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A Grand Tour of the Solar System

Presented in partnership with George Mason University Observatory

This series treks to the sun and the four inner terrestial planets before traveling outward to the asteroid belt, four Jovian planets, and beyond. At each session a professional astronomer presents the latest research on a solar system body.

Following the talk and a question-and-answer period, Peter Plavchan, a professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University, brings that night's sky right into participants' living rooms via remote control of the university observatory, weather permitting.

Upcoming Programs:


Lecture/Seminar

Saturn: Many-Ringed Splendor
A Grand Tour of the Solar System

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. ET

Adorned with thousands of beautiful rings, Saturn is unique: Other planets also have rings made of chunks of ice and rock, but none are as spectacular or as complicated as Saturn's. Jonathan Fortney, director of the Other Worlds Laboratory, explores what is known about Saturn and what scientists are hoping to discover.


Lecture/Seminar

Titan: A Moon With Atmosphere
A Grand Tour of the Solar System

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. ET

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is the only one in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere, and it is made mostly of nitrogen, like Earth’s. And Titan has water. Sarah Horst, associate professor in the earth and planetary sciences department at Johns Hopkins University, delves into the complex chemistry of this moon’s atmosphere and what it means for potential habitability.