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Universe Update

News from Morrison Planetarium and beyond

Latest News

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Gemini South and GMT
Observations: New Telescopes in Chile
The next generation of telescopes in Chile will vastly increase our understanding of the cosmos.
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Priya Natarajan on Mapping the Unseen
Dr. Priya Natarajan shares how she maps the things we cannot see: dark matter, black holes, and more.
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NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and S. Wiessinger.

An artist’s rendering of a rupture in the crust of a highly magnetized neutron star known as a magnetar. (Courtesy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and S. Wiessinger.)

Magnetars and Pulsars and Neutron Stars, Oh My!
How did a temperamental neutron star punch above its weight class and surprise astronomers?

Latest News

Lisa Kaltenegger on Looking for Signs of Life

Should we be afraid of contact from extraterrestrials?

A Stellar Smash Up Makes Waves—and What Else?

News Headline, Gravitational waves, gamma ray bursts, and reading between the lines.

The Life of Water on an Ultrahot Jupiter

Even water needs sunscreen when the stars are this close.

Radiation: An Obstacle for Life

We're well-protected from solar radiation. But what about life on other planets and moons? Could it survive?

Your Space Trash—My Space Treasure?

Could we use space debris to find technologically advanced life on other planets?

Can't Miss

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Asteroid Moons

What can moons orbiting asteroids tell us about the formation of our solar system?

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NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
Looking for a Habitable Exoplanet

A San Francisco researcher is looking for life not so far away.

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ESA/Hubble & NASA Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt (geckzilla)
Two Comets, a Megamaser, and Goodbye to Vera Rubin

Ring in the New Year with a couple of comets and a megamaser. Plus, we remember astrophysicist Vera Rubin.

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V838 by the Hubble Space Telescope
A “New Star” Coming to a Sky Near You (Maybe)

Two distant stars may soon merge, creating a luminous red nova and possibly quite a show!

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Illustration Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF; Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA
Clues to the Latest Cosmic Mystery

Astronomers are getting closer to solving the origins of Fast Radio Bursts, or FRBs.

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NASA/JPL-Caltech/Vivien Parmentier/Aix-Marseille University (AMU)
The Life of Water on an Ultrahot Jupiter

Even water needs sunscreen when the stars are this close.

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Still from Incoming
Astro-Viz
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team
Astronomy News
NPS photo by Brad Sutton
Looking Up

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California Academy of Sciences

Year-End Resilience Drive

All Gifts Matched 5x!

This year’s closures are having a devastating effect on the Academy. But until Dec. 31, all gifts will be matched 5x, up to $200,000, to support our scientific research, education programs, and care and conservation of our animals.

Please help the Academy with a tax-deductible gift today.

Match my gift

California Academy of Sciences

Year-End Resilience Drive

All Gifts Matched!

This year’s closures are having a devastating effect on the Academy. But until Dec. 31, all gifts will be matched, up to $100,000, to support our scientific research, education programs, and care and conservation of our animals.

Please help the Academy with a tax-deductible gift today.

Match my gift

California Academy of Sciences
Giving Tuesday

Our doors are closed...

...but our penguins are still counting on you. Make a matched Giving Tuesday gift to support the care and conservation of the Academy’s animal residents.

All gifts up to $50,000 will be doubled to make twice the impact for our penguin colony — but only until midnight on December 1.

Match My Gift

Learn more about our closure.

Welcome back!

The Academy is open to the public. All guests must reserve tickets in advance.

Please do your part to keep our community safe. Failure to follow any health and safety rules, posted signage, or staff instructions may result in your removal from the museum:

  • Masks must be worn properly by all guests ages 3+ at all times.
  • 6' of physical distancing is required.
  • Some exhibits, including the planetarium, remain temporarily closed.
  • Reservations are required for the rainforest and Shake House.

Click the link below to view complete safety information and reserve timed-entry tickets. We hope to see you soon!

Ready, Set, Science!

The Academy is temporarily closed.

The health and safety of our guests and staff is our top priority. As of November 29, the Academy is closed to the public until further notice in accordance with local and state public health guidelines. We hope to welcome you back soon.

Learn more