Hands-on Equipment for Hands-on Astronomy

Principal Investigator
Prof. Richard Binzel, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Dr. Amanda Bosh, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Prof. James Elliot, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Fund: Alumni Class Funds
Funding Period: AY2012
Department/Lab/Center: Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Project Website: http://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/2012/2012-venus-sun-transit

The aim of this project is to modernize the equipment used in 12.409, Hands on Astronomy. This includes new, portable telescopes to use on the roof of building 37; new, sturdier mounts to use with the current larger telescopes (8 inches); and modern digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) that will allow students to collect images and data on the night sky without the frustration that the current equipment brings. This new set of equipment will be used for the seminar and also for OBSERVE@MIT, the open observing program that is available for anyone in the MIT community, as well as for school groups at Wallace Astrophysical Observatory. With this new equipment, the team will introduce many students and non-students to the beauty and science of planetary and extra-solar-system astronomy.