(Cosmologist apologizes for failing to pay utility bill.
“I thought the astrophysicists had it this month.”)

Professor Patricia Burchat, Chair of the Department of Physics at Stanford University, will present A 21st Century View of the Universe: Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Or as another physicist put it, “Just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it can’t influence everything from the shape of the universe to the choice of programming on our local cable network.” In fact, as one widely held theory has it, it was Dark Matter that drew Aniken Skywalker to the dark side and transformed him into Darth Vader. Unfortunately, Professor Burchat will not be getting into any of this. She’ll be concentrating her discussion on more scientific matters--and antimatters--another of her specialties. She does much of her work on SLAC, which is not considered likely to create an Earth-swallowing black hole, unlike the LHC in Europe, which might.

To learn more about the current theories on the nature of the universe,
Come to the ISC on Friday, March 6, at 7:30.

Founded in 1960, the San Mateo County Astronomical Society (SMCAS) offers you the opportunity to explore the mind blowing world of astronomy at your pace and based on your level of interest. Whether you have a passing interest in astronomy, if you are a couch astronomer riveted to your TV screen, an observing enthusiast or interested in taking a deep dive into astrophotography - SMCAS offers the perfect blend of people, activities and resources to accommodate your interests.

We welcome children at all of our events. They have a natural curiosity and few topics ignite the imagination or fires the enthusiasm of girls and boys the way space and astronomy can. Involving children in these activities often increases their interests in scientific topics, science lessons in school and illustrates that science can be “cool”.

You are invited to attend our meetings which are on the first Friday of the month, except July and August. We get together at 7:30 p.m. in the Integrated Science Center (ISC) at the College of San Mateo for refreshments and informal discussions. This is followed by a guest speaker at 8:00pm in the Planetarium. For more information about our meetings, click HERE.

SMCAS also holds Star Parties twice a month at Crestview Park in San Carlos. These are events where the entire family can look through telescopes, learn about the night sky and learn how to use astronomical equipment. More information can be found HERE.

There are monthly astronomical events held by The College of San Mateo (CSM) which are supported by SMCAS. These include free PLANETARIUM SHOWS and JAZZ UNDER THE STARS. Information can be found by clicking on the highlighted links above.

Finally, there are special events held by SMCAS and CSM several times a year. Information can be found by clicking HERE.

Please explore our site by clicking on the tabs above and feel free to direct any questions to SMCAS@live.com or (650)862-9602.