04/07/14
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, on board the Vostok 1 53 years ago on April 12, became the first human to go out into outer space. The Fort Hays State University Astronomy Club will celebrate this milestone with "Yuri's Night."

According to student organizer Megan Adams, the celebration of Gagarin's momentous flight "aims to promote public interest in space and geosciences with presentations emphasizing on-campus research and new and upcoming milestones in science and engineering."

Starting at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 12, the presentation will feature speakers that include physics and engineering students, Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science students, and English students. The topics, while not yet final, will include Jupiter radio astronomy, the SuperDARN radar, mythologies related to constellations and the sky, and contemporary science news.

The gathering will also feature a costume contest where participants can dress in space- or science-fiction-related fashions. Other events include a show by the Digital Planetarium, owned by the Science and Mathematics Education Institute, and a tour of the Albertson Hall Observatory. Afterward, from 8:30 to 11 p.m., student volunteers will host a night-sky observation at the old FHSU quarry, five miles south of the U.S. 183 Bypass on Golf Course Road.

Food and drink will be provided. The event is free and open to the public. Public sky viewing using FHSU telescopes will be after the main event.

For more information, search "Fort Hays Yuri's Night" on Facebook or visit the FHSU Astronomy Club at www.fhsu.edu/physics/astronomy-club/.