Name: Science Utah: Hidden in the Heavens
Start: 2026-08-13T19:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-08-13T20:00:00-06:00
Location: Clark Planetarium

How the Kepler Mission's quest for new planets changed how we view our own.
About this Event

Science Utah Lecture Series
Hidden in the Heavens: How the Kepler Mission’s Quest for New Planets Changed How We View Our Own

NASA's Kepler mission was designed to measure the number of Earth-like planets with Earth-like orbits in the galaxy. In four short years it found thousands of planets, most of which are unlike anything in the solar system. These systems challenge our understanding of the formation and dynamical evolution of planetary systems, as well as our understanding of the origins of the solar system. We will see the history of this mission, get an insiders account of the experiences of the science team, and explore the many scientific breakthroughs that the mission enabled.

JASON STEFFEN -- is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His work is primarily on the properties, formation, and dynamical evolution of planets and planetary systems. He was a long-time member of the science team for NASA’s Kepler mission where he contributed to the discovery and characterization of thousands of planets and planetary systems. Dr. Steffen is the author of the book “Hidden in the Heavens”, available from Princeton University Press. Prior to joining UNLV, he was research faculty at Northwestern University and the Brinson Postdoctoral Fellow at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago Illinois.

Dr. Steffen received his PhD and MS in Physics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and his Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Physics from Weber State University, in Utah.

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Please reserve only the number of tickets you will use.

About Science Utah:

The Science Utah Lecture Series is dedicated to bringing the latest scientific discoveries and discussions to the public, for free, by offering engaging lectures led by Utah-based scientists and researchers working in various fields.

To help support Clark Planetarium's efforts, please consider making a small donation at https://givebutter.com/ScienceUT. All donations aid Clark Planetarium and the free community events we offer year-round. Your contribution is invaluable in helping us inspire and educate people of all ages about the wonder of the universe.