Astronomy Night at Soka

Astronomy Night at Soka: Exploration of the Moon and Stars

Soka Performing Arts Center expanded its live virtual programming with Astronomy Night at Soka: Exploration of the Moon and Mars on February 18, 2021. Astronomy professor and Vice President of External Academic Affairs and Sponsored Research Dr. Bryan Penprase utilized the telescope from the Nieves Observatory, located on campus, to view Mars, the moon, and other celestial objects. Additionally, Dr. Penprase led a discussion and answered questions about the February 18 landing on Mars of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory spacecraft lander known as Perseverance, including the main science goals of the mission, its technology as well as other exciting new missions making their way to Mars and other parts of the solar system.

The Nieves Observatory, located on the western end of campus between the residence halls and the Athenaeum, was made possible by the generosity of the Luis & Linda Nieves Family Foundation. The Observatory is set up with the mission to expand SUA’s mission for global citizenship into an interplanetary dimension. SUA hopes to also work with communities of students and researchers around the world, and to enable students in the United States, Japan, India, Taiwan, Singapore and other countries to work together to increase our understanding of the physical universe.