Caltech’s Astronomy on Tap Hits 150th Show and 10th Year Tonight in Pasadena

A free Caltech public-astronomy series will hold its 150th talk and 10th-anniversary edition tonight at the Dog Haus Biergarten patio in Old Pasadena, with researchers speaking on star formation at the center of the Milky Way and the preservation of dark skies in an age of artificial light.

The evening also kicks off Pasadena’s City of Astronomy events for the week, timed to the American Astronomical Society’s 248th meeting, which is drawing astronomers from around the world to the Pasadena Convention Center June 14–18.

The first talk, “Star Formation and Gas Flows in our Galaxy’s Center,” will be given by Cara Battersby, a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Connecticut, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The second, “Preserving Darkness in an Age of Light,” will be given by Stephen Hummel, Dark Skies Coordinator at the McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas, beginning at 8:20 p.m. Astronomy-themed pub trivia answers and prizes follow at 9 p.m.

Caltech describes Astronomy on Tap as “a global phenomenon where professional astronomers give informal science talks in local bars with accompanying pub trivia and interactions with the public.”

The Los Angeles chapter has hosted more than 140 events since 2016, according to the program’s organizers, and is organized by Dr. Cameron Hummels.

Tonight’s edition is one of three Astronomy on Tap events Caltech has scheduled this week.

“It also kicks off our City of Astronomy events here in Pasadena and features visiting scientists from around the world in town for the American Astronomical Society’s semi-annual meeting in Pasadena,” Caltech noted.

Pasadena was officially designated the City of Astronomy in 2016, recognizing the city’s long association with astronomical research. The partnership includes 12 Pasadena-based institutions: Caltech, Carnegie Observatories, the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, IPAC, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kidspace Children’s Museum, Mt. Wilson Observatory, Pasadena City College, Pasadena Unified School District, The Planetary Society, the Thirty Meter Telescope, and the ArtCenter/Williamson Gallery.

In a 2016 Caltech article marking the designation, then-Caltech president Thomas F. Rosenbaum noted Pasadena’s standing in the field: “Royal Astronomer Martin Rees called Pasadena the center of ‘the universe of astronomers’ a generation ago.”

Each event includes two roughly 20-minute talks, a Q&A, astronomical pub trivia, guided stargazing with telescopes, and live music, according to Caltech.

Astronomy on Tap runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tonight on the outdoor patio of Dog Haus Biergarten, 93 E. Green Street, Pasadena. The event is free, open to all ages, and no reservations are required. Food and beverages are available for purchase at happy-hour prices.

The next two Astronomy on Tap talks of the City of Astronomy week are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the same Pasadena venue, according to the Caltech events calendar.