Southwestern Community College and the Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative will host their second Star Party from 5-9 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, in downtown Sylva. This year, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first moon landing, the party theme is “The Moon and Beyond.”
"As NASA sets its sights from the moon to Mars, it is important to take a look back at where we've been,” said Matt Cass, SCC Physics and Astronomy instructor. “That is what this year's celebrations of the Apollo program are all about. This is just one of the many events the Collaborative will be participating in, and we welcome everyone to come out and share their stories of the moon landing and to share what their first words would be if they were the one to take the next giant leap and set foot on Mars."
The event will kick-off at 5 p.m. with a downtown solar system walk. Participants will get to experience the magnitude of the solar system and take part in a scavenger hunt. Those who complete the hunt will receive a NASA sticker. “Star Partiers” will also receive moon journals and maps of the moon’s surface.
At 7 p.m., join the STEM Collaborative on the steps of the Jackson County library for a lunar and stellar observation as the night sky darkens. Look for the telescope!
The night will be full of hands-on NASA activities, including the chance to make your own moon phase calendar. Party-goers can view a globe of the moon showing the Apollo landing sites and answer the question: “What would your first words be if you landed on the moon or Mars?”
Western Carolina University will be hosting a Star Party on Friday, April 12. The STEM Collaborative will bring along some of these activities to the Jackson County airport.
The STEM Collaborative is run by Southwestern Community College in partnership with Appalachian State University. It is funded by a NASA grant and promises to enrich science, technology, engineering and mathematic education in the schools and communities of the Great Smoky Mountains.
For more information about the Star Party or about the Smoky Mountain STEM Collaborative, contact Randi Neff at r_neff@southwesterncc.edu.
