Family Astronomy Night
Typically, astronomy night is held in-person at the MSU St. Andrews building in Midland. Events include family-oriented activities and stargazing through various telescopes. We will return to hosting our in-person events as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are excited to continue to deliver fun and engaging astronomy night events to you via Zoom.
Virtual presentations include finding the planets and other cool things currently in the night sky. We will also keep you updated on what is happening in space and technology. Time is allowed during each of our live (virtual) events to answer questions from participants. Each presentation offers, upon request, printable sky charts, and other materials for your home use.
Please see the information below for upcoming events and recordings of past virtual Family Astronomy Night presentations.
You may also follow us on Facebook or join our mailing list to receive notices about upcoming Astronomy Night presentations and other events at MSU St. Andrews.
Did you know that the night sky is alive with all kinds of light that we can’t see? Radio waves, ultraviolet light, gamma rays, infrared light, microwaves, and x-rays are all used by astronomers. But wait—doesn’t the greenhouse effect absorb infrared? And doesn’t the ozone layer block ultraviolet? How can these reach us? And don’t x-rays pass through everything? How do we…
Are you ready for the Great Total Solar Eclipse of 2024? I hope so, because there won’t be another total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States until 2044. That’s 20 years! TOTALITY is amazing—you don’t want to miss this chance. When will it happen, and where is the best place to see it? What will we be able to see…
Join on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 for our Family Astronomy night focusing on Uranus. Did you know that Uranus was the first planet to be discovered by science? And that it is still the only planet to have been discovered by accident? Have you heard that Uranus is actually visible to the unaided eye? Why wasn’t it known to ancient astronomers? Are…
Throughout all of science , surely no single piece of equipment is more famous than the Hubble Space Telescope. It has produced more beautiful and amazing images than any other telescope. But do you know what makes the HST so special? Why do we need a telescope in space anyway? What can Hubble do better than other telescopes, and why? Most importantly,…
Did you know that Jupiter’s magnetic field is the largest thing in our solar system? How do we know that? Have you heard that the most common form of matter on Jupiter has never really been seen on Earth? Why do scientists think that? Are you aware that Jupiter emits more energy than it receives? Or that there is a spacecraft currently orbiting Jupiter right now, examining…
