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.

For thousands of years, people have wondered, “Are we alone in the Universe?”

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).

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.

Learn about new developments in the study of black holes.

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.

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.

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.