Professor Eric Klumpe will lead the next MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy‘s First Friday Star Party starting at 6:30 p.m. April 6 in Wiser-Patten Science Hall Room 102.

Dr. Eric Klumpe

Klumpe will share his “Funky Fizix in Film: Life on Mars” lecture with the audience.

First Friday Star Parties are a way for the department to bring the MTSU, Murfreesboro and surrounding communities together. There will be a lecture followed by telescope viewing outdoors, weather permitting.

The Star Party, which is free, is open to the public as well as MTSU students, faculty and staff. Attendees should dress warmly for the outdoor portion; temperatures may be in the upper 40s by telescope viewing time.

To find free parking after 6 p.m. at the Wiser-Patten building, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap. Handicapped-accessible parking requires a state permit.

The final First Friday Star Party will be held May 4, when physics and astronomy lecturer Irina Perevalova will discuss “Space Oddity.”

For more information about the series or the astronomy program, call 615-898-2130 or visit www.mtsu.edu/programs/astronomy.

Including physics and astronomy, MTSU has more than 240 combined undergraduate and graduate programs. The Department of Physics and Astronomy is one of 11 departments in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)