Throughout the year, astronomy teacher Colleen O’Toole attends star parties that are hosted by different Astronomical Societies around the area. Star parties take place at various locations for a few hours in the evening. These parties include shows in the planetarium and child-friendly activities for younger children.

In order to prepare for parties, O’Toole teaches her students about the life cycles of stars, nebulae, how to locate constellations and other skills in order to understand what they will be observing. She also informs students about current, unnatural events that are occurring in the sky such as meteor showers, comets, and planets in transit.

“The point of going is to look up! You cannot study astronomy with your nose in a book. You need to look up every now and then,” O’Toole said.

Although some students may find the whole concept of star parties “nerdy,” there are incentives for participating in them. For example, students that are taking O’Toole’s class this semester do not have to take a portion of the final if they attend one.

“Anyone and everyone can, and should go. It’s a fun way to spend an evening,” O’Toole said.