Astronomy talk and star party coming up at Mont Alto

MONT ALTO - Are you curious about the night sky and astronomy? Join Penn State Mont Alto Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Kimberly Herrmann as she presents her doctoral thesis research, “Planetary Nebulae in Spiral Galaxies: Shedding Some Light on Dark Matter” on April 6 in the General Studies Auditorium on the Penn State Mont Alto campus, 1 Campus Drive, Mont Alto.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with original "constellation riddle seating slides,"a teaching tool used by Herrmann to engage non-scientists, including children, in astronomy. The talk will begin at 7 p.m., with astronomy-themed cookies provided at 8 p.m. Weather permitting, a star party will follow from 8:30- 10 p.m. in the field behind the Multipurpose Activities Center (MAC). Both the presentation and star party are free and open to the public.

“I hope no one will be intimidated by the title of my talk,” Herrmann said in a press release announcing the  event. “One of the things I’ve always liked about my thesis research is that it ties together many different aspects of astronomy. I will explain various terms and there will be many beautiful images and even a few animations throughout the talk.”

Telescope viewing and night sky tours with green laser pointers will be part of the star party activities. Multiple telescopes should be available, courtesy of TriState Astronomers (www.tristateastronmers.org), a local amateur astronomy club.

If the weather cooperates for the star party and the sky is clear, it might be cool, so participants are encouraged to wear warm clothing.

For more information about the event, contact Debra Collins, director of public relations and marketing at 717-749-6112 or email dlc43@psu.edu