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