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: Parking is available in either the Judd-Sims lot or the Library lot. Both are located on the north side of Alumni Drive between North Baird Lane and Womack Lane. You will not be ticketed after 4:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Star Party Suggestions
Current Schedule
| May 2, 2025 | Dr. Chuck Higgins Don’t forget Canis Major, “fixed and consequent” | |
| April 4, 2025 | Dr. Rob Mahurin Inconstant as the Northern Star | |
| March 7, 2025 | Dr. Gregg McPherson How to photograph the moon with your phone | |
| February 7, 2025 | Dr. John Wallin Amazing Aurora Adventure | |
| 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.