www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 25 ly. “As long as humans have existed, we have been able to look up at the night sky,” she says. “It’s one of the things that connects us to our early ancestors. When you take kids to see the Milky Way, it’s really awe-inspiring.” Star parties—which take place only in clear conditions—are scheduled roughly once a month. A few months ago, Perkins describes a young girl checking out the telescope at a star party at Laguna Seca Recreation Area, with the lens focused on Saturn or Jupiter. “She was almost crying, ‘Oh my god, oh my god, is this real?’ That’s what we do it for,” Perkins says. This is the scientific world that Cotton says is “unfashionable,” a world that focuses on igniting curiosity in regular people about stars, planets and other celestial objects. MIRA’s focus remains gathering data and answering questions about stars—the basics. As in, not seeking to answer questions about extraterrestrial life or other, perhaps more grandiose, matters of space. As Weaver wrote matter-of-factly in the spring 2025 edition of MIRA’s newsletter: “With over 5,000 extra-solar planets at the time of this writing, is it time to start thinking about aliens living on distant planets? Probably not.” Perkins explains that logic a little bit more, with her stock “nice, neutral answer”—it’s not that she is confident there are (or aren’t) aliens, it’s just that the time and effort to establish communication isn’t worth it, scientifically speaking. “I think we are not the only form of life out there, but it’s statistically unlikely we will ever talk to them,” she says. “It’s statistically likely it exists—and statistically unlikely we will find it, just based on the speed of light.” Maybe we send a signal out there, and it takes 50,000 light years to reach an entity capable of receiving and understanding and responding to it. Then they would send a signal back that would take another 50,000 light years to return to Earth. Will anyone be here to receive or comprehend it? Unlikely. “Perhaps there was an alien civilization when dinosaurs roamed, but there was no technology to detect it then,” Perkins offers by way of an example. “The universe is long lived, and very big.” Long lived in that the universe is 13-and-a-half billion years old. That duration gives astronomers like Perkins context, and also a sense of humor as they do their work, angling experimental instruments out toward the vastness of the night sky. “We are a tiny insignificant speck of dust on a tiny insignificant speck of dust in the universe,” she says. “Nothing we do really matters, but I am having fun doing it.” MIRA’s next community event is a star watching party from 8:30-10:30pm on Friday, Sept. 12 at Garland Ranch Park visitor center, 700 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free. 883-1000, mira.org. The Weaver Student Observatory in Marina houses a 14-inch telescope and a solar telescope that are used for education and outreach activities, such as an upcoming Halloween haunted observatory experience. DANIEL DREIFUSS International Day of Peace Potluck Celebration Sunday, September 21 3 - 5:30 pm Monterey Peace & Justice Center 1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside Honoring Monterey County Mayors For Peace Free event. All are welcome. Monterey Peace and Justice Center 1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside, CA 93955 Contact: Catherine Crockett (831) 915-7257 cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net 1/12 Page Ad, 2.24 “ x 5.57 $171.00 (per paid contact for 12 monthly ads) Thursday, September 11, 2025 edition Guest Speaker: Jackie Cabasso, peace activist and North American Coordinator of Mayors for Peace SEASIDE’S FINEST THIN CRUST PIZZA SOURDOUGH PIZZA SALADS &CALZONES • • DRAFT BEER • • DINE-IN, TAKE-OUT 720 BROADWAY AVE. SEASIDE 831-899-1762 DELIVERY AVAILABLE One voice can be the di erence for a child or youth in foster care. Be that voice. Over 50 local children are waiting. Become a CASA volunteer. casaofmo 831.222.3965 nterey.org
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