Santa Barbara’s astronomy club—the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU)—is treating astronomy lovers to an evening that ranges across the sights and sounds of space. In a slight departure from the usual program of professors, graduate students, and NASA/JPL scientists typically featured in their monthly series of free astronomy talks, December’s presentation features two talks by SBAU’s own experts.
Building an Astro Camera
Past SBAU president Matthew Hall will give a brief overview of the early SBAU years and his experience with astrophotography, culminating with the construction of a large-format film camera using a Korean-War-era spy lens. Hall graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography with a degree in industrial/scientific photography in 1986. Since then, he has photographed the night sky using film, sold his images online, and authored the monthly newsletter "Astro Visions" with a worldwide subscriber base. He has never made the transition to digital and is still imaging the night sky using only film.
What Does Space Sound Like?
Through his work with the music of Star Trek and his contributions to Astronomy Magazine, amateur astronomer and professional musician David Grossman has explored how sound and music help us process the emotions we feel when engaging with the universe. Grossman will introduce the emerging scientific discipline of sonification—the process of translating data into sound. It's gaining momentum among scientists, educators, and researchers who are discovering that patterns and relationships in complex data sets can often be more easily detected by ear than by eye. He'll discuss how sonification works, its practical applications, and the growing role that AI is playing in advancing this fascinating field.
No tickets or reservations required. Some club business (yearly elections) will be briefly covered at the beginning of the meeting, but all are welcome to attend. Look for more talks and free Star Parties with the SBAU on the Museum’s astronomy calendar.
Questions? Contact Astronomy Programs Manager Ila Jade Komasa at
aWphZGVrb21hc2EgfCBzYm5hdHVyZTIgISBvcmc= or 805-682-4711 ext. 164.
Photo of Comet Hyakutake ©1996 Matthew Hall, frame from RXC J0142.9+4438 galaxy cluster sonification by NASA/Hubble/SYSTEM Sounds (Matt Russo/Andrew Santaguida)
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