NASA’s newest rover Perseverance launches July 30. Ahead of the big day, join planetary scientists Sara Mazrouei and Tanya Harrison on Wednesday, July 15 at 2 p.m. for a Facebook Live event all about the Red Planet. Why are we so fascinated with Mars? Sara and Tanya discuss Perseverance’s astrobiology mission—from launching to landing to collecting Martian samples—and other upcoming missions to explore Mars.

Ever wonder what that bright object is in the night sky? From dying stars to shooting stars, there are many astronomical phenomena which have long inspired curiosity, fear, and awe.

The collections of moons that orbit our giant planets are very like miniature planetary systems, each with their own dramatic history. In her presentation Christa Van Laerhoven will talk about the various moons of the solar system and how they have been shaped by orbital shenanigans with their fellow moons and their host planet.

Over 4000 exoplanets have been discovered to date—but what do we really know about them, and how do we know it? Join Emily Deibert in exploring the main methods and missions that have been used to discover the diverse population of exoplanets throughout our Galaxy, and learn about some of the most extraordinary exoplanets we've found so far. She will also discuss how astronomers are starting to learn about what conditions on these exoplanets might be like, and highlight some of the advances we hope to make in the field over the next few years.

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/-9qOZxB9wFk

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/tpgioCuuks8

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/ZXUvEsLpO3s

Are you interested in learning how to navigate the night sky? Do you have a telescope or pair of binoculars and not sure how to use them to their full potential?

Shortly after the big bang, the universe was a cold, dark place, barely recognizable to those of us used to seeing beautiful telescope images of a sky filled with brilliant lights.

Eighty-five percent of the matter in our universe is made up of a mysterious invisible substance scientists call “dark matter.”