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The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and partners are celebrating astronomy with space-themed fun for all ages. Astro Fest—the Museum’s annual event dedicated to the cosmos—returns to Santa Barbara with activities from 10:00 AM to noon on Saturday, September 26.
Partners from around the Central Coast will help the Museum’s Astronomy Programs staff and volunteers fill Fleischmann Auditorium with interactive opportunities to learn about astrophysics, the solar system, and worlds beyond. UCSB Physics Circus will offer science demonstrations, and guests can talk with experts and enthusiasts of all ages. From the ambitious junior scientists of the Central Coast’s Girl Scout Astronomy Club to the leaders of cutting-edge astronomy at Las Cumbres Observatory, there will be something for all ages and levels of expertise. Members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit will be on hand to answer questions about space and the astronomy club’s many activities in the community (including the monthly Star Parties hosted by the Museum).
“I think astronomy and physics can sometimes feel intimidating,” says the Museum’s Astronomy Programs Manager Ila Jade Komasa. “Astro Fest is designed to be the exact opposite. It is a chance to show that exploring the universe is for everyone, and curiosity about space has no age limit.” Komasa supervises astronomy activities for guests and students at the Museum, conducting independent astrophysics research in her spare time.
Weather permitting, attendees can safely observe the Sun through solar telescopes at Palmer Observatory. The observatory’s instruments present views of the Sun through different telescopes, plus a screen showing a live view revealing solar activity like sunspots and solar prominences.
Although the timing has sometimes varied, the Museum has hosted an astronomy festival for many years. This is the first festival since the Space Sciences exhibit reopened in July 2025 with a totally new exhibition: Our Cosmic Coast. The exhibition focuses on the solar system and the basics of the Earth-Moon-Sun relationships, including the tides, the seasons, and the phases of the Moon.
Astronomy Programs staff are putting on extra shows in Gladwin Planetarium for Astro Fest, with showtimes at 10:30, 11:00, and 11:30 AM; and noon. Tickets are available at the planetarium 20 minutes before each showtime. Seats are first-come, first-served, with no late entry.
Astro Fest and planetarium tickets are included with Museum admission, and Museum Members are always free. Reservations are recommended.
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