‘The Last Stargazers’ Author Chats With Director of Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena – Pasadena Weekendr

Open Book, the Pasadena Literary Alliance’s year-round author series, will feature Emily Levesque, author of “The Last Stargazers,” in conversation with Dr. John Mulchaey, Director of Carnegie Observatories, Tuesday, June 14, at the Observatories Carnegie in Pasadena.

“The Last Stargazers” shares the stories of modern day astronomers, people willing to venture through high mountains and into some of the most remote corners of the planet – taking readers inside the world’s most powerful telescopes – and explores the future of astronomy as humans gain the ability to see further beyond Earth than ever before. It’s a witty, honest and engaging love letter to astronomy and the human role in scientific discovery.

“The Last Stargazers” is an Amazon Best Book of 2020, a PEN/EO Wilson Literary Science Writing Award finalist, an AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books finalist, and an official 2021 Alex Award nominee.

Levesque grew up in Taunton, Massachusetts. She received her undergraduate degree in physics from MIT in 2006, followed by a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Hawaii in 2010. She is renowned for her work on massive stars and the use of these stars to study the formation of galaxies.

In 2014, she received the Annie Jump Cannon Award for her innovative work on gamma-ray bursts and the Sloan Fellowship in 2017. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington.

During the Open Book Series, attendees can mingle with a pre-event happy hour at Carnegie Observatories, located at 813 Santa Barbara Street, and then enjoy a stellar chat between Dr. Levesque and Dr. Mulchaey. The event starts at 6:30 p.m.