The Society of Physics Students, Department of Physics and the College of Science put on a special science event last Friday— Astronomy Night. Students, community members, and families were welcomed and encouraged to come out and enjoy the event at no cost.

The night, which took place at the Naraghi Hall of Science from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., consisted of activities such as exploring the night sky with telescopes and learning about the stars in Earth’s solar system.

Desiree Carranco (senior, Sociology) is a commuting student from Los Banos, who brought her two kids to the event that evening. She thought it was a great event to take advantage of and enjoy.

“It’s Friday night, it’s a good thing to do with the kids,” Carranco said. “I came to a class, and I actually brought them with me, and I was just showing them around the campus. And, we stumbled on it [Astronomy Night]. They were excited to see it.”

One of Carranco’s kids, Isabella Flores, said she had a lot of fun.

“It was fun because it was my first time looking through a telescope,” Flores said.

Some students on campus took the opportunity to volunteer at the event to gain further knowledge about the solar system.

Paul Lencioni (junior, Criminal Justice) said he has always found interest in all things related to astronomy and decided to take an astronomy class.

He added that he thinks it is “interesting for kids and their families to learn about the universe and the planet.”

Other families attended the event and found it to be fun and interesting as well.

Brenda and Andres Hernandez attended Astronomy Night with their children Zyla, Samaria and Diego that evening.

“We heard about this event though my sister who is helping with this event,” Mrs. Hernandez said. “I think it’s very informative, and it helps them [her children] with their education on the solar system.”

Mr. Hernandez added that the event “strikes interest” in others, and the night was definitely “a good experience.”

The children also thought they were learning more about the solar system.

“My favorite part was learning about the Sun,” the Hernandez’s youngest daughter Zyla said.