The College of Basic and Applied Sciences Department hosted a Star Party on Friday and presented a lecture by Erik Monson, a professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department, called “How to Build a Galaxy.”

Star Parties take place on one Friday a month at the Wiser-Patten Science Hall and feature lectures on astronomy and physics, as well as a telescope viewing of the night sky at the MTSU observatory. 

Monson, a University of Arkansas alumnus, is an astrophysicist whose research focuses on the creation and growth of galaxies and black holes.

“Ever since I could remember, with years of experience in data science and Python Software Development (a programming language), my main focus of all of them was the galaxy,” Monsoon said. “Not just our galaxy, but all of the other galaxies, such as the Milky Way.”

Monson’s “How to Build a Galaxy” didn’t only focus on the Milky Way, but other galaxies and how they compare to our own.

“You see, the whole point of this presentation was that it was not just about studying our galaxy necessarily; it was about studying galaxies in the universe,” Monson said. “The same [processes occur] in every galaxy, not just ours.”

As a new lecturer, Monsone said that he liked the hands-on aspect of being an astronomer and teaching the subject. 

Field trips to places like planetariums and observatories give students the opportunity to see the entire universe and gain a perspective on our galaxy, Monson said.  

The hands-on aspect is what drew in Daniel Wolekidan, a history major and Star Party attendee.

“The main thing about this star party is that it is like going to a planetarium and that we get to study a lot about different kinds of galaxies from in and out of the universe,” Wolekidan said. “I really thought the whole presentation was fascinating, and it really does show that our whole universe today can be filled with possibilities.”

The presentation showed the audience the possibilities of the universe, and Monson said that the universe is composed mostly of galaxies that have yet to be discovered. The universe contains other galaxies that may be impossible to observe directly, but could be viewed during special events, such as a planetary alignment, when people can see the planets rather than just the moon.

“One thing that people might not know about is that we can see individual stars that come not just to our galaxy, but other galaxies as well,” Monson said. “However, in our own galaxy, we can see the stars that are visible for us to see. Seeing the stars on an outside night walk is like walking into some kind of paradise.”

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