Schedule for Fall 2024 Evening Series announced

Planetarium shows, Evening Talks and Star Parties to kick off Sept. 5

MONT ALTO, Pa — Penn State Mont Alto announces Fall 2024 Schedule for its popular Evening Series. This year’s series will again feature three categories of events: Planetarium Shows, Evening Talks, and Star Parties. All are free to the public and will be offered both in-person (weather permitting) and virtually. Advanced registration is required.

Planetarium Shows

Explore the night sky, fly around solar system objects, and immerse yourself as you enter one of many astronomy-themed full dome videos. Hosted by Kim Herrmann, Penn State Mont Alto associate professor of physics and astronomy, evening planetarium shows will be offered to the public this fall. Two shows per night are scheduled for the evenings of September 5, December 12, and December 13 at 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. in the Allied Health Building White Box (Room 115). Feel free to bring a pillow to sit on, though plastic chairs and foam mats will be available. There will also be a Virtual Planetarium Show at 7:30 p.m. on December 4.

Click here to learn more about Penn State Mont Alto’s Mobile Planetarium.

Evening Talks

Join us for an inspiring, new line up of Evening Talks, where Penn State Mont Alto faculty will share captivating experiences and enriching knowledge about Penn State and the world beyond. All held in the Auditorium in the General Studies Building, the series will offer three distinct talks:

7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25: "The Life of a Professional Lumberjack," presented by Alex Storm, lecturer and program coordinator of the associate forest technology program, will teach us all about timbersports: what they are and what it means to compete professionally, and we’ll hear stories from Storm about his competition experiences.

7:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 14: "Student Life at Mont Alto: 1908 and 2024," presented by Peter Linehan, associate professor of forest technology. Penn State Mont Alto students have always worked hard to succeed in their studies. Although student life 116 years ago was very different from today (no Internet or cell phones for example), there are many aspects that haven't changed much at all (students still need to have fun and relax). In this talk, Linehan will discuss the different social and academic conditions at Mont Alto between 1908 and 2024.

7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 11: "Alaskan Summer," presented by Tom Reinsfelder, head librarian at Penn State Mont Alto. Tom Reinsfelder traveled to Alaska - where the sun never sets for part of the year. You will hear stories and see pictures from Fairbanks where the Midnight Sun Baseball game is an annual tradition dating back to 1906. Learn about Denali National Park where moose and bears roam free near the highest mountain in North America, and enjoy a few other stops along the Alaska Railroad, which stretches over 400 miles across the state.

Star Parties

After each Evening Talk, join us for a telescope viewing and night sky tour with laser pointers (weather permitting). Also hosted by Kim Herrmann, the Star Parties will be held in the field in the field between Orchard Road and the Mont Alto campus’ General Studies Building parking lot from 8:45 to ~10 p.m. If the sky is clear, attendees on Nov. 11 may witness a lunar occultation of Neptune!

Multiple telescopes may be available, courtesy of the TriState Astronomers, a local amateur astronomy club. In the event of cold weather, patrons should wear layers of clothing and bring jackets, hats, and gloves. Precipitation, cloud cover, or very cold temperatures may cause any Star Party to be canceled. Attendance at the Evening Talk is not required to attend the Star Party.