Exhibit Highlights Desert, Mountains

The Palm Springs Desert Museum is featuring a new exhibit on the Santa Rosa Mountains National Scenic Area.

Established by the Bureau of Land Management in 1988, the Santa Rosa region includes water-carved canyons, alluvial fans, fault lines and palm oases.

The exhibit illustrates the diverse plant and animal communities found there, from creosote and cactus on the desert floor to the pine and cedar forests in the mountains.

While in the area, visitors can also participate in naturalist-led hikes on Friday or Saturday. Call (619) 325-7186.

ASTRONOMY

Physics professor Hakki B. Ogelman of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will discuss cooling neutron stars at the Caltech Astronomy Research Conference on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Room 201 East Bridge on the Caltech campus. Call (818) 356-4652.

The varied influences of Albert Einstein’s life and science will be the subject of a two-day class offered by UCLA Extension on Saturday and Sunday. Call (310) 825-7093.

The Los Angeles Valley College Astronomy planetarium program will feature Jerry Clark, Magellan image data processing team chief, discussing the Magellan mission to Venus on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Call (818) 781-1200, Ext. 335.

MARINE SCIENCE

The Dana Point Festival of the Whales on Saturday and Sunday will include educational displays, environmental booths and lectures by a variety of groups, including Save the Whales, (310) 392-6226, and the Orange County Marine Institute, (714) 496-2274.

GEOLOGY

David R. Veblen of Johns Hopkins University’s department of earth and planetary science will discuss “Rock-Forming Minerals at 1,000,000 X . . . Can We See Atoms Yet?,” today at 11 a.m. in Room 214, Seaver South, Pomona College. Call (714) 621-8000, Ext. 2952.