Original URL: https://ciera.northwestern.edu/2025/05/22/4th-annual-astronomy-night-out-brings-the-milky-way-to-life-for-over-260-attendees/
By the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA, May 22, 2025)
On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) welcomed more than 260 astronomy enthusiasts to its 4th annual Astronomy Night Out—a celebration of science, community, and the night sky. Hosted on Northwestern University’s campus, the event featured a captivating public lecture, hands-on science activities, and stargazing through the historic Dearborn Observatory telescope.
The evening’s keynote talk, “Exploring the Milky Way,” was delivered by Northwestern and CIERA Professor Emeritus and co-founder David Meyer, who took the audience on a visual and scientific journey through our Milky Way galaxy. CIERA Director Vicky Kalogera welcomed guests to the lecture, one of several special events marking the Center’s 15th-year anniversary.
With the aid of dazzling images captured by the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, Meyer explored the stars, nebulae, and star clusters that form the vibrant structure of the Milky Way. He revealed how this disk-shaped spiral galaxy—spanning over 100,000 light-years—contains some 300 billion stars interwoven with interstellar gas and stardust. To read more, see https://ciera.northwestern.edu/2025/05/22/4th-annual-astronomy-night-out-brings-the-milky-way-to-life-for-over-260-attendees/
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