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

New Exhibit Opening June 10, 2016!
Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed
Based on years of research conducted by Academy biologists, Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed is a look inside a mysterious ocean zone that lies 200 to 500 feet below the surface. In this groundbreaking new aquarium exhibit, located within the museum’s newly updated Coral Reefs of the World gallery, discover the beauty and importance of the little-known reefs that exist beyond the range of traditional SCUBA gear but above the depths typically explored by submersibles.

Marvel at spectacularly colorful fish and rarely seen invertebrates and learn how flashy hues help these technicolor creatures camouflage in depths where light is scarce and mysterious biodiversity thrives. Among the exhibit’s many new jewel tanks will be a special display for new discoveries, where new and undescribed species will be featured, many for the first time in a public aquarium. Editor’s Note: There will be a special press-only preview of this exhibit on June 7, 2016. If you would like admission to the preview, contact Haley Bowling at hbowling@calacademy.org.

Second Annual Asteroid Day
Thursday, June 30 | 10 am – 4 pm
Piazza
Celebrate the second-annual Asteroid Day! Featuring a full day of demonstrations, crafts, and talks exploring what asteroids are, why we study them and how we protect ourselves from future impacts. Plus catch a showing of Incoming!—the Academy’s planetarium show that explores how asteroids and comets have collided with our planet throughout history, changing the course of life on Earth and shaping the world we know today.

Penguins + Pajamas Sleepover
Saturday, June 18 | 6 pm until 8 am the following day
Why camp out with Dad in the backyard when you can sleep next to him along with penguins, alligators and fish at the Academy’s Penguins + Pajamas Sleepover? For kids 5 to 17 (accompanied by an adult), this event includes Academy admission both the evening of plus next-day admission (on Father’s Day), snacks, bedtime stories and breakfast the next morning.

Benjamin Dean Astronomy Lecture
New Horizons, NASA’s Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission
Monday, June 13 | 7:30 pm
Morrison Planetarium
Dr. Jeffrey Moore, NASA Ames Research Center
In 2006, NASA dispatched an ambassador to the planetary frontier, The New Horizons spacecraft. After 10 years and more than 3 billion miles, on a historic voyage that has already taken it over the storms and around the moons of Jupiter, New Horizons has shed light on new kinds of worlds on the outskirts of the solar system. On July 14, 2015, New Horizons flew 12,500 km (7,800 mi) above the surface of Pluto and continues into rare territory, as just the fifth probe to traverse interplanetary space so far from the sun and the first ever to travel to Pluto.

Riverfront Regional Park Bioblitz
Saturday, June 4 | 9 am – 2 pm
Put on your citizen science hat and join Sonoma County Parks and the California Academy of Sciences for a Sonoma County grassroots bioblitz! A bioblitz is a fun, one-day study of biodiversity in a specific location. The objective is to look for birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, butterflies, insects, spiders, trees, flowers, mushrooms—any wildlife you encounter! Our bioblitzes are open to anyone and are family-friendly. Bring your smartphone with the iNaturalist app, your curiosity, and your powers of observation to help record the natural wonders of our parks and open spaces.

Located along the Russian River, Riverfront Regional Park is just minutes west of downtown Windsor and surrounded by classic Wine Country scenery. This event is free and open to the public. Please register in advance at https://www.calacademy.org/citizen-science/bioblitzes.