Caltech Events

Last month, the Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory concluded its second annual Science Tuesdays summer series, a free public program featuring tours, activities, and talks from local speakers.

Pictured above are highlights from Caltech professor Victoria Orphan’s August 4th talk, Undersea Gardens and the Invisible World Beneath, where she discussed her research into the microbial communities living in seagrass roots. In addition to her role at Caltech, Orphan serves as the director of the Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory.

Beginning November 2026, experience the wonder of Caltech discovery at the 104th season of the Watson Lectures.

This season: Celebrate the ingenuity of the Voyager and Cassini missions and how they’ve expanded our knowledge of the outer solar system. Discover how scientists are equipping molecular machines with rudimentary forms of intelligence. Explore how life learned to acquire carbon. Only at Caltech.

Joni a community of curiosity: https://caltech.short.gy/watson-104-season-FB

The Watson Lectures return November 2026!

Tomorrow through September 18, we’ll reveal each speaker and their topic daily on our stories and online. Visit the Watson Lectures website at caltech.edu/watson for the latest information about each talk, important registration dates, and additional opportunities to feed your curiosity.

New this season: Registration will open six weeks before each talk. We invite you to join our email list to be the first to hear about the Watson Lectures.

⏰ Ticket drop for Explore JPL begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. PT!

During this two-day event in October, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s most iconic facilities. This event also celebrates 90 years of discovery and innovation at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which Caltech manages for NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Tickets historically have sold out quick, so mark your calendars to grab tickets when registration opens tomorrow here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explore-jpl/

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

As the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech for NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, approaches 90 years of discovery and innovation, experience the curiosity and daring questions that continue to define the future of space.

See music and space exploration come together in a multimedia concert featuring imagery from JPL missions.

Join Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Caltech professor and JPL Chief Scientist Jonathan Lunine (MS ’83, PhD ’85) for an online fireside chat about the search for life beyond Earth.

And get ready for Explore JPL, returning in October. Free ticket registration opens August 29.

Explore the full events calendar and discover where scientists and engineers on the Caltech campus and at JPL are taking curiosity next: https://caltech.short.gy/August-2026-FB

A groundbreaking figure in Los Angeles art comes to Caltech on August 27.

East L.A.-raised visual and performance artist Gronk joins curator and writer Paul Holdengräber at Beckman Auditorium for a wide-ranging conversation about his younger years and artistic evolution.

A founding member of ASCO—the influential 1970s and ’80s avant-garde collective known for confronting the systems set against Eastside Angelenos and Chicanos—Gronk has helped reshape the landscape of Los Angeles art and culture.
The event continues USC Museums’ Moveable Feast series and is presented in partnership with USC Museums and Caltech, with support from Mei-Lee New and Selma Holo.

Tickets are $10. Buy tickets here: https://caltech.short.gy/gronk-FB-2026

The formula for a perfect summer day? Math, games, and more than 1,000 curious minds!

Earlier this summer, families and community members celebrated the birthday of the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) at its annual Summer Math Fair. AIM, housed in Caltech’s Richard N. Merkin Center for Pure and Applied Mathematics, invited guests of all ages to explore mathematics through games, puzzles, and hands-on activities.

U.S. Representative Judy Chu joined the celebration and presented AIM with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition honoring its work to empower and support young people pursuing careers in STEM.

Photo credit: Bob Paz and Kozue Gukov

Whether you’re on campus for the Caltech Library’s Outdoor Movie Nights or in Corona del Mar for Science Tuesdays or Science and Sunsets with the Kerckhoff Marine Lab, spend a summer evening with Caltech Public Events!

Learn More: https://caltech.short.gy/FB-July-2026

Join us to celebrate the 32nd birthday of AIM (American
Institute of Mathematics, housed on Caltech’s campus) this Saturday, June 27, from 10am to 1pm on the Caltech Hall Lawn. Enjoy games, puzzles, and other math fun! This is a family-friendly public event. Learn more: https://caltech.short.gy/FB-AIM-2026

Summer is here in Pasadena!

With the summer solstice behind us, the Northern Hemisphere has just passed its longest day of the year. Around this time of year, sunny Pasadena enjoys some of its longest days, with daylight stretching close to 14 and a half hours near the solstice. From here, the days will slowly get shorter until the December solstice.

How are you spending these long, sunny days?