Telescopes on the Terrace Draws Community to the Stars at CHC

Publish Date: Oct. 19, 2026

On Thursday, October 8, the Crafton Hills College (CHC) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center, in collaboration with the California State University of San Bernardino (CSUSB) Department of Physics and Astronomy, hosted Telescopes on the Terrace at the CHC Barich Terrace.

At the event, Astrophysicist Dr. Katy Wimberly, a physics and astronomy professor at CSUSB, gave an engaging talk about the universe. During her talk, attendees also learned a bit about her academic path and what led her to her studies of Ultra Faint Dwarf Galaxies. Dr. Wimberly started off as a theater major at the community college level. Upon transferring to CSU Long Beach, she found her passion for physics, which caused her to switch her undergrad major to physics and pursue graduate studies in astrophysics.

Following Dr. Wimberly’s talk, attendees got to use telescopes from both CHC's and CSUSB’s Physics and Astronomy departments to see Saturn and its rings, as well as various stars and constellations. Members from CHC's Physics and Astronomy Club, led by Dr. Matt Adams, showed participants how to use the telescopes. Additionally, throughout the event there was a fun raffle whereby 10 participants won small astronomy-related prizes.

This was the first time the CHC STEM Center and CSUSB partnered to host an astronomy event on the CHC campus, with the goals of engaging with the community by sharing enthusiasm for astronomy, learning about the universe, and experiencing stargazing firsthand. This event accomplished those goals many times over, as approximately 75 people attended the event, including students, faculty, community members, and CHC alumna Madeline Patella.

This event represents CHC’s growing partnerships with CSUSB as well as CHC’s continuing efforts to provide ongoing community events and educational opportunities. For more information about CHC’s STEM Center visit craftonhills.edu/stem.