Space Science

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend. Telescopes will be provided by the Smithsonian and pre-approved members of the NOVAC. No other personal telescopes are permitted at the event. The event will take place on the bus parking lot of the museum. **Please park your vehicle at the south end of the main visitors lot and follow signs and red lights to the observing site. As a reminder, parking during the event is free.** Have a cosmic question? One of NOVAC's astronomers or museum staff will be happy to help you. As the sky gets dark, be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky! Don't forget to dress warmly. Please check the weather forecast. For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated. Note: This outdoor event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

Earth and Sky Adventures at Sweet Run State Park generally begins with a short evening hike along with family friendly activities in the Education Building (Red barn). This is followed by astronomical viewing led by members of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club. See link below for scheduled times, and contact Jim Crowley at [uuplink@aol.com](mailto:uuplink@aol.com) for any questions. [Sweet Run State Park](https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/sweet-run)

…Elizabeth Johnson, 496 pages [Environmentalism] • Hardcover • Kindle • Audiobook • Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=617949 Check the How To Find Us section for Zoom Link **(Remember, the Zoom Link is different each month, do not bookmark)** ### Review “With a thoughtfully curated series of essays, poetry, and conversations, Johnson has assembled a group of dynamic people who are willing to imagine what seems impossible, and articulate those visions with enthusiastic clarity. The problem of climate change is a significant one, but What If We Get It Right? reminds us that with passion and ingenuity, there is so much we can accomplish.”—Roxane Gay “This book had me at its title. Through a collection of thoughtful essays and interviews, Johnson explores the possibility of getting it right with a visionary group of environmental leaders, activists and other big thinkers working on the front lines. Johnson, who has become a prominent voice on climate solutions, reminds us that there is also joy in working toward a future where we can all thrive.”—Los Angeles Times “This is the book we’ve been waiting for—a brilliant mix of creativity and wisdom that feels like we’re eavesdropping on intimate conversations with the world’s most brilliant change-makers. In What If We Get It Right?, Johnson weaves together art, poetry, and expert interviews into a deeply human exploration of the interconnected challenges we face. The result is a vision of a future filled with joy and possibility, where fixing one problem helps us solve many more.”—Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist, author, and UN Champion of the Earth “An optimistic bent and eager embrace of solutions… these conversations are as much about ‘getting it right’ as they are about what we are currently getting wrong. Johnson is a top-notch interviewer, and her guests are insightful and candid.”—Scientific American “An entirely credible (and entirely enchanting) voice… Ayana Johnson is no Pollyanna. She’s a hard-nosed and extremely competent scientist who has not shied for a minute from facing the hard truths.”—Bill McKibben “Rigorous, elucidating, and hopeful in the most catalytic sense, this volume will stiffen your political will and open your mind and heart. It could arrive at no better moment.”—Rebecca Traister, bestselling author and writer for New York magazine “I believe that this is a book that the young among us have been waiting for. It is certainly the reset that we as societies and as elders owe to coming generations of humanity—and to our magnificent natural world.”—Krista Tippett, Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, a National Humanities Medalist, and a New York Times bestselling author “The climate crisis is terrifying, but also exhilarating—exhilarating because spectacular new ideas, approaches, and values are arising to address the terrifying stuff… Ayana Elizabeth Johnson's fantastic new anthology lets you listen to dozens of them.”—Rebecca Solnit, author, feminist, environmentalist “Critically, What If We Get It Right? reminds us of the most important solution of all: protecting and restoring nature, the magic of photosynthesis and water cycle. If you need a kick in the pants to roll up your sleeves on climate solutions, this book is for you.”—Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia “If you are enamored with possibility, as I am, let the perspectives gathered in these pages fill you up and propel you on. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has prepared a genuine feast for us. Savor every ‘what if’ for our shared future.”—Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson, co-editor of All We Can Save and lead writer of Drawdown ### About the Author Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and Brooklyn native. She co-­founded and leads Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. Dr. Johnson co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save, co-created and co-hosted the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, and co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave, and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project. Above all: She is in love with climate solutions.

Do you know how to protect what feeds us? What about that protection to begin with - ever thought about it? Lucky us, the April CyberTech event is here! Join us on **Tuesday, April 14, 2026,** at **Honor Brewing Company** at **42604 Trade West Dr, Sterling, VA 20166**! Want a custom name tag to enhance your networking opportunities? Register here and yours will be ready at the door: https://share.hsforms.com/12XOIQJUmSUeWF_8p8xm13Qdwxz1 Join us for an eye-opening evening with our spotlight speaker, **Kristin King, CEO of AnzenOT & AnzenSage!** In this session, **Kristin King** pulls back the curtain on the invisible systems powering our food supply and what's at risk when they're disrupted. From farm to distribution to global supply chains, she explores ***how cyber threats can ripple far beyond the field***, impacting economies, security, and daily life. Kristin is a cyber and OT risk expert focused on proptecting critical food and agriculture systems. As **CEO of AnzenOT** and **AnzenSage,** and **VP of Food Cybersecurity at CSAFI**, she brings a rare, systems - level perspective shaped by more than 25 years in technolog and environmental work. Join us on April 14 to meet **Kristin King** and dive into the effects of cyber on food and agriculture! **Agenda** 5:30 Social hour and networking begins 6:10 Welcome & RSA Recap 6:20 Spotlight Speaker - **Kristin King** 6:50 Q&A 7:00 Open Mic & Networking Continues 7:30 Adjourn

Join us at **Hashtag** in Herndon on Thursday, **April 16th** at **6pm**. Adventure and roll dice with this week's **Starfinder** **GM: Maria**. **The story:** Every year, the Starfinder Society learns of thousands of newly discovered planets, moons, and other stellar bodies, many of which sustain life. Each location is closely catalogued, with the most promising marked for future study. The frigid moon of Luvoth is one such location. Known only as Vast-723-Arctic-Moon, or VAM-723 for short, Luvoth is one of four small moons in orbit around an unexplored gas giant in the Vast. Initial scans of the moon indicate there’s no sapient inhabitants, but there are some artificial structures—an intriguing mystery! Believing VAM-723 could be the perfect jumping off point to explore the local system, the Starfinder Society dispatches a team of agents to investigate. **Notes**: Replayable (with a different character) \*\*\*\* **The Characters:** You can use an [level 1 pregenerated character](https://paizo.com/starfinder) *or* bring your own if you have a society character in the 1-2 range. We'll bring paper copies of the pregens if anyone needs one. -Some options for character building are [Starbuilder 2e](https://pathbuilder2e.com/app.html?v=102b) (made by the maker of Pathbuilder!), [Hephaistos](https://sf2e.hephaistos.online/), [Demiplane](https://app.demiplane.com/characters), using the new Starfinder Player Core and pen/[paper](https://downloads.paizo.com/RemasterPlayerCoreCharacterSheet.pdf#), etc. You can use character options from the [Invasion's Edge Player's Guide](https://downloads.paizo.com/OP-Files/SFS+Invasions+Edge+Players+Guide.pdf) as well. \*\*\* **THE GAME:** [Starfinder](https://paizo.com/starfindersociety) 2e is a role-playing game similar to Pathfinder 2e (or Dungeons & Dragons) but in space with magic *and* technology. In this one-shot, you can jump in as a new player or join if you're more experienced. \*\*\* If you have any questions, feel free to comment or send a message.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Doom and Dinosaurs,”** a look at how mass extinctions shaped the dinosaurs and what research on these events tells us about Earth life’s long-term prospects, with Ian Wilenzik, paleontologist and visiting assistant professor of biology at George Washington University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-dino-doom](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-dino-doom) .] Pity the poor dinosaurs. They lacked both scientific research to help deal with potential environmental catastrophes and places where they could have a beer and discuss it. You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to come to Profs and Pints to hear a fascinating talk on the impact of mass extinctions on dinosaur evolution and what research on dinosaurs tells us about biodiversity and Earth’s current biodiversity crisis. Dr. Ian Wilenzik, who has studied and taught courses on dinosaur evolution, population spread, and extinction, will leave you with a greater appreciation of the resilience of life on earth and how we’re both the product and source of biologically catastrophic events. Many of us are familiar with how a big meteor impact about 66 million years ago wiped out the Earth’s dinosaur population, leaving us only with their feathered descendants, birds. Less well known is how the Earth actually has undergone five periods of mass extinction that wiped out nearly all life, and how dinosaurs arose from one and endured another—both caused by volcanic activity—before meeting their match in the third. To ground his discussion, Dr. Wilenzik will talk about how we study mass extinctions by looking for geologic evidence of volcanic activity, meteoric blasts, and other catastrophic activity and of gaps in the fossil record after them. He’ll also discuss what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur, describing their distinct anatomical features. He’ll talk about how they and other forms of life evolved over long periods of time and were affected by extinction events. We’ll look at how the meteor-caused mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous paved the way for the rise of mammals and the emergence of primates, and, eventually, us. Looking ahead to future mass extinctions and what might survive them, we’ll talk about how that plant you forget to water might have the last laugh, as well as why crocodiles might be around a while. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A *Triceratops* mounted skeleton at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History (Photo by Allie Caulfield / Wikimedia Commons).