
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures
Listen to exciting, non-technical talks on some of the most interesting developments in astronomy and space science. Founded in 1999, the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are presented on six Wednesday evenings during each school year at Foothill College, in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Speakers include a wide range of noted scientists, explaining astronomical developments in everyday language. The series is organized and moderated by Foothill's astronomy instructor emeritus Andrew Fraknoi and jointly sponsored by the Foothill College Physical Science, Math, and Engineering Division, the SETI Institute, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the University of California Observatories (including the Lick Observatory.)
Podcasting since 2021 • 53 episodes
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures
Latest Episodes
New Worlds: Analyzing the Atmospheres of Exoplanets with the James Webb Space Telescope
Non-technical Talk by Prof. Jonathan Fortney (U. of California, Santa Cruz) Apr. 9, 2025Over 6000 planets have now been found around other stars, but we only have information about what their atmospheres are like for a few d...
•
Season 25
•
Episode 5
•
1:22:52

Copernicus 4.0: How the Views of Earth's Importance and the Search for Life are Changing
Mar. 5, 2025 Dr. Simon Steel (SETI Institute)Dr. Steel discusses the Copernican revolution and how it changed humanity's view of its place in the universe. He then talked about other "Copernican" discoveries that displa...
•
Season 25
•
Episode 4
•
1:13:05

Human-Robotic Exploration from the Moon to Mars
Jan. 29, 2025Dr. Darlene Lim (NASA Ames Research Center)NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is a planned mission to go to the South Pole of the Moon and get a close-up view of the locations that can sustai...
•
Season 25
•
Episode 3
•
1:12:39

Observing with the James Webb Space Telescope: Glimpsing the First Stars
Nov. 13, 2024Dr. Dan Coe (Space Telescope Science Institute)The Webb Telescope was designed to look back in time, to study the first generation of stars, and reveal our cosmic origins. Now in its second year of operation, JWST has a...
•
Season 25
•
Episode 2
•
1:04:26

Profound and Staggering: The Impact on Religion of the Discovery of Life around Other Stars
Recorded Oct. 9, 2024Astronomers have now discovered thousands of planets in orbit around other stars. Dr. Weintraub discusses those discoveries, and predicts the progress astronomers are likely to make in their more detailed studies of the...
•
Season 25
•
Episode 1
•
1:20:58
