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Malibu Library Speaker Series: Derrick Pitts

In-Person Program

The Malibu Library Speaker Series presents Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute.

The Malibu Library Speaker Series presents Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 7 pm at Malibu City Hall. Since 1978, Derrick has been teaching us to look up—and to wonder about what we see up there.

Derrick is currently the Chief Astronomer and Director of the Fels Planetarium at The Franklin Institute. He’s also been a NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2009 and serves as the “Astrobiology Ambassador” for the NASA/MIRS/UNCF Special Program Corporation’s Astrobiology Partnership Program. One of his newest honors is an appointment to the outreach advisory board for the world’s largest telescope, the new Thirty-Meter-Telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

Derrick appears regularly in the media as a science content expert including appearances on the Colbert Report and The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. For more than two decades, Derrick has hosted award-winning astronomy radio programs for Philadelphia’s two public radio stations and created signature astronomy television programming for PBS. One of the highlights of Derrick’s career was meeting President Obama and his family when he was invited to participate in the first-ever White House Star Party.

Derrick's motto is “Eat, breathe, do science. Sleep later.” In this talk, he'll discuss the search for earth-like planets elsewhere in the galaxy. What are we really looking for? A new place to live or the answer to one of our most basic needs?

This event takes place at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu. RSVP is required.