STEAM Education & Research
Family Virtual Astronomy Night
Telescopes: The Instrument that Changed the World Forever Thursday, February 27, 2025, 7 PM EST MSU-St. Andrews STEM Center (Virtual only) Did you know that the telescope was invented multiple times? What are the different kinds of telescopes? How do each of them work? What kind of telescopes did the great astronomers of history use, and what did they discover with the…
Family Astronomy Night
Check out our Family Astronomy Night page for regular updates and event postings!
Family Virtual Astronomy Night
Radio Astronomy:A Whole New World That We Couldn’t See Wed, December 4, 2024, 7 PM EST MSU-St. Andrews STEM Center (Virtual only) Have you ever heard of a quasar? How about a pulsar? Were you aware that astronomers have located the center of our Milky Way galaxy? And that our galaxy is a spiral galaxy, just like many others that we can…
The Invisible Universe: Astronomy with Light That We Can’t See
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…
The Total Solar Eclipse of 2024
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…
Uranus: The First “New” Planet
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…
The Hubble Space Telescope
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,…
Jupiter: King of the Planets
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…
Family Astronomy Night – VIRTUAL EVENT
Join Dr. Stark on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 for an exciting presentation about the planet Jupiter! You may register now to receive the Zoom join link. More event details coming soon!
Family Astronomy Night – VIRTUAL EVENT
Join Dr. Stark on Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 PM via Zoom for an exciting presentation Mars: The Most Controversial Planet!
