The fall 2017 Star Party at College of the Canyons’ Canyon Country campus on Friday, Oct. 27 will focus on the pathways to space exploration that exist for star-gazers who are captivated by the many mysteries of the universe.

This semester’s Star Party will feature a panel of speakers:

* Jessica Ta (Test operations engineer at Space X and COC alumna) – “Rockets: The Future of Space Travel”

* Dr. Patricia Foley (COC assistant chemistry professor) – “Rethinking Life”

* Dr. Johanna Teske (Carnegie Origins Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Observatories) – “Finding and Characterizing Other Worlds Around Other Suns”

“We are very excited about the upcoming Star Party,” said Ryan Theule, vice president of the Canyon Country campus. “This event has a great tradition of inspiring wonder and fueling academic inquiry through science. Our panel of speakers will continue this tradition and share valuable insights on ‘pathways to space’ from a variety of academic and career perspectives.”

The event, which is free and open to the public, will include a variety of interactive displays and activities presented by college clubs and organizations.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to gaze at the stars through the multiple telescopes set up by local astronomy groups throughout the evening.

The event will also feature a classroom-size planetarium, which will allow attendees to learn more about astronomy through projected images of the night sky.

“This is the first time we will be using a planetarium at Star Party,” said Anthony Michaelides, dean of campus services and operations at the Canyon Country campus. “This new component fits inside a classroom and will allow attendees to view celestial bodies that are unlikely to be visible in the night sky that evening.”

The fall 2017 Star Party will be held at the Carl A. Rasmussen Amphitheater from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Food and beverages will also be available for purchase.