Join Cool Science for Science on Tap every 2nd Monday of the month upstairs* at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm and typically speak for 60-90 minutes including Q&A, with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm. A wide variety of fascinating topics are presented by local scientists for informal discussion, and the relaxed atmosphere encourages anyone and everyone to come explore the latest ideas in science and technology. From practical to theoretical, the presentations and group interactions provide a fun and interesting way to gain an understanding of the world around us.
* unfortunately there is no elevator
Join Cool Science for Science on Tap every 2nd Monday of the month upstairs* at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm and typically speak for 60-90 minutes including Q&A, with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm. A wide variety of fascinating topics are presented by local scientists for informal discussion, and the relaxed atmosphere encourages anyone and everyone to come explore the latest ideas in science and technology. From practical to theoretical, the presentations and group interactions provide a fun and interesting way to gain an understanding of the world around us.
* unfortunately there is no elevator
Next up: Monday, June 8, 2026 at 6:30 pm.
Mystery and Majesty in the Northern Skies
Dr. Mark Miesch, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, CU Boulder
Summary: As the dramatic embodiment of Earth's connection to the cosmos, the aurora is among the most stunning and profound of all natural wonders. Viewing the aurora also builds a connection across time, stretching back to our distant ancestors who first ventured into frozen, dark, northern lands hundreds of millennia ago and gazed with wonder at the shimmering apparitions they saw in the sky. In this presentation, we will trace humanity’s journey to grasp the nature of the aurora, from myths and legends to scientific investigation. We will survey our modern understanding of what causes the aurora and how it manifests in our night sky. We will also dig deeper into what lies behind the aurora, exploring other types of space weather that pose hazards to our modern, technological civilization. Along the way, we will encounter some of the most powerful and notable storms on the Sun that humanity has ever witnessed.
Dr. Mark Miesch is a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado and NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SPWC). As a member of SWPC's solar and solar wind team, he uses the latest research advances to improve forecasting of hazardous space weather events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Miesch's interests and expertise range widely, from the dynamic origins of stellar magnetism to the northern lights to weather and space weather forecasting. After receiving his PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado, he worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Cambridge (UK), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) before coming to CIRES/SWPC in 2021. Current projects include improving supercomputer models of CMEs, developing new tools to leverage a new generation of satellite missions, and forecasting the progression of the 11-year solar activity cycle. Miesch is also a passionate science communicator, with multiple awards in education and outreach.
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