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MSU St. Andrews

Family Astronomy Night

Check out our Family Astronomy Night page for regular updates and event postings!

Family Astronomy Night, Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 7 PM EST – VIRTUAL EVENT

Image of Andromeda Galaxy

Please check back soon for a recording of this presentation!

Deep-Sky Objects: Marvels Of The Night

Did you know that there are many objects you can see in the night sky that are neither stars nor planets? Were you aware that many clusters or clouds of glowing deep-space gas can be seen with your unaided eye, and dozens more are visible with simple binoculars? Have you heard that some deep-sky objects are so large and bright that we can see them even though they are thousands of light-years away, up to halfway across the galaxy? And that there are even other galaxies that we can see with our unaided eye? And what are the planets and constellations doing in our skies in October? Join us by Zoom to learn more!

Family Astronomy Night, Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 7 PM EST – VIRTUAL EVENT

The latest view of Saturn from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures exquisite details of the ring system

Saturn:  Our Most Beautiful Planet Did you know that Saturn is the furthest of the planets that we can easily see with our unaided eye?  Have you heard that, while Saturn is many times larger and heavier than Earth, it is so light for its size that it would float on water?  Are you aware that, while humans have sent nearly 50…

Family Astronomy Night, Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 7 PM EST – VIRTUAL EVENT

Hubble Space Telescope field of view in the Sagittarius Window Eclipsing Extrasolar Planet Search (SWEEPS)

Please check back soon for a recording of this presentation! The Life and Death of Normal Stars   Are you aware that the great majority of stars are smaller than our sun? That stars can live for millions of years before they die? Or billions of years? Or even trillions of years? It seems almost unbelievable! What factors influence star lifetimes? Do…

Family Astronomy Night, Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 7 PM EST – VIRTUAL EVENT

Image of star birth from Hubble Space Telescope

Please check back soon for a recording of this presentation!   Star Birth: How Our Night Sky Came to Be Zoom link: https://msu.zoom.us/j/98568624049 Password: MSU Did you know that everything we understand about star birth has been learned only in the last hundred years?  There are so many questions for scientists to answer!  What does it actually mean for a star to be…

Family Astronomy Night, Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 7 PM EST – VIRTUAL EVENT

Image of Moon

Please check back soon for a recording of this presentation! Our  Marvelous Moon – Part 2! Join: https://msu.zoom.us/j/93351955313 Password: MSU This past November, we learned about the Moon’s orbit. This month, we will learn more about the Moon itself! Did you know that both the size and the distance of the Moon were already known to ancient astronomers over two thousand years…

How the Universe Was Discovered in the Constellations of Fall

Did you know that in just a few weeks, Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer together in the sky than at any time since the year 1623? Have you noticed that there are star clusters and even some galaxies in the sky right now that you can see with your unaided eye? Have you heard that the best meteor shower of the…

Our Amazing Moon: More Complicated Than You Would Expect!

Our Amazing Moon:  More Complicated Than You Would Expect! Did you know that the Moon is responsible for how our calendars look? Do you know what a “supermoon” is? (Or Hunter’s Moon? Or a Blue Moon?) Can you see the man in the Moon? (Or the woman? Or the bunny?) Are you able to tell time using the Moon’s phases and position?…

Family Astronomy Night, Tuesday, November 17 at 7 PM EST– VIRTUAL EVENT

Image of moon

Our Amazing Moon:More Complicated Than You Would Expect! Did you know that the Moon is responsible for how our calendars look? Do you know what a “supermoon” is? (Or Hunter’s Moon? Or a Blue Moon?) Can you see the man in the Moon? (Or the woman? Or the bunny?) Are you able to tell time using the Moon’s phases and position? Have…

Family Astronomy Night, Tuesday, October 20 at 7 PM – VIRTUAL EVENT

Image of 2001 Mars Odyssey

Mars from Space: What Robotic Spacecraft Have Discovered About The Red Planet. Zoom Join Link: https://msu.zoom.us/j/93902393137 Password: MSU Did you know that Mars boasts the tallest mountain in the solar system, and the largest volcano as well—even though the “red planet” is barely half the size of Earth? Have you heard that Mars also has the longest canyon in the solar system—ten…