Date: Sep 25, 2009

Stars on Sundays Program Continues at Hofstra Featuring Homecoming Stars, Scary Stars and Holiday Stars

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Hofstra’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has announced its fall and winter 2009 Stars on Sunday season. Guests will be able to view Jupiter and its moons, star clusters, multi-colored double stars and nebulae.

The "Stars on Sundays" series, founded in 2005 by Hofstra Coordinator of Astronomy Outreach Donald Lubowich, allows participants to use telescopes for star-gazing while learning about the universe from Hofstra’s astronomy faculty.

Dates include:

October 11, 7 to 9 p.m. – Part of Homecoming Weekend Festivities
November 1, 6 to 8 p.m. – Halloween Stars
December 13, 6 to 8 p.m. – Geminid Meteor Shower

Additionally, on October 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. Dr. Lubowich will present “Music & Astronomy Under the Stars” at the annual Spooky Walk at Clark Botanic Garden in Albertson, NY (www.clarkbotanic.org).

The Stars on Sundays programs at Hofstra are free and open to the public. The Hofstra Observatory, partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, includes Celestron telescopes and computerized CCD cameras. The Observatory is located on the roof of Herman A. Berliner Hall (Chemistry and Physics Building).

Please note, events are weather permitting. To confirm event status on days when inclement weather is expected, visit www.hofstra.edu/astronomy or call (516) 463-2SKY. For more information e-mail astronomy@hofstra.edu.

Over the past thee years, Hofstra’s Astronomy Outreach Program has also brought the wonder of star-gazing to hundreds of children and adults at Long Island schools, hospitals, non-for-profit groups, parks, beaches. In 2009, the program, under the direction of Dr. Lubowich, expanded its offerings with the help of a $308,000 NASA grant, bringing telescopes to Long Island parks and beaches to encourage interest in astronomy. This is the third consecutive year that the program has been awarded a NASA grant.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations. 
 
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