On Sept. 7, the Department of Physics and Astronomy will host their first Open House Star Party of the 2024-25 school year at the Harry D. Powell Observatory.

From 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. Powell Observatory will open its doors to visitors. Gary Henson, director of the Harry D. Powell Observatory, and Mark Giroux, physics and astronomy professor, will give a presentation called the Astronomical Origins of Holidays. Visitors will also get to use telescopes in person during the open house.

“We want people to come see the stars with their own eyes. The presentations are a good way to get people there, then we get them looking through the telescopes,” said Henson.

Henson’s goal with the observatory’s Star Parties is to show people space with their own eyes through a telescope rather than with photos that are often edited.

“Most people have seen the edited pictures of the stars or the moon, but not many people have seen what they actually look like,” said Henson.

If weather conditions allow, the goal is to have the Star Party feature several portable telescopes available for use. There will also be astronomy staff for visitors to speak with throughout the event.

Along with the telescopes, Henson and Giroux will give a presentation about how astronomy has affected the development of holidays. Henson described how Halloween sits in the middle of fall because of climates changing throughout the year due to our planet’s position at that time.

(Contributed/vecteezy.com)

The Department of Physics and Astronomy will have a Star Party every month throughout the 2024-25 school year. Each Star Party will feature a different presentation by the staff.

Alongside the Star Parties, the department is having other events. Last Friday, Aug. 30, Astronomy students set up telescopes on campus to view sunspots. Faculty and students were welcome to join as well.

If you are planning to attend the Astronomical Origins of Holidays Star Party, please note that bad weather may contribute to cancellation of the event. Please contact 423-929-3382 with any concerns.

For more information on the Harry D. Powell Observatory and upcoming events, visit https://www.etsu.edu/cas/physics/observatory/.

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