Sunday, October 1, 2023

MTSU Physics, Astronomy Departments host First-Friday Star Parties

Date:

Share post:

Photo by Andrew Wigdor/ Assistant News Editor

Story by Ryan Miller/ Contributing Writer

After a week of cramming for midterms, MTSU’s Physics and Astronomy Department will start fall break with this month’s First-Friday Star Party for students, faculty and members of the community.

This year’s educational series of First-Friday Star Parties began on the first Friday in September, and three more will be hosted on the first Fridays in October, November and December. A board of professors and astronomers including Dr. Chuck Higgins, Dr. Robert Mahurin, Dr. Eric Klumpe and Dr. Irena Perevalova will present a lecture at each Star Party over a series of topics.

The upcoming Star Party topics are as follows:

  • Oct. 7 — “Gravity Waves” (Mahurin)
  • Nov. 4 — “Funky Fizix in Film” (Klumpe)
  • Dec. 2 — TBD, Public Choice Vote (Perevalova)

Each party begins with a 45-60 minute lecture located in MTSU Science Building room 1006 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. After the lecture, students and guests can attend the Telescope Observation at the MTSU Observatory until 8:30 p.m.

Klumpe said he started the Star Party in 1999, and it was intended to be “a regular program that would serve the general population at MTSU and the public.”

He continued to run monthly Star Parties on his own without following a predictable schedule. Klumpe said he often had to adjust the days and dates in the hopes of finding a particular evening in a month that brought in the largest audience.

“In 2001 we hired Dr. Chuck Higgins, and he contributed to the Star Party program almost immediately on his arrival. It was he who came up with the name and concept of the First-Friday Star Party, ” Klumpe said.

Klumpe’s goals of the Star Party for students and audience members are:

  1. “To realize that astronomy is fun.”
  2. “To acquire a fundamental knowledge of astronomy that permits us to better understand astronomical discoveries that we hear about in the news.”
  3. “A desire to continue to be involved in astronomy long after graduation.”

Topics discussed at the First-Friday Star Party range from current events to general topics, which include comets, planets, stars, constellations and black holes. Klumpe said the topics are meant to convey connections between astronomy and popular culture.

For more news, follow us at www.mtsusidelines.com, on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter at @Sidelines_News.

To contact News Editor Amanda Freuler, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com

Sidelines
Sidelineshttps://mtsusidelines.com
MTSU's digital daily news source

Related articles

Center for Chinese Music and Culture illuminates significance of the moon amid 2023 Autumn Moon Festival

Featured Photo by Lina Chapman Story by Lillian Chapman With a spread of mooncakes and warm tea, the Center for...

MTSU’s and WKU’s “100 Miles of Hope” of saving lives through donations

Featured Photo by Marshal Clemmer Story by Marshal Clemmer It’s the thirteenth year of a friendly competition between Middle Tennessee...

MakerSpace open house grants students opporitunities to utilize creativity and academics

Featured Photo by Larry Rincon Story by Larry Rincon With over a hundred guest signatures, the Middle Tennessee State University...

“Fresh Faces” demonstrates the talent of new theatre and dance students

Featured Photo from MTSU Sidelines Archive Story by Annabelle Cranfill Middle Tennessee State University Theatre and Dance department held a...