A classic approach to sky watchingThe Uranidrome is a user-friendly naked-eye observatory that enables students to observe sky motions in a manner similar to Greek astronomers. One can actually use the Uranidrome to determine the earth's rate of rotation, the tilt of its axis, the time of day, or the time for the earth to revolve once around the sun (one year). Campus visitors can experience the unusual structure on their own or with guided tours.
Stars for all!On the first Friday of each month, the Physics and Astronomy Department hosts a Star Party. Free and open to the public, the Star Party begins with a lecture in the Wiser-Patten Science (WPS) Hall (Room 102) and is followed by telescope observation at the MTSU Observatory, weather permitting. Families from the community join students to view the wonders of the sky. MTSU's telescope has a camera that feeds the images to 61-inch flat panel plasma displays mounted on two walls of the observatory