Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty member Jana Ruth Ford will be the featured presenter for the November MTSU First Friday Star Party.

Ford will discuss “The Autumn Sky: Our Local Galactic Clusters” starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, in Wiser-Patten Science Hall Room 102. The event is free and open to the public. MTSU students, faculty and staff and children are welcome.

“The Autumn Sky” will be the focus of MTSU physics and astronomy faculty member Jana Ruth Ford’s Nov. 2 First Friday Star Party. (Photo by NASA/Hubble Telescope)

Ford said the lecture “will be concerning the autumn constellations.”

“The Andromeda-Perseus mythological story is told in the autumn sky and includes Medusa with her demon eye, and this is the time of year to see other galaxies in our local group of galaxies, especially Andromeda and Triangulum,” Ford said.

“Our Milky Way Galaxy is on schedule for a collision with Andromeda and Triangulum, which will result in a ‘new’ galaxy — Milkomeda.”

Following Ford’s 30- to 45-minute talk and weather permitting, participants will venture outdoors.

“If the sky is clear, telescopes will be set up at the observatory for autumn sky viewing,” she said.

Free parking is available behind Wiser-Patten. To reach the parking lot, turn off of East Main Street onto Baird Lane. Turn onto Alumni Drive, and then turn onto Friendship Drive adjacent to the construction site for the new Science Building. When the road starts to curve, turn left into the lot. Handicapped parking requires a state permit.

The final First Friday Star Party of the semester, to be held Dec. 7, will feature Dr. Charles “Chuck” Higgins, discussing “Supernovae: Nature’s Brightest Candles.”

To learn more about the star parties, call 615-898-2130.

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