Twilight Talks is an evening lecture series sponsored by the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory. Throughout the year we host expert guests on various Natural History or Astronomy topics. These lectures will be offered in a combination of an in-person and online format, with some guests only being available for online presentations. Look for news about our upcoming lectures in our e-blasts, which you can sign up for here.
These lectures are free, with a suggested donation of $5.00
Observatory lectures will include an optional add on viewing after the lecture for a discounted ticket price of $25.00 – options are available at registration
There are few phenomena in Nature as widely recognized or admired as the aurora borealis — the “Northern Lights.” Seen as scintillating curtains and swaths of light in the night sky, they are most readily visible in the far north and far southern regions of Earth (the “Southern Lights” are called the aurora australis). Occasionally, there is a “space weather event” and the aurora can be visible as far south as the continental United States. What causes these fantastic displays of light? What do the colors mean, and why do they constantly shift and change? These are questions that have been asked about the aurora for many generations of humans, but modern astronomy has revealed that they are a stunning result of Earth’s intimate connection to the Sun and the winds of particles that stream through the solar system.
In this talk we’ll chat about the nature of these fantastic displays of light, and find out where they are visible on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system. We’ll discuss what they tell us about Earth’s immersion in the maelstrom of cosmic weather, and what we can learn about the Sun and its influence on us and our small planet.