First Look from Rubin Telescope Beams into Santa Barbara

The glow of the Milky Way reflects off of Rubin Observatory's silver dome in this photo from May 2025. Credit: Quint 

On Wednesday, June 25, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History hosted a special “First Look” event in partnership with Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), debuting the first images from the groundbreaking Vera C. Rubin Observatory. As the Museum prepares to launch its Space Sciences exhibit on July 12, this event offers an early glimpse into the global discoveries and local science shaping our understanding of the universe. 

Located in Chile, the Rubin Observatory is the most powerful survey telescope ever built. Over the next decade, it will scan the southern sky every few nights as part of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)—capturing dynamic events like supernovae, near-Earth asteroids, and black hole mergers, and helping to unravel mysteries like dark matter.  
 
“The Rubin Observatory will observe countless objects in our local universe that have never been seen before. LCO scientists have been preparing for this for over a decade and we can’t wait to see what exciting things Rubin reveals,” says LCO Observatory Director Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, Ph.D. 

Santa Barbara-based Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) plays a vital role in the Rubin Observatory’s mission. With the only global network of robotic telescopes, LCO is uniquely positioned to track and study new cosmic events discovered by Rubin in real time. LCO scientists have been instrumental in shaping the project through their leadership in the LSST Discovery Alliance, a collaborative network supporting the Rubin survey’s scientific goals. 

The Museum’s “First Look” event featured a live broadcast of Rubin’s debut images, interactive displays, and a preview of themes that will be explored in its upcoming Space Sciences exhibit. Opening July 12, the exhibit will build public familiarity with the dynamics of the solar system and an appreciation for how astronomers constantly build on past discoveries to refine our understanding of the cosmos. 

Rubin During First Look Observing Campaign. Credit: Matsopoulos 

The Museum’s Astronomy Programs Manager, Ila Jad Komasa said. "Our Gladwin Planetarium allows us to make space more accessible and bring it a little closer to home. We have an amazing opportunity to take these remarkable images from Rubin Observatory and explore them in our planetarium. I am thrilled to collaborate with LCO to celebrate this milestone of astronomy." 

About the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 

Powered by Science. Inspired by Nature. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History connects people to nature for the betterment of both, drawing on collections that preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Central Coast and beyond. Founded in 1916, the Museum is a private nonprofit supported in part by philanthropy, membership, and visitors. Members visit free. For more information, visit sbnature.org. 

This image combines 678 separate images taken by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours of observing time. Combining many images in this way clearly reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust that comprise the Trifid nebula (top) and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth. More information about this image is available on RubinObservatory.org. Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory 

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Excavates Fossil Whale Found by Local man

A team of professional paleontologists and eager volunteers from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH) and Sea Center recently excavated the skull and numerous other fossilized bones of a small baleen whale from the Miocene Epoch (16.5-13.5 million years ago). Fossil enthusiast and geologist Chris Driesbach discovered the unusually complete specimen on the Gaviota Coast and alerted the Museum to its presence.

With permission from the Coastal Commission, the California State Lands Commission, and Santa Barbara County agencies, SBMNH Dibblee Curator of Earth Science Jonathan Hoffman, Ph.D., led the crew in studying the site and excavating the fossil. The specimen was freed from the surrounding shale of the Monterey Formation in blocks totaling over half a ton in weight, which were transported to the Museum to be prepared for further study. The largest blocks were transported by Aspen Helicopters of Oxnard, which has experience partnering with the Museum to airlift fossils from difficult terrain on public lands.

The excavation crew’s work was strenuous. In addition to chiseling away hard rock, each day they shoveled away over 60 cubic feet of wet sand to expose the specimen, which lay in the tidal zone. “Every single morning, we had to locate the specimen and dig it out, before we could start the actual excavation work,” reported SBMNH Curatorial Assistant Liz Flint.

Driesbach—who also participated in the excavation—vividly recalled the seasonal difference at the time of his discovery: “In the winter, the beach was completely cleaned of sand . . . I was going along the beach, sat down to take a rest, looked over and there’s an entire whale just exposed in the shale.” He instantly knew the completeness of this specimen made it potentially significant to science. “Mid-Miocene whales are pretty common,” but it’s rare for many bones to be preserved together. “You find a vertebra here, a chunk of a skull there. To see it all lined out like that is absolutely nuts.”

Moving the specimen to the Museum sets the stage for further study, reported Dr. Hoffman: “This really is the beginning of a long journey to learn more about the fossils and what the fossils can tell us about the environment at the time that the animal was alive.” Hoffman’s 2018 excavation of the first fossil sea cow from the Channel Islands is now bearing fruit in the form of peer-reviewed publications narrowing down the age and identity of that ancient marine mammal.

In the Museum’s fossil prep lab, Hoffman’s trained volunteers will soon begin to painstakingly chip away more of the stone surrounding the fossil. “It’ll be spectacular for volunteers to prep a specimen they personally excavated,” said Flint.

“None of this would have been possible without the cooperation of the State Lands Commission Office, California Coastal Commission, and County of Santa Barbara. Refugio State Beach graciously gave us room to land this flying whale. Colleagues from Channel Islands National Park even assisted with the airlift logistics,” said Hoffman.

"It was a collaborative effort, with 35 staff from both the Mission Creek and Sea Center campuses helping with various phases of the project,” Hoffman reported. “Add 30+ volunteers from the community—including students from UCSB and SBCC—and colleagues from the Alf Museum of Paleontology, and we have a lot of people interested in seeing this specimen recovered."

Since Dr. Hoffman’s arrival in 2017, the Museum’s Dibblee Geology Center has flourished. In addition to rebooting the tradition of fieldwork and organizing the extensive collection of fossils, rocks, and minerals, Hoffman has supported the Museum with the expertise to present a variety of popular exhibits related to geology and paleontology. It is hoped that in the years to come, the Museum’s core Earth Science exhibits will eventually include discoveries and ongoing work from the current era of productivity.

“We love working with the public to ensure that significant local finds are collected legally and made available for research and education,” says Hoffman. “Please contact us if you find a vertebrate fossil.” Vertebrate fossils are rarer and collecting them is tightly restricted. “Just don’t expect to find a dinosaur, since our region was underwater during the Age of Reptiles.”

Visit the Museum’s exhibits and sbnature.org/EarthScience for more information on the geology and paleontology of the Central Coast and the Dibblee Geology Center.

About the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Powered by Science. Inspired by Nature. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History connects people to nature for the betterment of both, drawing on collections that preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Central Coast and beyond. Founded in 1916, the Museum is a private nonprofit supported in part by philanthropy, membership, and visitors. Members visit free. For more information, visit sbnature.org. 

California Assembly Bill 413 "Daylighting Law" Became Effective January 1, 2024

Effective January 1, 2025, California Assembly Bill 413 allows for violators of the Daylighting Law to be cited.

The Moorpark Police Department would like to inform residents of California’s new law, Assembly Bill 413, known as the “California Daylighting Law.” This bill amends Section 22500 of the California Vehicle Code by adding a new section to the law which prohibits stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or within 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension.

The law took effect on January 1, 2024, allowing authorities to issue warnings if the law is violated, unless the curb has already been painted red or a sign erected that prohibits parking. Effective January 1, 2025, the law allows for violators to be issued a citation for violating the Daylighting Law.

This law was written to address incidents where pedestrians were struck and seriously injured or killed while crossing the street. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, California’s pedestrian fatality rate was 25% higher than the national average. Pedestrian fatalities increased from 1,013 in 2020 to 1,108 in 2021. There are 43 other states that have implemented similar laws that have resulted in successfully reducing traffic collisions involving pedestrians. The city of Hoboken, New Jersey has a similar law and has reported zero traffic fatalities involving pedestrians over the last seven years.

The Moorpark Police Department is aware that street parking in local neighborhoods can be difficult, and parking is limited. In an effort to increase compliance and awareness, the Moorpark Police Department will be conducting public outreach to inform residents of the new law.

Living in such a beautiful county affords us the opportunity to go for walks, hikes, and bike rides. The Moorpark Police Department wants to make sure everyone is safe while enjoying the outdoors. This law is one component of many that can help reduce pedestrian related traffic collisions. Here are some additional safety tips for pedestrians:

•     Cross streets only at crosswalks, where drivers expect pedestrians to cross.

•     Walk on sidewalks whenever possible, avoid walking in the street or bike lane.

•     Always look both ways before crossing a street.

•     Carry a flashlight when walking at night.

•     Wear bright reflective clothing when walking at night or in low light conditions.

•     When attempting to cross the street, make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you.

Statement from National Park Service in Remembrance of Mountain Lion P-22

The National Park Service joins its partners, friends, and community members here in Los Angeles, and around the world, in remembering mountain lion P-22. 

(Note: Today, Saturday, December 17, 2022, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that P-22 was compassionately euthanized today following complete health evaluation tests. After these tests, CDFW obtained a clear picture of the mountain lion’s medical condition and overall health. He had several severe injuries and chronic health problems. Based on these factors, compassionate euthanasia under general anesthesia was unanimously recommended by the medical team at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and CDFW officials made the decision to do so today. See complete press release at https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/mountain-lion-p-22-compassionately-euthanized-following-complete-health-evaluation-results.)

Mountain lion P-22 was more than just a celebrity cat. He was also a critical part of a long-term research study and a valuable ambassador for the cause of connectivity and for wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains and beyond. 

He was one of the oldest mountain lions in a study that the National Park Service has been conducting since 2002 and one of its most interesting. When he was captured and collared in March 2012 by National Park Service biologists, he was estimated to be about two years old. 

Likely born in the Santa Monica Mountains as the son of adult male P-1, he somehow found his way to his tiny, nine-square-mile home in Griffith Park, separated from the Santa Monicas by the 101 and 405, two of the busiest freeways in the world. Defying expectations, he persisted for more than 10 years in the smallest home range that has ever been recorded for an adult male mountain lion. 

Although he made frequent appearances on the streets of the Hollywood Hills and even, more recently, of the Silver Lake neighborhood, he was also clearly a wild cat, doing so mostly late at night, and subsisting largely on natural prey such as deer and coyotes. 

In the end, he found his way into many Angelenos' hearts and home surveillance camera footage. 

Park biologists aim to understand and conserve the species that live in and around the park for generations to come. Although P-22 is now physically gone, scientists will be analyzing his data for years to come. 

This animal's life and safe passage to Griffith Park are a testament to both the challenges and the possibilities for wildlife in Los Angeles. He showed us what mountain lions must do to survive in our urban landscape, as he dispersed through it to find a remaining island of habitat. 

He also showed us what they are capable of: surviving and co-existing with millions of people in a city as dense and sprawling as Los Angeles. 

Goodbye, P-22. Your scientific legacy will live on. 

Filming for New Movie at Newbury Park High School Leads to a Double Take

Newbury Park High School has been replaced....temporarily, that is, with Waymont High School, Home of the Warriors (wait a second...isn't that the Westlake High School mascot!?). Filming is going on at the school for a high school comedy movie called "Incoming."

From Variety: “Incoming” follows four incoming freshmen as they navigate the terrors of adolescence at their first-ever high school party. The cast also includes “The Black Phone” actor Mason Thames, Bobby Cannavale and fellow “Mick” alum Kaitlin Olson. Directors are Dave and John Chernin, known for the show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," in their feature filmmaking debut.

variety.com/2022/film/news/chernin-brothers-incoming-thomas-barbusca-1235318924/

Don’t worry, Newbury Park residents! This sign will never be replaced!

Angel City Football Club to Train at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks

Cal Lutheran alumna and ACFC’s Director of Corporate Partnerships Alex Mallen, second from the left, played a key role in bringing the university and the club together. With her on North Field are Cal Lutheran Director of Athletics Holly Roepke, ACFC Supporter Relations Manager Austin Hilpert, ACFC Director of Soccer Operations Marisa Leconte, ACFC Vice President of Player Development and Operations Angela Hucles Mangano and Cal Lutheran Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success Matthew Ward. (Photo credit: Tracie Karasik)

Today, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) announced that California Lutheran University will serve as the inaugural training site for the National Women’s Soccer League team.

Angel City, which is bringing women’s professional soccer back to Southern California, will begin practicing today at Cal Lutheran’s Thousand Oaks campus as it prepares for the 2022 season kicking off this spring.

"It’s wonderful to have a new home in Cal Lutheran, which provides the elements of a practice facility that an elite team needs to train at peak form,” said ACFC Vice President of Player Development and Operations Angela Hucles Mangano. “Finding so many high-quality features in one location in the greater Los Angeles area is rare, and Cal Lutheran has those elements.”

ACFC will provide internships to undergraduate and graduate students at Cal Lutheran, which began offering a bachelor’s degree in sports management in 2020. The organization’s staff members will guest lecture in a variety of Cal Lutheran classes, and club members will participate in chalk talks with student-athletes. The club’s leadership also will host students and staff at Angel City’s Los Angeles headquarters for an entrepreneurial workshop.

ACFC is one of the first majority female-founded, female-owned and female-run professional soccer teams. The team’s founders are Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman; technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman; media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman; and venture capitalist, Seven Seven Six founder and former Executive Chair of Reddit Alexis Ohanian.

ACFC’s Director of Corporate Partnerships Alex Mallen, a Cal Lutheran alumna, played a key role in bringing the university and the club together.

As a component of the partnership, Angel City will support efforts to renovate the university's North Field, where it will practice, laying the foundation for the site of a future track after the club departs. The university has not had an on-campus track for its track-and-field teams since 2004.

The agreement allows the team to base its training operations at Cal Lutheran for at least two years with the possibility of an extension to a third year. In addition to North Field, Angel City will use facilities within William Rolland Stadium and Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center.

The university has a long history of partnerships with high-level athletic teams. Cal Lutheran has been home to the Los Angeles Rams training facility since 2016, and it hosted the Dallas Cowboys training camp from 1963 to 1989. The 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic men’s water polo teams trained in Samuelson Aquatics Center.

“Cal Lutheran is thrilled to develop this win-win partnership with Angel City. We take great pride in being a regional asset and having two professional teams currently using our beautiful campus as their professional training sites,” said Cal Lutheran President Lori E. Varlotta. “At the same time, we are pleased that this burgeoning relationship will provide our students with internships, access to stimulating guest lectures and a glimpse into what successful entrepreneurship looks like.”

ABOUT ANGEL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Angel City Football Club (ACFC), the 11th member of the National Women's Soccer League, will take the pitch in Spring 2022 and call Banc of California Stadium in downtown Los Angeles their home. Former England Women’s National Team forward Eniola Aluko leads the team as sporting director, and Freya Coombe is the team’s head coach. Learn more about ACFC at www.angelcity.com, and follow the team on social media @weareangelcity. Season tickets start at $180 for 12 home games, and group deposits are now on sale at https://angelcity.com/tickets.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY

Cal Lutheran is based in Thousand Oaks, California, with additional locations in Woodland Hills, Westlake Village, Oxnard, Santa Maria and Berkeley. With an enrollment of about 3,800 students, Cal Lutheran offers programs through its College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education, Graduate School of Psychology, School of Management, School of Professional and Continuing Studies and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, Cal Lutheran attracts students from across the nation and around the world from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and faiths. For more information, visit CalLutheran.edu.

Farmers' Market at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard to Open Every Saturday Starting June 19th

Beginning on June 19th, The Collection at RiverPark will be hosting a farmers’ market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in partnership with California Certified Farmers Market and Raw Inspiration. Presented by Community Memorial Health System, the farmer’s market will be located on Collection Boulevard across from The Annex Food Hall.

On opening day, June 19, The Collection will kick off the farmers market with fun festivities for all ages, including live music, arts and crafts, photo opportunities and more.

The farmers market will be open weekly, rain or shine.

thecollectionrp.com/connect/events/detail/325/farmers-market

Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library Launches Online Bookshop, Good Friends, Good Books

Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library (FTOL) has launched an online bookshop, Good Friends, Good Books.

The Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library Good Friends, Good Books online bookshop currently offers over 4,000 titles, including children’s books, adult fiction and nonfiction as well as CDs, DVDs and gift books.

The shop includes books and other items that have been donated by the community and range in quality from like new to gently used. All proceeds support the Thousand Oaks Library; all sales are final.

Items ordered before Friday evening will be ready for COVID-safe pickup the following Sunday morning at the main entrance of the Library between 9:30 am and 11:00 am.

If you miss visiting the FTOL bookshop inside the Grant R. Brimhall Library, this is the next best thing! The Library is located at 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks.

The mission of the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is to increase awareness of, raise funds for, and actively assist the Thousand Oaks Library and its branch(s) to promote learning, literacy and cultural knowledge via materials, programs such as Summer Reading, materials and technology and services made available to the community.

Visit the bookshop at shopftol.org.

Review of California Blueprint for a Safer Economy for Moving to Lower Risk Tiers

As mentioned in a previous post, the state of California has implemented a four-tier system for counties to move towards loosening restrictions on activities. The four tiers are shown in the image below.

Source: covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy

Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate. At a minimum, counties must remain in a tier for at least 3 weeks before moving forward. Data is reviewed weekly and tiers are updated on Tuesdays. To move forward, a county must meet the next tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks. If a county’s metrics worsen for two consecutive weeks, it will be assigned a more restrictive tier.

Put a different way, a county will stay in each tier for 5 weeks at a minimum to move into a less restrictive tier.

As of Tuesday, September 22, 2020:

• The state overall is at 6.4 new cases per day per 100K (over a 7-day average) and a 3.6% positivity rate (percentage of positive tests over a 7-day average).

• Ventura County is at 7.4 new cases (unadjusted) per day per 100K and a 3.8% positivity rate. The positivity rate falls into the “moderate” (orange) category but the cases per day rate is in the “widespread” (purple) category.

Ventura County has a population of 856,287. Our current case rate of 7.4 new cases per 100K over a 7-day average equates to about 63 new cases on average per day, or over 440 cases in a week.

To get to “normal” again, there needs to be less than 1 new case per day per 100,000 people. That means we must average, on a rolling 7-day average, less than 8.5 new cases per day, or 60 new cases per week, for at least 5 weeks.

Looking at the historical statistics going back to the beginning of the pandemic, that puts us back at levels of new cases seen back in April 2020.

Updates on where Ventura County stands is at www.venturacountyrecovers.org in detail and at covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy at a summary level.