During the March 2024 event held at Death Valley National Park, experts from Caltech shared insights into planets, planetary systems, black holes, galaxies, and the universe with thousands of park visitors. Caltech actively participates in astronomy events across national parks and other destinations, aiming to educate and inspire travelers from all corners of America and beyond about the mysteries of the cosmos.
At the 2024 Dark Sky Festival in Death Valley, a team of 15 experts from Caltech and seven from JPL delivered talks and led interactive demonstrations. Despite challenging weather conditions such as gales, clouds, and dust that led to the cancellation of stargazing and most outdoor events, over 3,500 visitors engaged in in-depth public programs, while 3,678 explored the exploration fair.
Throughout the weekend, visitors had the opportunity to attend various free events, including pub talks, trivia, auditorium presentations, astrophotography classes, and an exploration fair. After the weather calmed down, sky viewing and guided outdoor programs were also available.
This annual event is organized by the national park, the Death Valley Natural History Association, and astronomers and planetary scientists from Caltech, the SETI Institute, and three NASA centers: Goddard Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Caltech’s Astro outreach group, led by research scientist Cameron Hummels, coordinates the participation of campus scientists in the event.
Hummels highlighted the significance of Death Valley as a venue for a public science festival focused on space, citing its exceptionally dark skies for stargazing and its landscape resembling planetary surfaces like Mars, Titan, and Tatooine.
During the festival, visitors were treated to Astronomy on Tap, Death Valley Edition, where astronomers delivered talks at Badwater Saloon and Wildrose Tavern, offering insights into topics such as supermassive black holes and the latest discoveries in space science.
The event also featured eleven in-depth auditorium presentations, including keynote talks by Planetary Science Professor Bethany Ehlmann and JPL’s Varoujan Gorjian. These presentations connected visitors to the forefront of space science, covering topics ranging from lunar water detection to black holes and Mars rover operations.
Additionally, an astrophysicist Q&A panel, featuring Caltech researchers and alumni, provided an opportunity for visitors to engage with experts and explore various aspects of astronomy and space exploration.
