Astronomy on Tap – Lansing – September 2026

Come join us as we welcome fall on the patio at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy! We’ll be hanging out for another great night of science, drinks, and good times. We’ll have two astronomy-related talks from local MSU scientists, trivia questions to test your newfound knowledge, and raffle prizes. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Get there early to grab a good seat and get your order in to beat the rush! Come with a curious mind and, better yet, bring a friend! Remember, science is even better with beer! Here’s a sneak peek of this month’s talks! “Astrophysics in the laboratory” with Dr. Brian O’Shea: While it would be very dangerous to build a black hole in a laboratory, we can build experiments that allow us to study some astrophysical phenomena such as the shocks from supernova remnants and the jets from protostars. In this talk, Brian will explain how “laboratory astrophysics” is done, focusing on how we can create plasma jets in experiments that are surprisingly similar to those created by newly-formed stars. “The Northern Lights… on Jupiter” with Cassidy Walker: We are all familiar with the Aurora Borealis (aka the ‘Northern Lights’) here on Earth, but did you know this phenomenon also occurs on other planets?! In this talk, Cassidy will explain the process which results in the Aurora on the largest planet in our Solar System, Jupiter, and dive into the similarities and differences between Aurorae on Earth vs. on Jupiter.