MWO’s Talks & Telescopes presents “Towards a Functional Cosmology” with Lita Albuquerque
Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO), Southern California’s esteemed home to several of the most groundbreaking astronomical discoveries in history, welcomes the public to the fourth Saturday Evening Talks & Telescopes of the season on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
MWO is honored to present “Towards a Functional Cosmology,” a lecture by artist and writer Lita Albuquerque. The presentation explores how decades of work across painting, land art, performance, and large-scale installations have been shaped by Albuquerque’s engagement with astronomy, remote landscapes, and sites of scientific inquiry. She will reflect on projects created in deserts and observatories around the world, realized in remote environments connected to astronomical observation, and how these experiences have informed her exploration of time, space, and human perception. Through this work, Albuquerque proposes an expanded cosmology in which art becomes a way of sensing and mapping our place within the universe. Tickets are available here: www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture082226
During the six-month season, each Talks & Telescopes event runs from 5:30pm to 11:30pm with the “talk” portion of the evening beginning in the Observatory’s Auditorium. The 60+ minute presentation is followed by picnic dining—bring your own, or purchase from a food truck or caterer—and then, after the sun goes down, stargazing through Mount Wilson’s immense telescopes, the largest in the world made available to the public. Additional stargazing around the grounds will be available thanks to members of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society.
Both the 60-inch telescope and the 100-inch—the latter famously used by Edwin Hubble to discover the expanding universe—will be available for viewing the night sky. Priced at $50, this event series offers the most economical stargazing event option on the mountain. Tickets and more information are available on Mount Wilson Observatory’s website here: www.mtwilson.edu/lectures. Advance purchases are highly recommended.
About Lita Albuquerque
Lita Albuquerque is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist and writer whose work explores humanity’s relationship to time, space, and the cosmos. Associated with the California Light and Space movement, she is known for monumental land art and installations created in deserts and public landscapes around the world. Albuquerque represented the United States at the Sixth Cairo Biennale, where she received the Biennale’s top prize, and has received numerous honors including grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Trust, the Whitney Museum of American Art, LACMA, and MOCA, among others.
UPCOMING SATURDAY EVENING TALKS & TELESCOPES OF THE 2026 SEASON
September 19: “The Brightness of Stars: Henrietta Leavitt and the Transformative Nature of Attention in Art and Science” www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture091926
Visual artist and author Anna Von Mertens explores the life and legacy of Henrietta Leavitt, whose study of variable stars enabled the first reliable measurements of cosmic distances. Working among the Harvard Computers, Leavitt laid the foundation for breakthroughs at Mount Wilson, including Harlow Shapley’s mapping of the Milky Way and Edwin Hubble’s discovery of an expanding universe. Drawing from her book “Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt,” Von Mertens shares archival materials alongside her own artwork inspired by Leavitt’s life, to celebrate how careful attention leads to both scientific discovery and a meaningful life.
October 17: “The Duality of Genius and Struggle: G.E. Hale” www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture101726
This talk, presented by Sam Hale, explores the extraordinary life and legacy of his grandfather, George Ellery Hale—the visionary behind some of the world’s most important astronomical institutions. Drawing on both history and personal connection, Sam Hale offers insight into a legacy that continues to shape science and culture today.
VISITING MWO
The gate to Mount Wilson’s campus opens at 10:00am daily and closes at 5:00pm from early April through November. Entrance to the grounds is free. Visitors can hike, gaze at the telescope domes and towers that dot the landscape, and take a look at historic Mount Wilson photos and letters in the Museum.
PARKING
A U.S. Forest Service Adventure Pass is required to park at the Observatory. A $5 day pass or a $30 dollar annual pass may be purchased at the Cosmic Cafe on weekends between 10:00am and 5:00pm. During the week, passes are available at locations around Los Angeles. The most convenient location before heading up is at the Shell station in La Canada Flintridge at the bottom of the Angeles Crest Highway (https://find.shell.com/us/fuel/10007957-4530-angeles-crest-hwy/en_US). Visit the U.S. Forest Service website for m
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3768870-0
