August 2016: Programs and Events at the California Academy of Sciences

New Exhibit!
BigPicture Nature Photography Exhibit
Opens July 29
Piazza
Art and nature merge together at the Academy’s third annual natural world photography exhibit, featuring the stunning work of award-winning nature, wildlife, and conservation photographers from around the world. The exhibit is comprised of 48 inspiring images taken by photographers from 27 countries, all carefully selected by an esteemed judging panel for the Academy’s BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition. The exhibit runs through October 30, 2016.
Photo Credit (above) for “The Courageous Crossing": Photographer—Manoj Shah (Nariobi, Kenya), Location—Masai Mara National Reserve, Great Rift Valley, Kenya

Teen Science Night
Friday, August 12 | 6:30 – 9 pm
Ages 13-18 | FREE admission
Finish off the summer with #TeenScienceNight at the Academy! For the fourth year in a row, Bay Area youth (13-18) are invited to the world’s largest teen-only museum event. Come enjoy music, food, and dancing while exploring science with over 1,700 other teens! Watch science come to life at #TeenScienceNight—a free event planned for youth, by youth.

Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed
Steinhart Aquarium
Scientists know more about the surface of the moon than they do about the mysterious realm of the ocean known as the “twilight zone”—situated 200 to 500 feet beneath the surface. Advanced technology (including rebreathers) have enabled Academy scientists to explore this undiscovered subsection. Their findings are presented in the Academy’s newest exhibit, Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed.

Benjamin Dean Astronomy Lecture
Unveiling the Dark Universe: A Tale of Fish Tanks, Wine Glasses and the Smallest Dark Matter Clumps
Monday, August 1 | 7:30 pm
Morrison Planetarium
Dr. Yahsar Hezaveh of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University
The question of “what is dark matter” has perplexed astrophysicists for decades. However, 80% of the matter in our universe exists in the mysterious, invisible form known as “dark matter.” Dr. Hezaweh will explain how the world’s most sophisticated radio telescope is being used to observe distant galaxies and discover new things about dark matter.
Reservations required. $8 members, $10-12 non-members.

Citizen Science Bioblitz
Saturday, August 6 | 9 am
Carrington Coast Ranch
Join Sonoma County Parks and the California Academy of Sciences in one of a series of Sonoma County grassroots bioblitzes! Carrington Coast Ranch offers 335 acres of sweeping views of Bodega Head, Salmon Creek, and the Sonoma Coast from meadows, grasslands, historic springs, ancient Cypress trees, unique canyons, and rolling hills on both sides Coleman Valley Road. Discover the wildlife around photogenic historic buildings (homesteads and barns) awaiting restoration on this former dairy ranch.

Ongoing Events at the California Academy of Sciences

Ssssnake Encounter!
Daily | 1:30 pm
Piazza
Meet some of the Academy’s most fascinating (and harmless) animals up close, and learn about the individual physical and behavioral adaptations that enable them to both survive and thrive.

Coral Reef Dive
Daily | 11:30 am and 2:30 pm
Philippine Coral Reef
Watch as a diver suits up in scuba gear and plunges into one of the world’s deepest living coral reef exhibits. Outfitted with an underwater microphone, the diver will answer all of your reef-related questions, including ones about the Academy’s exploration of the twilight zone.