Space Talk
LSC's Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, the biggest planetarium in America, is the ideal venue for today’s working astronomers to share their pursuit of answers to the Big Unanswered Questions of the universe, from the secrets of black holes, to life on other planets, to the mysteries of dark matter, and beyond.
In this series, a guest astronomer presents a Space Talk in the planetarium, taking full advantage of its state-of-the-art systems and immersive environment. Come join these cosmic conversations under our giant dome!
Each Space Talk kicks off an LSC After Dark adult evening for guests 18 and up, when the Center is open late for festive food, mind-blowing conversation, lawn games, music and dancing, more planetarium shows, and four floors of awesome exhibitions and experiences. Don’t miss the fun!
Thursday January 30, 2025
Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, Liberty Science Center
7:00 - 7:45 PM
Dr. Charles Liu
Topic: The Vera Rubin Observatory, the World's Next Great Telescope.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is currently under construction in Chile, with ‘first light’ expected later in 2025. Named for astronomer Vera Rubin, who provided the first convincing evidence of the existence of Dark Matter, the observatory will be the first of its kind in terms of its design and technology.
Charles Liu is a professor of astrophysics at the City University of New York's College of Staten Island, an associate with the Hayden Planetarium and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, and host of the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. His research focuses on colliding galaxies, starburst galaxies, quasars, and the star formation history of the universe. In addition to his research publications, Charles also writes for students and general audiences, including eleven books - most recently, Intro to Physics for Babies (2021), The Cosmos Explained (2022), and The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book (2024). Among his professional honors, Charles received the 2001 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award and the 2024 American Astronomical Society Education Prize. He currently serves as president of the Astronomical Society of New York and is a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society. Charles earned degrees in astronomy and astrophysics and physics from Harvard and the University of Arizona, and he held postdoctoral positions at Kitt Peak National Observatory and at Columbia University. Charles and his wife, Dr. Amy Rabb-Liu, have three children.
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About Space Talk:
The programs are presented at the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium at Liberty Science Center, the largest planetarium in America. LSC’s staff works with the Space Talk presenters to bring their work to life on LSC’s giant dome. Space Talks last about 30 minutes are are followed by a chance to meet the presenter in the Weston Family Lab for Earth and Space Exploration, near the planetarium. Space Talks presentations are included in After Dark admission; please note that After Dark admission is restricted to ages 18+.
June 2024
Stellar Fireworks
Dr. Saurabh Jha, professor of physics and astronomy at Rutgers University
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May 2024
Strange New Worlds
Dr. Josh Winn, Professor of Astrophysics at Princeton University
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March 2024
The Atmospheres on Exoplanets
Dr. Leonardo Dos Santos, Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute
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January 2024
Found! Ancient Black Hole
Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan, the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics at Yale University
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December 2023
From the Hubble to the Webb
Dr. Joel Green, Hubble Space Telescope Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute
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November 2023
Alien Life and How to Find It
Dr. Clara Sousa-Silva, Assistant Professor of Physics at Bard College and a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences
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October 2023
Sightseeing in Space
Renowned author and science communicator Dr. Phil Plait —aka the "Bad Astronomer”
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September 2023
A New View of the Milky Way
Dr. Kathryn Johnston, Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University
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August 2023
Seeing the Invisible Universe
Dr. Jo Dunkley, Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University
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July 2023
Exploring Alien Worlds
Dr. Munazza Alam, an astronomer, National Geographic Young Explorer, and postdoctoral researcher at the Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory
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June 2023
Climate Change in the Solar System
Dr. David Grinspoon, Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute
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May 2023
A Goldmine in Gravitational Waves
Dr. Brian Metzger, Astronomer from the Department of Physics at Columbia University
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April 2023
How Invisible Forces Shape Galaxies
Dr. Adrian Price-Whelan, Associate Research Scientist and Leader of the Galactics Dynamics Group at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute
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March 2023
Cosmic Clues from Gravitational Waves
Dr. Marc Favata, Chair of Physics and Astronomy at Montclair State University
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February 2023
Black Holes in Focus
Dr. Jenny Greene, Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University
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January 2023
2022: A Great Year in Space
Mike Shanahan, LSC Planetarium Director
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December 2022
Is There Life on Venus?
Dr. Sara Seager, Professor of Planetary Science and Physics at MIT
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October 2022
Too Small to Be a Star, Too Large to Be a Planet: What's Up with Brown Dwarfs?
Dr. Emily Rice, Associate Professor of Astrophysics and Physics at CUNY
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September 2022
What Secrets Will the James Webb Space Telescope Reveal?, featuring brand new image never before seen by the public of isolated dwarf galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
Dr. Kristen McQuinn, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers
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August 2022
Will We Find Another Earth?
Dr. Emily Rickman, European Space Agency Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute and James Webb Science Telescope team member
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July 2022
Star Formation Over Cosmic Time
Dr. Mordecai-Mark Mac Low from the Department of Astronomy at Columbia University and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History
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June 2022
How Fast is the Universe Expanding?
Dr. Saurabh Jha, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers
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