SUNSET: 
Upcoming Astronomy Events
As a service to our community, Sky & Telescope lists astronomy-related events, including star parties, observatory public nights, astronomy talks, and more. Star parties offer dark skies and astronomical fellowship and often cater to families and feature special activities for kids. Public nights give the general public a chance to view the sky through large telescopes, and public talks are a great place to learn the fundamentals of the science and the craft.
You’ll also see online events offered here.
And if you’d like free copies of Sky & Telescope’s Let’s Go Stargazing flyer or door prizes for your next star party, you can fill out this form.
Virtual Talk on UFOs and Life Out There: A Skeptical View
August 13 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm PDT
Free
With the release of the Spielberg blockbuster "Disclosure Day," there has been great public interest in UFO claims and cases. In this illustrated, non-technical talk, astronomer Andrew Fraknoi will discuss the scientific, skeptical understanding of UFO (or UAP) claims. He will show what really happened in several famous cases, including the events in Roswell, New Mexico, which now drive the town's tourist industry. Then he will explain our modern scientific understanding of the possibilities of intelligent life among the stars, and the serious and extensive experiments now under way to detect "techno-signatures" — remote evidence of advanced technological lifeforms.
Andrew Fraknoi retired as the Chair of the Astronomy Program at Foothill College, and now teaches short classes in astronomy and physics at the Fromm Institute at USF and the Osher Institute at SF State. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and was one of the founding Board members of Bay Area Skeptics. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute for more than 40 years.
