Astronomy

About the Astronomy Program

 

Comet 2023/A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, October 19

On October 19, from 7:30 to 9:00 PM, the Foothill College Astronomy Department and the Peninsula Astronomical Society will hold a special event to view newly discovered comet 2023/A3.  It has just survived it's close pass by the sun, and is now moving past the Earth on it's many thousands of years orbit... so come enjoy it for the first - and last! - time.  

Free and open to the public at the Foothill College Observatory, next to the KCI and parking lot 4.  

Discover the Universe at Foothill College

 

The Astronomy Department at Foothill College offers lecture and laboratory classes with astronomy professor Dr. Geoff Mathews.  Courses in solar system and stellar astronomy provide you with a non-technical introduction to the worlds with which we share our solar system, the life and death of stars, the formation of galaxies, and the evolution of the universe.

Dr. Mathews leads the Foothill AstroSims project, which aims to sustain the existing pool of astro-education simulations as well as developing new simulations covering previously unaddressed topics. Our long-time faculty member Andrew Fraknoi retired in June 2017.

Degree & Program Types

We do not offer a degree or certificate program in Astronomy. However, the astronomy courses meet general education requirements for other degrees offered.

The Foothill College Observatory

Located on the main campus near the Krause Center for Innovation, the observatory provides students and community members with the opportunity for first-hand exploration of the wonders of the universe. 

Repairs are completed!  The Observatory is back online, as of September 14, 2024. 

Free public viewings Fridays 9 to 11 pm, Saturdays 10 am to noon. 

Foothill College, Parking lot 4

 

The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series

Founded in 1999, the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series lectures are presented on six Wednesday evenings during each school year at Foothill College.  Speakers over the years have included Nobel-prize winners, members of the National Academy of Sciences and many other well-known scientists explaining astronomical developments in everyday language.

The series, moderated by Foothill College Astronomy instructor emeritus Andrew Fraknoi, is sponsored by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the SETI Institute, the University of California Observatories, and Foothill College. Topics range from the exploration of the planets to the speeding up of the expanding universe; from planets around other stars to black holes at the centers of distant galaxies.

Lectures are free to the general public, and video versions of the lectures (starting February 2013) are available on the lecture series YouTube Channel.  Free audio files (podcasts) of the lectures are available as well through Buzzsprout.

The Peninsula Astronomical Society

The Peninsula Astronomical Society operates the Foothill College Observatory, and conducts other events throughout the south Bay Area.

Astronomy on the Web

For further explorations of the universe, check out these selected astronomy sites on the Web.