Free Astronomy Talk: Many Moons

Ride along on a whirlwind tour of some of the solar system’s most interesting residents: moons! NASA has counted 760 moons in our solar system to date, all telling a tale of cosmic origins. Each one of these natural satellites is as unique as a fingerprint. They can be seen all over: from orbiting Earth, in the heart of the asteroid belt, to the very edges of our solar system. Astronomy Programs Manager John Winckowski will unveil and dive into mysterious moons with fascinating stories and facts during a free in-person talk presented by the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. This talk reprises Wincowski’s popular Science Pub presentation on the same subject.

Isolated on a small patch of land between the inhospitable mountains and the unfathomable depths of the ocean, and never satisfied with just one planet to live on, Winckowski is the Museum’s resident astronomer and moon enthusiast. He has always wanted to travel to the stars and explore alien worlds. Until that’s feasible, he’ll do the next best thing: study neighboring worlds and their many moons. His passion for astronomy goes back to his youth, but his professional career started when he earned his bachelor’s in physics with a concentration in astrophysics from the University of Toledo. In 2018, he began working as a planetarium coordinator in Northern Michigan, and then moved to Santa Barbara in 2023 to begin his job here.

No tickets or reservations required. Questions? Contact Astronomy Programs Manager John Winckowski at jwinckowski@sbnature2.org or 805-682-4711 ext. 164.

Image by NASA, The Galilean Satellites