Past Events

Exploring Space Lectures

Hear about recent innovative missions and take a look back at the history of space exploration with distinguished lecturers and experts on the forefront of space science and history. The Exploring Space Lecture series runs annually, from March to June. The 2025 series will explore planetary oceans:

Life as we know it requires access to water, usually liquid water, and Earth is not the only place in our solar system where we can find this resource. In this year’s Exploring Space Lecture Series, we will explore the distribution of liquid oceans in our solar system, past and present; consider the origins of Earth’s oceans and learn about what happened to Mars’ oceans; question whether Earth’s twin, Venus, could have ever been cool enough to support oceans; and examine why the outer solar system is dominated by moons with salty, underground oceans. 

This lecture series is made possible by the generous support of Aerojet Rocketdyne, An L3Harris Technologies Company and United Launch Alliance. 

Sedna

Lecture

Pluto, Eris, and the Dwarf Planets of the Outer Solar System

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

The 2007 Exploring Space Lectures, Journey Through the Outer Solar System, will feature four world-class scholars discussing current missions to the distant realm of the gas giants, the icy Kuiper Belt, and beyond.

David Levy

Lecture

Why is Astronomy so Popular?

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Well-known interpreter of astronomy and sky lore, David H. Levy, will discuss  how and why astronomy captures the imaginations of so many people. 

Charles L. Bennett

Lecture

Big Bang for the Buck: Cosmology from WMAP

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Charles L. Bennett is the Alumni Centennial Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Solar Activity and Earthly Response

Lecture

Solar Science at Skylab's Launch

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
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In this lecture Karl Hufbauer will discuss how the Skylab project enabled solar scientists to partner with NASA to collect these valuable data.

Lecture

Juno: Mission to Jupiter

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

In this Exploring Space lecture, Scott Bolton will discuss the Juno orbiter's mission to understand the orgin and evolution of Jupiter. Free tickets are required. 

Brett Denevi

Lecture

The New Moon

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

In this lecture, planetary scientist Brett Denevi will explore revolutionary new views of both the Moon’s ancient history and how its surface continues to change today. Tickets are free but required.

Colorized View of Titan from Cassini

Lecture

Exploring the Surface of Titan with Cassini-Huygens

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

The 2007 Exploring Space Lectures, Journey Through the Outer Solar System, will feature four world-class scholars discussing current missions to the distant realm of the gas giants, the icy Kuiper Belt, and beyond.

Vera Rubin

Lecture

What IS the Universe?

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

As each new technology complementing the telescope was applied to the question, "What is the Universe?", our understanding of that question changed in profound ways. Dr. Vera Rubin of the Carnegie Institution of Washington will discuss this question.

Andrea K. Dupree

Lecture

IUE - The Little Satellite that Could

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Andrea K. Dupree is a Senior Astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, part of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Richard Fisher

Lecture

How Skylab Changed Solar Astronomy into Heliophysics

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
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Find out how the results from the Skylab studies continue to influence the course of international scientific research and have led to the development of heliophysics and the applied science of space weather.