Above & Beyond: NASA Nights
ABOVE & BEYOND: NASA NIGHTS
A lecture series hosted by Sky's The Limit in collaboration with Lou Harrison House.
Saturday, November 29
5:30 - 7:30
Dr. Jason Rhodes, JPL Chief Scientist for Astronomy and Physics“Darkness Surrounds Us: The Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy”
Dr. Jason Rhodes grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa. He earned a B.S. in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA; an M.A and a Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University, NJ. After stints as a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and Caltech in Pasadena, California, he landed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2004. His projects include NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission, and the Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). All of these are designed to study “dark energy,” the hypothesized cause of the Universe’s accelerated expansion and the mysterious dark matter that holds the universe together. He has been the JPL Chief Scientist for Astronomy and Physics since February 2025.
Saturday, November 1
5:30 - 7:30 pm
Dr. Daniel Stern, Astrophysicist and Black Hole Hunter
“Black Holes & Neutron Stars & White Dwarfs, Oh my!”
Daniel’s primary scientific focus is mining the rich scientific vein provided by supermassive black holes for understanding the universe. In his early career, he found some of the most distant galaxies and black holes known at the time. He then used infrared satellites to study the large-scale environments of accreting supermassive black holes and X-ray satellites to study their innermost regions. Most recently, he’s using time-domain surveys to probe the extrema of quasar variability, including candidate merging black holes, black holes tearing stars apart, and black holes turning on or turning off faster than they ought to. He is heavily involved in multiple astrophysics missions led by or partnered with NASA, including the NuSTAR X-ray satellite, the Euclid optical/near-IR satellite, and the UVEX and Ultrasat ultraviolet satellites. He has also helped develop future large NASA mission concepts.
8:00 - 10:00 pm
“How Many Planets Like Earth Might There Be?”
8:30 - 10:30 pm
“The Whole of the Moon? August Lunar Spectacular”
8:30 - 10:30 pm
Dr.Gary Blackwood, NASA/JPL (retired)“NASA's Search for Life in the Universe”
Dr. Gary Blackwood, Astronautical and Aeronautical Engineer, is the 2025 Residency Fellow at Lou Harrison House, Joshua Tree. Gary recently retired from a 36-year career at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he served as Leader of the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program. His team developed and used advanced science and technology to search for life in the universe. Gary earned his degrees in aerospace engineering at MIT although his fascination with the night sky began at a very early age. His ongoing passion is presenting night sky tours to connect audiences to the wonders of the universe.
Guests should plan to arrive 30 - 45 minutes before the presentation start time to park, explore the campus a bit, and get settled. Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to look through the 14" Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope inside the Dome. Additional telescopes of various sizes and types will be arrayed outside the Dome as well. Guests can talk with the astronomer-docents as they observe the celestial objects in the sky that night. Guests may stay as long as they like after the 2-hour program, but the dome and restrooms will be closed at 10:30.
PLEASE NOTE: Night Sky Programs are held outdoors, and desert weather is unpredictable. Sky's The Limit will make every effort to provide a meaningful event, but rain, high winds, and other inclement weather may make a program impossible. In the event of cancellation for any reason, an alternative date will be offered.
