MTSU Observatories
Friday Star Parties
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.Have a suggestion for a future Star Party topic?Your e-mail
Star Party Suggestions
Current Schedule
| December 6, 2024 | Dr. Gregg McPherson Astrophotography | |
| November 1, 2024 | Dr. Irina Perevalova Topic of public choice (see form above) | |
| October 4, 2024 | Dr. John Wallin Nova Quest: Your Guide to Finding a Star’s Explosive Debut | |
| September 6, 2024 | Dr. Chuck Higgins Solar Max and Space Weather | |
| May 3, 2024 | Dr. Irina Perevalova Black holes, worm tunnels, and other oddities of our Universe | |
| 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, Images Meet 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.