Learn about Pittsburgh’s role in the history of astrophysics at tonight’s free screening of Undaunted: The Forgotten Giants of the Allegheny Observatory, at Carnegie Science Center.

No, the history in question didn’t involve CMU. Though filmmaker Dan Handley — who’s also a geneticist — did study there (as well as at Pitt).

Rather, the new hour-long documentary is about the observatory in Riverview Park. Starting in the 1850s, the facility (and its predecessor, on Perrysville Avenue) made Pittsburgh an astrophysics hub, and was the site of the discovery and study of planets outside the solar system.

The film honors Samuel Langley, the observatory’s first director, and local telescope-maker John Brashear (both of whom later had schools named after them).

Undaunted is narrated by actor David Conrad, a Pittsburgh native.

The 7 p.m. screening, with a Q & A with Handley to follow, is part of the Science Center’s Café Scientifique series.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and dinner is available for $8 (including a vegetarian option). There’s also a cash bar.
Register at http://members.carnegiemuseums.org/cafe_scientifique.