Archive

Astronomy Open Night has been run since 1973. Here is the list of speakers and talks from 1993 onward.

Fall 1993

Sep 3, 1993 Prof. Dan Davis Why is there no San Andreas Fault on Venus?
Oct 1, 1993 Prof. Amos Yahil Unraveling the Secrets of the Universe by Observing Millions of Galaxies
Nov 5, 1993 Prof. Fred Walter The Dawn of a New Era in Astronomy: Scientific Results from the First Three Years of the Hubble Space Telescope
Dec 3, 1993 Prof. Michal Simon Most Stars are born as Twins

Spring 1994

Feb 4, 1994 Prof. Jack Lissauer Rings of the Giant Planets
Mar 4, 1994 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta New Light on Dark Matter
Apr 1, 1994 Prof. Philip Solomon The Infrared Universe
May 6, 1994 Prof. James Lattimer Supernovae and Neutron Stars

Fall 1994

Sep 2, 1994 Prof. Michal Simon Big New Telescopes: The Gemini Project
Oct 7, 1994 Prof. James Lattimer Impacts in the Solar System: Can We Do Anything
Nov 5, 1994 Prof. Ken Lanzetta Matter Between the Galaxies
Dec 2, 1994 Prof. Fred Walter Cataclysmic Variables: Stars That Go Bump in the Night

Spring 1995

Feb 3, 1995 Prof. Deane Peterson Large Interferometry Arrays: A Revolution Coming in Optical Astronomy
Mar 3, 1995 Prof. Philip Solomon The Age of the Universe
Apr 7, 1995 Prof. Amos Yahil The Information Content of Astronomical Data
May 5, 1995 Astronomy Faculty A Special Program to Commemorate 20 Years of Astronomy Open Nights

Fall 1995

Sep 8, 1995 Prof. Michal Simon Planet Formation in the Binary Star Environment
Oct 6, 1995 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta Quasar Absorption Lines: Probing Distant Galaxies
Nov 3, 1995 Prof. Jack Lissauer The Galileo Mission to Jupiter
Dec 1, 1995 Prof. Philip Solomon Galaxies in the Distant Universe: How and Why Galaxies Form

Spring 1996

Feb 2, 1996 Prof. Philip Solomon Radio Astronomy and the Ozone Layer
Mar 1, 1996 Prof. Amos Yahil Gravitational Lenses
Apr 5, 1996 Prof. James Lattimer The Search for Planets Around Other Stars: The Difficulties and Rewards
May 3, 1996 Prof. Deane Peterson The Search for Planets Around Other Stars: NASA's Grand New Odyssey

Fall 1996

Sep 6, 1996 Prof. James Lattimer Life on Mars: The Story in the Rocks
Oct 4, 1996 Prof. Michal Simon The Gemini Telescopes: Giants Stirring
Nov 1, 1996 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta A Glimpse of the Edge of the Universe
Dec 6, 1996 Prof. Frederick Walter Discovery of a Nearby Neutron Star

Spring 1997

Feb 7, 1997 Prof. Martin Schoonen New Thinking on the Origin of Life
Mar 7, 1997 Prof. Daniel Davis Galileo at Jupiter's Moons: Seeing Signs of Stress
Mar 29, 1997 Prof. Deane Peterson SPECIAL LECTURE: HALE-BOPP: The Great Comet of 1997
Apr 4, 1997 Prof. James Neff Advances in Satellite Studies of the Sun and Imaging of Solar Type Stars
May 2, 1997 Prof. Amos Yahil Will the Cosmic Background Radiation Unravel the Remaining Secrets of Creation?

Fall 1997

Sep 5, 1997 Prof. Daniel Davis Galileo at Jupiter's Moons: Seeing Signs of Stress
Oct 3, 1997 Prof. Michal Simon The Clustering of Young Stars
Nov 7, 1997 Prof. James Lattimer When Neutron Stars Collide
Dec 5, 1997 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta The Hubble Space Telescope 'Deep Field Image'

Spring 1998

Feb 6, 1998 Prof. Fred Walter The Science in Science Fiction
Mar 6, 1998 Prof. Chang Kee Jung We See Stars Underground
Apr 3, 1998 Prof. Gerald Brown Supernova Explosions, Black Holes and Nucleon Stars
May 1, 1998 Prof. Philip Solomon Radioastronomy: From Black Holes to Star Formation

Fall 1998

Sep 4, 1998 Prof. Dan Davis Things That go Bump in the Crust: How the Sun's Planets Compare
Oct 2, 1998 Prof. Jim Lattimer The New Planets
Nov 6, 1998 Prof. Fred Walter The Science in Science Fiction: Part II
Dec 4, 1998 Prof. Ralph Wijers Gamma Ray Bursts: Mother Nature's Biggest Firecrackers

Spring 1999

Feb 5, 1999 Prof. Deane Peterson Our Changing Views on the Milky Way: It's Not What It Used to Be
Mar 5, 1999 Prof. Ken Lanzetta The Hubble `Deep Field' Goes South—and Records are Broken Again
Apr 9, 1999 Prof. Philip Solomon Galaxies in Collision: Tails, Bridges and Mergers in the Early Universe
May 7, 1999 Prof. Miriam Forman Alien Atoms In the Solar System

Fall 1999

Sep 3, 1999 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty Cosmic Crashes: How Colliding Neutron Stars Teach Us About Einstein's Theory of Relativity
Oct 1, 1999 Prof. Michal Simon The Transits of Mercury
Nov 5, 1999 Prof. Fred Walter Chandra, XMM and X-ray Astronomy Comes of Age
Dec 3, 1999 Prof. Ralph Wijers Tick-tick-tick in the Sky: Neutron Stars as Precision Clocks

Spring 2000

Feb 4, 2000 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta Giant Eyes: The Next Generation of Very Large Telescopes
Mar 3, 2000 Prof. Aaron Evans Giant Black Holes at the Hearts of Galaxies
Apr 7, 2000 Prof. James Lattimer The Sun, Stars and Jello: New Results from Asteroseismology
May 5, 2000 Prof. Chang Kee Jung Nature's Rare Optical Displays: Rainbows, Sundogs, Green Flashes, Heiligenschein and more...
June 16, 2000 Prof. Carolyn Porco, University of Arizona Special Lecture: Exploration of the Outer Solar System

Fall 2000

Sep 1, 2000 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty The Latest News on Black Holes and Gravitational Lenses
Oct 6, 2000 Prof. Ralph Wijers A Ruckus from the Cradle: Gamma-Ray Bursts in Stellar Nurseries
Nov 3, 2000 Prof. Philip Solomon SIRTF: NASA's `Great Observatory' for the Infrared
Dec 1, 2000 Prof. Frederick Walter AB Doradus: A Sun in the Era of Planet Formation?

Spring 2001

Feb 2, 2001 Dr. Dara Norman Dark Matter and Gravitational Lensing: Finding the Unseen
Mar 2, 2001 Prof. James Lattimer Is Advanced Life Common in the Universe?
Apr 6, 2001 Prof. Michal Simon Extrasolar Planets
May 4, 2001 Prof. Aaron S. Evans Quasars and Their Environments

Fall 2001

Sep 7, 2001 Prof. J. Lattimer Can we measure the radius of a neutron star, and if we can, so what?
Oct 5, 2001 Prof. Philip Solomon Extreme Starbursts in Galaxies
Nov 2, 2001 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta Cosmology from Distant Supernovae: Is the Expansion of the Universe Accelerating?"
Dec 7, 2001 Prof. Frederick Walter Astronomy and Astrology: The Influence of Stars in our Lives

Spring 2002

Feb 1, 2002 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty Explosions in the Sky: Understanding Supernovae
Mar 1, 2002 Prof. Deane Peterson Measuring Distances in Astronomy: It's Harder Than You Think
Apr 5, 2002 Prof. Michal Simon Weighing the Young Stars
May 3, 2002 Prof. Aaron S. Evans Kuiper Belt Objects: Remnants of The Early Solar System

Fall 2002

Sep 6, 2002 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta Observing the Most Distant Gas in the Universe
Oct 4, 2002 Prof. J. Lattimer Globular Clusters: Cosmic Singles Bars
Nov 1, 2002 Prof. P. Hickson Very-Large Optical Telescopes
Dec 6, 2002 Prof. Philip Solomon Recent Changes in the Ozone Layer

Spring 2003

Feb 7, 2003 SNOW Cancellation
Mar 7, 2003 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty White Dwarves: Out With A Dramatic Whimper
Apr 4, 2003 Prof. Michal Simon The Next Big Hit
May 2, 2003 Dr. Hsien Shang The Solar System: How It All Began

Fall 2003

Sep 5, 2003 Prof. Jim Lattimer 30 Years of Neutron Star Mergers
Oct 3, 2003 Prof. Fred Walter 30 Years Since UHURU: X-Ray Astronomy Comes of Age
Oct 31, 2003 Prof. Aaron Evans The Evolution of Bright Infrared Galaxies
Dec 5, 2003 SNOW CANCELLATION: Lecture Postponed to Next Semester

Spring 2004

Feb 6, 2004 Dr. Sharada Iyer Dutta Since 1930 - Celebrating the Neutrino from Physics to Astrophysics
Mar 5, 2004 Prof. Michal Simon The Next Transit of Venus
Apr 2, 2004 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta The Ultra Deep Field: Hubble's Look at the Outer Fringes
May 7, 2004 Prof. Douglas Swesty Measuring the Universe With Thermonuclear Supernovae

Fall 2004

Sep 3, 2004 Prof James Lattimer What is a Neutron Star Made Of?
Oct 1, 2004 Dr Carolyn Porco SPECIAL LECTURE (5pm): In Orbit! The Voyage of Cassini to Saturn
Oct 1, 2004 Prof Frederick Walter SMARTS: Big Science with Small Telescopes
Oct 29, 2004 Prof Philip Solomon The Spitzer Telescope: A New Look at the Infrared Universe
Dec 4, 2004 Prof Aaron Evans A Near-Infrared View of Galaxies with the 2 Micron All Sky Survey

Spring 2005

Feb 4, 2005 Prof F. Douglas Swesty GRB 03039 and the Connection Between Gamma-Ray Bursts and Supernovae
Mar 4, 2005 Prof Michal Simon Exoplanets
Apr 8, 2005 Prof Deane Peterson Cassini at Saturn
May 6, 2005 Dr Eric Myra Numerical Telescopes: Exploring the Frontiers of Astrophysics and Advanced Computing

Fall 2005

Sep 2, 2005 Prof F. Douglas Swesty The Evolution of Elements in the Galaxy
Sep 30, 2005 Prof James Lattimer Supernova Memories
Oct 28, 2005 Prof Aaron Evans Deep Impact
Dec 2, 2005 Prof Frederick Walter A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Spring 2006

Feb 3, 2006 Prof Michal Simon Brown Dwarfs - Failed Stars or Overgrown Planets?
Mar 3, 2006 Dr. Kenneth DeNisco Cassini: Another Year at Saturn
Mar 31, 2006 Prof Kenneth Lanzetta Dark Energy, Dark Matter
May 5, 2006 Prof Michael Zingale Understanding Type Ia Supernovae

Fall 2006

Sep 1, 2006 Prof James Lattimer Asteroids Can Be Painful
Oct 6, 2006 Prof Kenneth Lanzetta The New Age of Precision Cosmology
Nov 3, 2006 Prof Anand Sivaramakrishnan Hunting for Planets Outside the Solar System
Dec 1, 2006 Prof Frederick Walter Thermonuclear Bombs in Space: The Novae

Spring 2007

Feb 2, 2007 Dr. Kathleen Flint Astronomy from the South Pole
Mar 2, 2007 Prof. Aaron Evans Transiting Planets
Mar 30, 2007 Dr. James Pizagno Dark Matter and Stellar Mass in the Universe
May 4, 2007 Prof. Michael Zingale Do You Really Know Your Own Sun?

Fall 2007

Sep 7, 2007 Prof. Jim Lattimer The Top of Astronomy: Pulsars
Oct 5, 2007 Prof. Michal Simon Is Pluto a Planet?
Nov 2, 2007 Prof. Fred Walter What Big Eyes You Have!
Dec 7, 2007 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty Merging White Dwarf Stars

Spring 2008

Feb 1, 2008 Prof. Anand Sivaramakrishnan A Clearer View of the Skies using Adaptive Optics
Mar 7, 2008 Prof. Alan Calder Twinkle, Twinkle, Exploding Star, How We Wonder What You Are!
Apr 4, 2008 Dr. Kathleen Flint Ehm Dwarf Satellites: The search for the Universe’s smallest galaxies
May 2, 2008 Prof. Michael Zingale Computing the Stars: How Computers Are Used in Astrophysics

Fall 2008

Sep 5, 2008 Prof. Jim Lattimer Now You See Them, Now You Don't: What Transits Can Tell Us About Extrasolar Planets
Oct 3, 2008 Prof. Anand Sivaramakrishnan The James Webb Space Telescope: A First Light Machine
Oct 31, 2008 Prof. Stanimir Metchev From Stars to Planets
Dec 5, 2008 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty The Violent Deaths of Massive Stars

Spring 2009

Feb 6, 2009 Prof. Alan Calder Are you there E.T.? It's us, Earth: An Update on the Search for Life in the Universe
Mar 6, 2009 Prof. Deane Peterson The Early Solar System: Not So Musical Chairs
Apr 3, 2009 Prof. Anand Sivaramakrishnan Finding Planets Around Bright Stars
May 1, 2009 Prof. Michael Zingale We Are All Made of Stars: A Survey of Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Fall 2009

Sep 4, 2009 Prof. James Lattimer When Neutron Stars Collide
Oct 2, 2009 Prof. Anand Sivaramakrishnan Planet-Hunting with Space Telescopes
Nov 6, 2009 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty Evidence for the Big Bang
Dec 4, 2009 Prof. Stanimir Metchev Astrometry: a Tool for the Impatient Astronomer

Spring & Summer 2010

Feb 5, 2010 Prof. Michal Simon Where Are We?
Mar 5, 2010 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty Standard supernovas and the future of the Universe
Apr 9, 2010 Prof. Alan Calder Mars: A Travelogue
May 7, 2010 Prof. Michael Zingale Measuring Distances in the Universe
June 4, 2010 Prof. F. Douglas Swesty Evidence for Dark Matter
July 2, 2010 Mr. Joshua Schlieder All the Neighbors are Moving! Astrometry in the Solar Neighborhood

Fall 2010

Sep 3, 2010 Prof. James Lattimer Measuring Neutron Stars: The Tale of the Tape
Oct 1, 2010 Dr. Jennifer Donovan Meyer Observing Galaxies Large and Small with the Hubble Space Telescope
Oct 29, 2010 Prof. Fred Walter Thermonuclear Bombs in Space: The Novae
Dec 3, 2010 Prof. Stanimir Metchev Extremely High-Contrast Astronomical Imaging—the Dawn of Comparative Exoplanetology

Spring 2011

Feb 4, 2011 Dr. Emily Rice, AMNH What is a Planet?
Mar 4, 2011 Prof. Alan Calder Fires and Floods on White Dwarfs: A Nova Model
Apr 1, 2011 Stony Brook Astronomy Club Observing at Mt. Stony Brook and Other Activities of The Astronomy Club
May 6, 2011 Prof. Mike Zingale Stellar Violence

Fall 2011

Sep 2, 2011 Prof. James Lattimer Black Holes Large and Small
Oct 14, 2011 Prof. Alan Calder Exploring Jupiter with Juno
Nov 11, 2011 Prof. Stanimir Metchev 2012 - Myth, Fiction, and Fact
Dec 16, 2011 Prof. Fred Walter Innumeracy

Spring 2012

Jan 20, 2012 Prof. Anand Sivaramakrishnan Unfolding the James Webb Space Telescope
Feb 17, 2012 Prof. Michal Simon The Exoplanetary Systems: Very, Very Unexpected New Worlds
Mar 16, 2012 Prof. Alan Calder Cosmic Candle Making with Type Ia Supernovae
April 20, 2012 Thomas Sebring (Xoptx) Special ASNY Talk: How to Build a Really Big Telescope
Apr 27, 2012 Prof. Michael Zingale Motions in the Skies

Special Summer 2012 Session

June 5, 2012 Transit of Venus

Fall 2012

Sept 7, 2012 Prof. Jin Koda Lights, Telescopes, and Interferometers
Oct 5, 2012 Prof. Michal Simon Tides in the Solar System
Nov 2, 2012 POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY
Dec 7, 2012 Prof. Stan Metchev Homing in on Another Earth

Spring 2013

Feb 1, 2013 Prof. James Lattimer The Discovery of Superfluidity in the Core of a Neutron Star
Mar 1, 2013 Prof. Fred Walter The Disappearing Sunspots and the Coming Maunder Minimum
Apr 5, 2013 Prof. Neelima Sehgal Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe
May 3, 2013 Prof. Michael Zingale When Asteroids Attack!

Fall 2013

Oct 4, 2013 Prof. James Lattimer New Discoveries About Neutron Stars
Nov 1, 2013 Prof. Alan Calder The Visit of Comet ISON
Dec 6, 2013 Prof. Rouven Essig The Hunt for Dark Matter

Spring 2014

Feb 7, 2014 Mr. Rahul Patel Looking For Solar System 2.0 By Studying Extra Solar Debris Disks
Mar 7, 2014 Prof. Michal Simon Time Domain Astronomy
Apr 4, 2014 Dr. Alexander Van Engelen The History and Evolution of the Universe
May 2, 2014 Prof. Michael Zingale Solar Storms and the Threat to Earth

Fall 2014

Sept 5, 2014 Prof. Tim Glotch Science and Exploration of the Moon enabled by Stony Brook's RIS4E Team
Celebrating International Observe the Moon Night
Oct 3, 2014 Prof. Fred Walter Habitable Planets: Hype or Hope?
Oct 31, 2014 Prof. Rosalba Perna Cosmic Explosions
Dec 5, 2014 Adam Jacobs(Super)computing the Stars

Spring 2015

Feb 6, 2015 Prof. Doug Swesty What we know (and don't know) about core collapse supernovae
Mar 6, 2015 Prof. Glenda Denicoló (SCCC) Women in Astronomy
(note: will take place in Simon's Center room 103)
Apr 3, 2015 Prof. Neelima Sehgal Illuminating Dark Matter, Neutrinos, and Inflation using the Oldest Light in the Universe
May 8, 2015 Prof. Michael Zingale Harnessing the Power of the Sun: The Challenges of Terrestrial Fusion

Fall 2015

Sept 4, 2015 Prof. James Lattimer Blowing in the Ether: Eintstein's Legacy
Oct 2, 2015 Prof. Alan Calder What did New Horizons teach us about the system formerly known as Planet Pluto?
Oct 30, 2015 Prof. Fred Walter The Past and Future Habitability of Mars
Dec 4, 2015 Dr. Takamitsu Tanaka Supermassive black holes: the most powerful and ancient objects in the Universe

Spring 2016

Feb 5, 2016 Max Katz (CANCELED DUE TO SNOW) Seasons in the Sun
Mar 4, 2016 Prof. Doug Swesty New Clues About the Origins of Core-Collapse Supernovae
Apr 8, 2016 Prof. Neelima Sehgal Detecting Gravitational Waves from the Infant Universe
May 6, 2016 Prof. Michael Zingale Why Do Stars Explode?

Fall 2016

Sept 2, 2016 Prof. James Lattimer Where Do Elements Heavier Than Iron Come From?
Sept 30, 2016 Prof. Doug Swesty Ripples in Space-time: Detecting Gravitational Waves
Oct 28, 2016 Prof. Alan Calder NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter
Dec 2, 2016 Dr. Simone Dall'Osso Black Holes from Early Speculations to Modern Astrophysics

Spring 2017

Jan 27, 2017 Prof. Marilena Loverde A History of Structure in the Universe
Mar 3, 2017 Prof. Fred Walter White Dwarfs: the most interesting boring stars in the universe
Apr 7, 2017 Prof. Neelima Sehgal Unveiling the First Moments of the Universe’s Creation with the Simons Observatory
May 5, 2017 Prof. Michael Zingale Computing the Stars

Fall 2017

Sept 1, 2017 Prof. Frederick Walter Solar Eclipses and Where to Find Them: America's Eclipse of August 21 2017
Oct 6, 2017 Prof. Doug Swesty Man-made Space Weather: a Catastrophe for Modern Civilization?
Nov 3, 2017 Mr. Donald Willcox Saturn in 13 Years: the Cassini-Huygens Mission
Dec 1, 2017 Prof. James Lattimer When Neutron Stars Collide: The Story of GW170817

Spring 2018

Feb 2, 2018 Prof. Alan Calder On Being (Un)Certain About Supernova Explosions
Mar 2, 2018 Prof. Jin Koda Discoveries
Apr 6, 2018 Prof. Neelima Sehgal The Cosmic Neutrino Background: Capturing the Universe’s Oldest Photograph
May 4, 2018 Prof. Michael Zingale Stellar Nucleosynthesis and the Origin of the Elements

Fall 2018

Sept 7, 2018 Prof. Frederick Walter The SMARTS way to observe: What recent observations tell us about galactic novae
Oct 5, 2018 Prof. Alan Calder Searching for Life in the Universe
Nov 2, 2018 Prof. James Lattimer More Results from the Neutron Star Merger GW170817
Dec 7, 2018 Prof. Anja von der Linden Gravitational Lensing

Spring 2019

Feb 1, 2019 Sydney Andrews The Life and Death of Massive Stars
Mar 1, 2019 Prof. Philip Armitage The Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua
Apr 5, 2019 Dr. Alice Harpole Fast Radio Bursts
SPECIAL EVENT Wednesday Apr 17, 2019 Dr. Jeffrey Bennett Global Warming Demystified
May 3, 2019 Prof. Michael Zingale Gamma-Ray Bursts

Fall 2019

Sept 6, 2019 Dr. Doug Swesty Our First Look at the Black Hole
Oct 4, 2019 Prof. Alan Calder An update on NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter
Nov 1, 2019 Lucie Baumont Unmasking the Dark Universe with Galaxy Clusters
Dec 6, 2019 Prof. Phil Armitage Is there anybody out there? Searching for another Earth

Spring 2020

Feb 7, 2020 Prof. Jim Lattimer Gravitational Waves Galore!
Mar 6, 2020 Dr. Ricardo Herbonnet Observational cosmology with galaxy clusters

Fall 2020

Sept 4, 2020 Prof. Doug Swesty Neutron Star or Black Hole?
Oct 2, 2020 Prof. Fred Walter The Sun in Time: Solar Irradiance and Climate Change
Slides
Nov 6, 2020 Dr. Richard Anantua The Relativity of Space and Time in Popular Science
Slides
Dec 4, 2020 Prof. Anja von der Linden The Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)

Spring 2021

Feb 5, 2021 Prof. Jim Lattimer The Youngest-Known Neutron Star
Mar 5, 2021 Prof. Alan Calder An Update on the Search for Life in the Universe
Apr 2, 2021 Prof. Kenneth Lanzetta The Condor Array Telescope
May 7, 2021 Prof. Michael Zingale When Asteroids Attack