The Biosphere-2 Center, the man-made ecosystem and research facility known for its work on Earth and the environment, is reaching to the stars with a new space studies program.

In September, the center will host 20 college students from around the country who, under the clear skies of the Arizona desert, will study the moon, the stars, and the planets in a program called the Universe Semester.

"The setting out here is spectacular for astronomy," says Biosphere's Executive Director William Harris.

Universe Semester is an offshoot of the centers popular Earth Semester, a year-long program for undergraduates that offers courses in earth science, conservation, and environmental economics.

The program will make its debut in September, a month before a new observatory is scheduled to open. The facility will feature a 24-inch reflecting telescope, a public viewing area, and classrooms.

Courses include Astrophysics of the Solar System, ("covering major topics in planetary dynamics, celestial mechanics, geophysics") and Earth, Moon, and Planets ("the overall architecture of the solar system.")

There will also be a special course called Science in the Southwest, which will offer field trips to sites like the Grand Canyon and a meteor crater.

"Its a real immersion experience," says Joe Patterson, the director of the program and professor of astronomy at Columbia University. "Theres so many things in life that you dont really learn very well sitting in a room listening to someone speak about it 3 times a week for 45 minutes. This is the other end of the spectrum."

Patterson said Biosphere-2, which is owned by Columbia, may soon offer similar programs in chemistry and engineering.