Artist’s conception of planets that orbit 55 Cancri, a star much like our Sun beyond our solar system. Photo courtesy of Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“All of the planets in our galaxy, the Milky Way, orbit around our largest star, the Sun. Planets that orbit around other stars in the universe are called exoplanets, which are very hard to see directly with telescopes on Earth and in outer space because they are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit.”
For the monthly Cosmic Cocktail Hour Wednesday, July 7, at 4 p.m. via Zoom, Dr. Johanna Teske, a scientist with the Earth and Planets Laboratory at Carnegie Institution for Science, will explain why exoplanets and planet formation are crucial to our understanding of what makes a planet in our galaxy and potentially billions of other galaxies a place with all the right ingredients and conditions for life – what scientists refer to as habitability. The first confirmed discovery of an exoplanet was in 1995. Since then, about 4,000 have been confirmed by multiple discovery methods, with about 3,000 more awaiting verification.
Presented by the Pasadena Senior Center, the cost for Cosmic Cocktail Hour is only $7 for members and $10 for nonmembers 50 and older. Residency in Pasadena is not required.
To register, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Events, Clubs and Lectures, then Online Events or call 626-795-4331. Everyone who registers will receive an email link to access the Zoom event. Anyone who does not have WiFi or an email address can dial 626-795-4331 to receive a number to call to join this Zoom event by phone.
Are we alone in the universe? Does Earth have an inhabited twin planet in a galaxy far, far away? Which kinds of stars provide long-lasting, stable conditions that could allow life a chance to take hold and evolve like it did here on Earth?
Pour your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy the trip.
For more information about online activities as well as in-person events and other programs and services of the Pasadena Senior Center, visit the website or call 626-795-4331.
The center, at 85 E. Holly St., is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has served older adults for more than 60 years.
