Close Modal Beyond the Telescope: Space Travel in the Milky Way Join Alyssa Goodman, PhD, professor of applied astronomy at Harvard University and research associate at the Smithsonian Institution, as she takes us on a tour of a Milky Way that she never thought she would see. Until recently, astronomers could only speculate about the three-dimensional structure of the star-forming regions in our Milky Way galaxy. Today, advances in data and data science tools allow us to explore a 3-D Milky Way — and better understand how, where, why, and when stars form.Investigate these questions and more as we expand our knowledge of our place in space — through cutting-edge technology and immersive data visualization in the Charles Hayden Planetarium. Register for the Event Date and Time Wednesday, May 21 | 7:00 p.m. Audience 9-12th grades (High school), Adults 18+ Location Charles Hayden Planetarium View Map Price Free with Pre-Registration Language English Register for the Event Date and Time Wednesday, May 21 | 7:00 p.m. Audience 9-12th grades (High school), Adults 18+ Location Charles Hayden Planetarium View Map Price Free with Pre-Registration Language English Until recently, astronomers could only speculate about the three-dimensional structure of the star-forming regions in our Milky Way galaxy. Today, advances in data and data science tools allow us to explore a 3-D Milky Way — and better understand how, where, why, and when stars form.Investigate these questions and more as we expand our knowledge of our place in space — through cutting-edge technology and immersive data visualization in the Charles Hayden Planetarium. Featuring Image Alyssa Goodman, PhD Harvard University, Department of Astronomy Dr. Alyssa Goodman is the Robert Wheeler Willson Professor of Applied Astronomy at Harvard University and a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution. The scope of her work spans astronomy, data visualization, prediction, and digital tools for research and education.She earned a physics degree from MIT in 1984, a PhD from Harvard University in 1989, and became a full professor at Harvard in 1999. Over the course of her career, Dr. Goodman has received numerous accolades, including the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize (1997), election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009), the Scientist of the Year award by the Harvard Foundation (2015), and the Patrusky Lecture award (2022) for excellence in science communication.Her leadership roles at Harvard include being the founding director of the Initiative in Innovative Computing and co-director for science at the Radcliffe Institute. She currently serves on the steering committee of Harvard’s Data Science Initiative and contributes to its Data+Climate efforts.Beyond the Harvard campus, Professor Goodman has served as chair of the Astronomy Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has played an active role in shaping data science practices through her work with the National Academy’s Board on Research Data and Information. She also contributes to national and global thought leadership as part of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and American Astronomical Society (AAS) Working Groups on Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics.Today, her research focuses on visualizing and analyzing large-scale astronomical data, particularly the structure of the Milky Way. She leads the glue software project for multidimensional data visualization and serves as president of Inc., which extends the software’s application into fields like bioinformatics. She also champions the educational use of the WorldWide Telescope and leads Harvard’s Prediction Project, which explores the history of forecasting — from ancient augury to modern simulation technologies. Developed in Partnership with Image OpenSpace is funded in part by NASA under award No NNX16AB93A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Museum Connections This series is part of the Museum’s 2025 Being Human spotlight, where we are getting to the bottom of everything that connects us. Throughout the year, the themes and topics explored through Beyond the Telescope will examine the origins of our planet and, more broadly, reflect on our understanding of our place in the cosmos. Learn About Being Human Explore Beyond the Telescope
