Mark your calendars, astronomy aficionados and curious skywatchers alike—Middle Tennessee State University’s next Star Party is right around the corner. MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy will welcome lecturer Rob Mahurin, who will lead a discourse titled 'Inconstant as the Northern Star' on the evening of April 4. The event promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the dynamism of the universe, debunking the myth of an unchanging night sky.
This Friday’s gathering, free to the public and described as a family-friendly affair, begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. Mahurin’s lecture, sparkling with insights on celestial movements, is scheduled in Room 102 of the Wiser-Patten Science Hall, before culminating in a live telescope viewing—the clouds permitting—nearby at the MTSU Observatory. People often do not realize, presented with the illusion of a perennial sky, how even stars, thought by the ancients to be steadfast, prove inconstant over vast stretches of time.
Part of a spring series that runs on the first Friday of each month, the Star Parties are MTSU’s way of bringing astrophysics within reach of the community. Veteran faculty members get an opportunity to share their knowledge on a range of topics, from the granular workings of the cosmos to the grand tapestries of astronomical phenomena. "Through most of history, we have considered the skies to be fundamentally unchanging, with only rare and exciting exceptions," Mahurin expressed, according to an MTSU News release. "In modern times, we know differently."
The final installment of the series will be held on May 2, spotlighting professor Chuck Higgins, who will delve into a presentation intriguingly entitled 'Don’t Forget Canus Major, ‘Fixed and Consequent.’' Whether you are a casual stargazer or a seasoned amateur astronomer, Mahurin’s April 4 talk stands to both inform and inspire, illuminating the impermanence enshrined in the heavens above us, shifting shapes of even the most seemingly constant celestial bodies.
For those planning to attend, parking will be available free of cost after 4:30 p.m. in the Judd-Sims lot or James E. Walker Library lot, as well as additional nearby locations along Alumni Drive. Considering the temporal fabric of the universe and our place beneath its expanse, MTSU’s Star Parties provide not just an evening's education but a glimpse into the mutable nature of all things, near or far. For further information about the department or the Star Party series, interested parties can call 615-898-2130.
