Dark Energy and the Runaway Univers May 22, 2010

Observations of very distant exploding stars (supernovae) show that the expansion of the Universe is now speeding up, rather than slowing down due to gravity as expected. The evenings are held each Saturday nearest the first quarter moon from May through October. A talk by a professional astronomer, physicist or space scientist begins in the Mt Theatre near the end of twilight and lasts about 45 minutes. These presentations are typically enhanced by beautiful images projected on a large screen. The audience is invited to ask questions at the end. Following the lecture, audience members are invited to the Rock Spring Parking Area to view through telescopes provided by members of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers. The observing session (or "starparty") lasts from one to one and a half hours, depending on the seeing conditions and the size of the crowd.