Past Events

The John N. Bahcall Lecture

The John N. Bahcall Lecture series is a programming series of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. 

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Lecture Hubble at 30 Presented Online

This year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. For three decades thousands of astronomers from around the world have exploited the remarkable capabilities of the telescope and its scientific instruments to revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
Lecture Lava Worlds to Living Worlds National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
 TBD

In this illustrated, nontechnical presentation, astrophysicist and planet hunter, Natalie Batalha, the former project scientist for NASA's Kepler mission, will give an overview of Kepler’s remarkable scientific legacy. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance.
Lecture The Earliest Galaxies: Exploring Cosmic Sunrise with Hubble, Spitzer, and JWST National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

In this lecture, Garth Illingworth from the University of California Santa Cruz will provide insights on the amazing results from Hubble and Spitzer and will give his take on James Webb Space Telescope, the most challenging and ambitious astronomy mission ever undertaken.
Lecture The Monster at the Heart of the Milky Way Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Learn about new developments in the study of black holes.
Lecture Hot Gas in Galaxy Clusters and Big Bang Cosmology National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

One of the leading theoretical astrophysicists in the world, Rashid Sunyaev was born in 1943 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and trained in Moscow, flourishing there in its leading scientific institutions to explore the most fascinating and challenging areas of modern cosmology.
Lecture Exploring the Crab Nebula with the Hubble, Chandra, and Fermi Space Telescopes National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Dr. Blandford, tonight's speaker, is a renowned astro-particle physicist who was the chairman of the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey (2011-2020).
Lecture Astrobiology and the Search for Life Beyond Earth National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

For thousands of years, people have wondered, “Are we alone in the Universe?”
Lecture The Milky Way: Why We Need Her and How She Was Formed National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Dr. Sandy Faber will discuss the formation of the Milky Way, including dramatic recent discoveries, and why this was an indispensable cosmic step in the road to life as we know it.  

This Lecture is made possible by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore and the Hubble Space Telescope Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center. This program is part of their third annual John Bahcall Lecture Series.