Star Party and Science Showcase - Out of This World!!

Star Party SP24 Speaker

On Friday, April 12th, students, faculty, staff and community members were treated to our 28th Star Party event, which included a Science Showcase! The event was held in our outdoor Upper Plaza, adjacent to the Don Takeda Science Center, and attracted more than 400 people.

Our guest speaker, Dr. J. (Bob) Balaram, Inventor and Chief Engineer (Retired) of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, presented “The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter – Humanity’s First Flight On Another Planet” and his intriguing topic raised some fun Q&A’s and audience engagement. The event kicked off the evening with a variety of science-themed presentations by our own COC students and faculty. The event included tours of the Takeda Science Center, visits to our exciting indoor portable planetarium, and food truck services with “Go Fusion N Grill”.

Throughout the evening, our guests enjoyed our interactive demonstration tables, presented by a number of groups including Active Minds, the Astronomy Physics Club, the Biological & Environmental Sciences Department, Chemistry Club, Civic Engagement Club, Connections Club, Earth and Space Sciences, Helping US Become (HUB) Club, Library, Math Club, MESA - Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement, Outdoor Adventure Club, the Technology, Engineering, coding and Hardware (TECH) Club and the William S. Hart District CTE Education Pathway!! The Associated Student Government (ASG) was also on hand with free snacks and lots of energy! It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!

Our sincere THANKS to all who made this Star Party possible!!

Special thanks to our guest speaker, Dr. J (Bob) Balaram, Inventor and Chief Engineer (Retired) of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

Dave Flynn and members of the Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita Valley

The Astronomy & Physics Club led by Teresa Ciardi, COC Professor

Star Party Planning Committee - Teresa Ciardi, Anthony Michaelides, Jamie Page,
Maria Sanchez, and Dr. Ryan Theule

College of the Canyons Facilities, Campus Safety, Custodial/Grounds, Audio Visual, Graphics/Reprographics and Information Technology

and Special Thanks to:

Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook

The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees:

Dr. Edel Alonso, Sebastian Cazares, Jerry Danielsen, Charles Lyon and Joan W. MacGregor

Star Party Flyer
Star Party Program
Star Party News Release
Star Party Promotional Clip

Plan to attend our next Star Party in Fall 2024!! Date and time to be announced soon!!

Last semester's Fall Star Party & Science Showcase a big success!
Guest Speaker: Dr. Varoujan Gorjian, JPL Research Astronomer

Star Party FA23 Speaker

On Friday, November 3rd, students, faculty, staff and community members were treated to our 27th Star Party event, which included a Science Showcase! The event was held in our outdoor Upper Plaza, adjacent to the Don Takeda Science Center, and attracted more than 400 people.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Varoujan Gorjian, JPL Research Astronomer, presented “A Brief History of JPL” and his intriguing topic raised some fun Q&A’s and audience engagement. The event’s new “science showcase” kicked off the evening with a variety of science-themed presentations by our own COC students and faculty. The event included tours of the Takeda Science Center, visits to our exciting indoor portable planetarium, and food truck services with “Go Fusion N Grill”. Always a crowd favorite, attendees were able to explore the night sky through high-powered telescopes with the assistance of volunteers from the Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita Valley, as well as from the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club. Throughout the evening, our guests also enjoyed our interactive demonstration tables, presented by a number of groups including the Astronomy Physics Club, the Biological & Environmental Sciences Department, Chemistry Club, Civic Engagement Club, Earth and Space Sciences, Future Business Leaders of America, Helping US Become (HUB) Club, Library, MESA - Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement, Parallax Photo Club, Psychology Club & PSI Beta, and the William S. Hart District CTE Education Pathway!! The Associated Student Government (ASG) was also on hand with free snacks and lots of energy! It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!

Our sincere THANKS to all who made this Star Party possible!!

Special thanks to our guest speaker, Dr. Varoujan Gorjian, JPL Research Astronomer