Friday Star Party

Current Schedule 

Time: 6:30pm -8:30pm         

Place: WPS 102        

Observing: Telescopes set up by the MTSU Observatory

Format: 30 – 45 min public lecture followed by Telescope Observing (if clear weather and COVID regulations allow)

Audience: General public, MTSU students, faculty, and staff (kids are welcome)

Cost: FREE

Directions: Free Parking by the science buildings. Use the Main Street Entrance to MTSU, follow Blue Raider Drive past the Cope Building and past Old Main Circle. Turn left at Friendship Street, then go around the roundabout to the science parking lot. From the end of the parking lot enter WPS through the Strobel Lobby and go to the left to WPS 102. The MTSU Observatory is outside of the WPS building.

 

Current schedule

Download Schedule Flyer

May 3, 2024	Dr. Irina Perevalova Topic will be chosen from audience suggestions (form above)
April 5, 2024	Dr. Gregg McPherson Shoot the Moon (with a Laser)
March 1, 2024	Dr. Chuck Higgins The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
February 2, 2024	Dr. John Wallin Artificial Intelligence in Astronomy
December 1, 2023	Dr. Irina Perevalova Laws that shaped the Universe
November 3, 2023	Dr. John Wallin Probing Dark Energy: The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
October 6, 2023	Dr. Jana Ruth Ford Small Worlds of our Solar System
September 1, 2023	Dr. Eric Klumpe Gravitational Wave Background
May 5, 2023	Dr. Neda Naseri The Power of Stars in Our Homes
April 7, 2023	Dr. Irina Perevalova Plate Tectonics
March 3, 2023	Dr. Gregg McPherson Inhabiting Other Worlds
February 3,2023	Dr. Chuck Higgins What is a Green Comet
December 2, 2022	Dr. Irina Perevalova Cosmic Collisions Revisited
November 4, 2022	Dr. John Wallin Cosmology and the Big Bang
October 7, 2022	Dr. Jana Ruth Ford Meteorite Scars in Tennessee
September 2, 2022	Dr. Abdorreza Samar Bakhsh The Unprecedented Accuracy of OmarKhayyam’s Jalali Calendar
May 6, 2022	Dr. Irina Perevalova The Tour of Other Worlds
April 1, 2022	Dr. Neda Naseri Mysteries of Cosmic Rays
March 4, 2022	Dr. Chuck Higgins Winter Sky – Messier Top 10
February 4, 2022	Dr. Eric Klumpe The Wacky Orbit of Webb Space Telescope
December 3, 2021	Dr. Nat Smith Search for ET Life
November 5, 2021	Dr. Irina Perevalova When Worlds Collide
October 1, 2021	Dr. Eric Klumpe Hawking Radiation
September 3, 2021	Dr. Chuck Higgins The James Webb Space Telescope
December 21, 2020	Dr. Chuck Higgins Jupiter Saturn Conjunction Livestream 5:15PM-6:15PM	Livestream Video
December 4, 2020	Dr. Chuck Higgins The Great Winter- Solstice Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
October 2, 2020	Dr. Eric Klumpe Physics 101, Marvel Style – Gravitation Part 2
May 1, 2020	TBD	Video is not available yet
April 3, 2020	Dr. Greggory McPherson The Search for Water in the Solar System	Video is not available yet
March 20, 2020	Dr. John Wallin Stone Circles and Archeoastronomy	Video is not available yet
February 7, 2020	Dr. Eric Kumpe Physics 101, Marvel Style	Video is not available yet
December 6, 2019	Dr. Chuck Higgins NASA Citizen Science Projects	Video
November 1, 2019	Dr. Irina Perevalova Terraforming	Video is not availabe
October 4, 2019	Dr. Eric Klumpe Physics 101 Marvel Style: Conservation of Momentum	Video
September 27, 2019	Dr. Chuck Higgins Mars Colonization *Special Event with MTSU Dept. of Art and Design	Video is not available
September 6, 2019	Dr. Jana Ruth Ford Summer Triangle Treasure Hunt	Video
May 3, 2019	Dr. Irina Perevalova 50-yr Anniversary of the Moon Landing	Video
March 15, 2019	Dr. Jana Ruth Ford Small Bodies in the Solar System	Video
April 5, 2019	Dr. Nat Smith Something About Time	Video
February 1, 2019	Dr. Eric Klumpe Looking inside White Dwarfs	Video
January 20, 2019	Special Event: Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing Party Sunday 9:00-11:45 pm	Video is not available
December 7, 2018	Dr. Eric Klumpe Funky Fizix in Film: Creation of the Elements	Video
November 9, 2018	Dr. Irina Perevalova Life in the Universe	Video
October 5, 2018	Dr. Nat Smith The Great Southern Skies: A View of Space from Down Under	Video
September 7, 2018	Dr. Chuck Higgins Touching the Sun: Parker Solar Probe	Video
May 4, 2018	Dr. Irina Perevalova Space Oddity	Video is not available
April 6, 2018	Dr. Eric Klumpe Funky Fizix in Film: Life on Mars	Video
March 2, 2018	Dr. John Wallin The Invisible Universe and How We See It	Video
February 2, 2018	Dr. Chuck Higgins Cassini’s Grand Finale at Saturn	Video
December 1, 2017	Dr. Eric Klumpe Black Hole Trivia	Video
November 3, 2017	Dr. Jana Ruth Ford Shooting Stars & Meteor Showers	Video
October 6, 2017	Dr. Irina Perevalova Exotic Matter	Video
September 8, 2017	Dr. Chuck Higgins Great Tennessee Eclipse recap	Video
August 21, 2017	GREAT TENNESSEE ECLIPSE	Video
August 20, 2017(Sunday, 3 pm)	Solar Eclipse Experts: Discussion Panel, Stories, ImagesMeet the experts! Open to everyone  (SCI 1006)	Video
August 11, 2017­(7:30pm  LRC 221)	Dr. John Wallin Observing and Photographing the Solar Eclipse(Bring your camera for practice!)	Video is not available
August 4, 2017­(7:30pm LRC 221)	Dr. Irina Perevalova History and Science of Solar Eclipses	Video
May 5, 2017	Dr. Eric Klumpe Funky Fizix in Film: Eclipses	Video
April 14, 2017	Dr. Chuck Higgins The Great American Eclipse at MTSU	Video
March 3, 2017	Dr. Jana Ruth Ford Solar Science	Video
February 3, 2017	Dr. John Wallin  Darkness Fell Over the Land: Eclipses in Religion and History	Video

Friday Star Party Videos are a co-production of the MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Education Resource Channel @ Middle Tennessee, Comcast Channel 9.