For millennia, people have tried to understand what they observed in the night sky–planets, passing comets, stars and the pale glow of the Milky Way. Our understanding has changed remarkably over the centuries thanks to progress in astronomy, astrophysics and observing technology.

This visually enhanced presentation will focus on key moments in those centuries of progress, which include the Earth-centered universe of the ancient world; Copernicus’s Sun-centered revolution; the revelations of Galileo’s wonderful telescope; physical laws revealed by Newton and Kepler; how we’ve learned to measure the vast distances of space; and Edwin Hubble’s breakthrough discoveries, which have greatly expanded our measure of the universe.

We will meet in Moore Auditorium on Schoodic Institute’s campus. Weather permitting, attendees will then be invited outdoors for a laser-guided tour of Maine’s stunning night sky, followed by a viewing of star clusters, nebulae and distant galaxies through a large telescope.

Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary.

$15 admission. Please register online at https://schoodicinstitute.org/event/our-understanding-of-the-cosmos/

Visit schoodicinstitute.org/events for additional Downeast Night Sky Festival events at Schoodic Institute, offered between September 3rd-10th.