Budding astronomers and celestial photographers spent a star-studded evening searching for luminous spheres of plasma at a family-friendly Star Party hosted by the Vero Beach Museum of Art last Friday evening.

The event drew in a galaxy of astrophiles, young and old alike, who also took advantage of the opportunity to visit the museum’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibit, on display through Sept. 16.

The exhibition features roughly 50 celestial photographs selected from the 2017 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition conducted annually by England’s Royal Observatory in Greenwich, and includes ‘out-of-this-world’ shots of aurorae, galaxies, moon, sun, people and space, planets, comets, asteroids, skyscapes, stars and nebulae.

The event serendipitously aligned with the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing of July 20, 1969. Following in the footsteps of astronaut Neil Armstrong as he took “… one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” boys and girls posed for photos ‘on the Moon’ and got a feel for the lunar landscape.

Afterward, they headed outside to take a closer look at the real thing through high-powered telescopes, compliments of the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society.

“Oohs and aahs” could be heard as the eight-day-old Moon glowed in its glory through the telescopes. It was almost as if the planets had also aligned for the sky watchers, as Mars, Jupiter and Saturn made rare appearances in the summer sky.

“I hope they are intrigued by the celestial outer space and inspired to take photographs,” said Pam Sommers, VBMA Youth and Family Programs manager. She said they wanted to connect the exhibition of amateur astrophotography to an educational interpretation event that would engage the whole family.

Activities also included star-themed fun in the Art Zone, such as star-gazing apps and Moon-landing facts, and artistic crafts in the atrium, where the children could use their imaginations to help them take flight and, in essence, swing on a star.

“It’s a fun way to get the artist’s point of view and perspective. It’s a nice mix of science and art,” Sommers explained. “The telescopes as the actual science – learning about our solar system – and then the art – how the photographers chose to capture that and tell the story they see.”

For more information, visit vbmuseum.org.