Nova Southeastern University Hosting Astronomy Night

Star Party is In Conjunction with White House Astronomy Night - Free Community Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Since the dawn of time, humans have been gazing up at the night sky and wondering what may be beyond our own world. The stars, planets and our own Milky Way galaxy has inspired generations of poets, scientists and romantics – and that fascination continues today.

As part of the White House Astronomy Night, Nova Southeastern University’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography will be hosting a Star Party. The event, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 19^th, will take place in front of NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library in the quad, 3301 College Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

The event free and open to both the NSU and South Florida community. Attendees can view the night sky through two telescopes that NSU will have on site, and those who have their own telescopes and binoculars are encouraged to bring them as well and join in the festivities. Some of what you’ll be able to see includes:

• “Shooting stars” from the Orionids meteor shower;
• The planet Saturn and its mystical rings;
• Our massive neighbor galaxy Andromeda;
• Observe the apparent binary start in the Little Dipper; and
• Measure the surface temperature of stars.

The idea behind this event is to provide an opportunity for people to learn more about the universe in a fun and exciting way while interacting with NSU professors and other experts. It’s also being held on the same night when scientists, engineers and others will gather on the White House South Lawn to gaze out into space.

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 About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 24,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the  largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.

About NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate and graduate (master’s and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied marine research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college’s newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.

October 12, 2015

Joe Donzelli | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office) |954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu