Join NIU for 'Star Gazing in the Orchard'
Northern Illinois University invites you to its next STEM Cafe "Star Gazing at the Orchard" from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at Kuipers Family Farm, 1N318 Watson Road, Maple Park; entrance on orchard side.
Rain or shine, join them for an evening of star gazing. The annual Perseid meteor shower, which peaks in mid-August, will radiate from the Perseus constellation and appear throughout the sky.
NIU experts will discuss everything from NASA's latest missions to the meteor shower to the ex-planetary status of Pluto.
The experts will include Daniel Stange, the new manager of the NIU Davis Observatory; David Hedin, an NIU professor of experimental particle physics; and Sheldon Turner, a visiting professor with NIU's Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy.
Guests will have an opportunity to use NIU's telescopes or bring their own to watch the meteor shower. Note the delayed start time in order to take full advantage of the summer night sky.
For the STEM Café, Kuipers is preparing a special dinner menu. Food, soft drinks, beer and wine will be available for purchase. If the meteor showers are obscured by rain showers, the program and food will move inside a building at the orchard until the air clears.
Join the monthly STEM Cafés. They are fun, casual gatherings where adults can eat, drink, and chat with STEM professionals about the latest scientific research. These events are free and open to the public. Food and drinks are available for purchase from the host restaurant.
For information, contact Judith Dymond at (815) 753-4751 or jdymond@niu.edu, or visit niu.edu/STEM_Cafes/index.shtml.
The next program will be "The Physics of Football" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at O'Leary's Restaurant & Pub in DeKalb.