ABSTRACT

1
Astronomy Camp an Adventure in Hands-on
Scientific Inquiry
www.astronomycamp.org
INTRODUCTION
Imagine diving into the world of practicing
astronomers, asking fundamental questions about
the universe and our place in it, keeping
nighttime hours, and using large telescopes.
Would you like a taste of research and discovery,
beyond reading about it, catered to your
interests and background? The University of
Arizona Astronomy Camps, staffed by research
astronomers with a strong interest in and long
experience with public outreach, provide this
opportunity with camps specialized to many
different groups teenagers adults from any
profession educators specific schools and
recently a major new initiative for Girl Scouts
their leaders.
Eric J. Hooper1,2,3 and Donald W. McCarthy4,5
A Camp staffer (standing) helping a teen camper
(sitting) collect data at the 30 telescope.
(1) The University of Texas at Austin,
ehooper_at_astro.as.utexas.edu
(2) NSF Astronomy Astrophysics Postdoctoral
Fellow (3) University of Arizona Astronomy Camp
(formerly Associate Director)
(4) The University of Arizona,
mccarthy_at_as.arizona.edu (5) Astronomy Camp Di
rector
LOCATION EQUIPMENT
Astronomy Camps run from two nights to a week in
the alpine setting of the Catalina Station of the
University of Arizonas Steward Observatory, one
of the premier astronomy groups in the world.
The site is atop one of Arizonas sky islands,
an isolated mountain ecosystem in a sea of
desert. Despite proximity to Tucson, the skies
are the darkest and clearest that many campers
have seen, especially teenagers from urban areas.
Participants often cite the serenity and beauty
of the location as an important part of their
overall experience. The campers staff live in
the astronomers dorms on site. We utilize
several telescopes, from modest size, to the
largest to which most amateurs will have access
(sizes listed below refer to primary mirror
diameter, which determines a telescopes light
collecting capability)
ABSTRACT
Astronomy Camps are hands-on, participant-directed
, immersion experiences in astronomy. Campers
spend two to 8 nights at a professional
observatory complex on a mountaintop in Arizona,
using eyepieces, spectrographs, and research
imagers on telescopes of up to 61 diameter.
Research astronomers with strong interests and
experience in education and outreach comprise
much of the staff. Camps are offered for a
variety of groups at different levels, including
adults from any profession, teenagers, educators,
specific school groups, and most recently, Girl
Scouts. The Camps, in existence for over 15
years, have continually evolved in technology,
scientific emphasis, scope, and number of
offerings. The program is poised to take a
quantum leap with the likely private funding of a
new 2-3 meter telescope and science center at the
main Camp mountaintop site.

• 61 at Mt. Bigelow, a telescope with excellent
  optical quality, originally designed in part for
  mapping Apollo landing sites on the moon. Use a
  2 eyepiece for seeing planets, stars, nebulae,
  galaxies directly. Also utilize a research-grade
  electronic camera.
• 60 at Mt. Lemmon, a telescope with a newly
  refurbished primary mirror, used with an eyepiece
  and also a spectrograph.
  
• 30 at Mt. Lemmon, an older telescope used less
  frequently. Mount either an eyepiece or a
  photometer for measuring the brightness of a
  single object.
• 12 Meade LX200 on a permanent mount in a dome
  on Mt. Lemmon, typically used with a commercial
  astronomical electronic camera. This telescope
  is quite popular, despite its size, because the
  equipment lies within financial reach of many
  amateurs.
• Several smaller telescopes, including one
  equipped with a solar filter, and a solar image
  projector (right).
  
• Computers, image processing software,
  demonstration equipment, etc.
  

61 telescope
THE STANDARD ASTRONOMY CAMPS

• Beginning Adult Camp (every autumn). Two
  nights of mostly eyepiece observing of a variety
  of objects.
  
• Beginning/Advanced Adult Camp (every spring).
  Three nights of eyepiece and electronic camera
  imaging. Images are processed during the day,
  more advanced techniques and concepts are
  discussed.
• Beginning Teen Camp (every June). First type
  of astronomy camp created, in 1988. Seven nights
  of eyepiece observing, electronic camera imaging,
  spectroscopy, and numerous daytime activities.

60 telescope
30 telescope

• Advanced Teen Camp (every June, sometimes also
  July). Fully project-oriented, highly advanced 8
  night camp. Almost all observing time is devoted
  to student-proposed and executed projects. Data
  reduction and analysis is a high priority,
  culminating in seminar presentations on the
  projects at the end of the camp.
• Camps for Educators (every June). Three
  nights, similar to the adult camps but with a
  peer group of educators. Discussions
  activities center on professional development and
  classroom applications.
• Specialized camps for school groups, from
  elementary to high school.
  

A sun gun in action.
A DAY A NIGHT IN THE LIFE OF AN ASTRONOMY CAMPER
Teen Astronomy Campers use a thermal infrared
camera to probe simulated Martian subsurface ice.
This group includes Girl Scout scholarship
winners.
A MAJOR NEW EMPHASIS
Girl Scout Camps (currently autumn spring) are
part of a new large program, sponsored by NASA
through the Near-infrared Camera for the James
Webb Space Telescope (successor to the Hubble
Space Telescope). The primary emphasis is to
train the trainers these camps draw Scout
leaders from across the nation, as well as
education outreach personnel from, e.g., the
Jet Propulsion Lab NASA Johnson Space Center.
One Scout leaders said, I always thought that
science was just memorizing facts, buy you guys
are encouraging us to think and explore This
national effort has a great leverage potential
for reaching people underrepresented in science
not only girls and women, but for example, 46 of
Arizonas Girl Scouts are non-white.

• Reduce analyze data plan the next nights
  observing (especially advanced teen camp).
  
• Free time and dinner, then leave for various
  telescopes.

OPERATING PHILOSOPHIES

• Observe on 3-4 telescopes on two mountains.
  Those not observing work on data, talk with
  astronomers, look on the web for Hubble Space
  Telescope pictures of objects we observe, etc.

• Hands-on. Participants are taught how to use
  the equipment and are encouraged to personally
  utilize it as much as feasible. Ideally the
  staff are in the background, acting as
  facilitators, watching for safety, and responding
  to questions.
• Participant-directed inquiry, experiment
  investigation. Campers use the equipment
  direct which objects to observe. Advanced teen
  campers develop their own research projects
  teams. Staff teach basics, then advise
  consult.
• Informal setting, including easy interaction
  with staff. The detailed scheduled is flexible,
  changing as needed to respond to weather
  interests.
• In addition to more senior scientists, Camp
  heavily involves astronomy graduate students,
  plus some undergrads, thereby helping train the
  next generation of scientist-educators.
• Non-profit, independent, and market-driven.
  Camps, except for the newer NASA-funded versions,
  depend on participant fees. We rely on happy
  campers spreading the word of mouth. Camps often
  sell out months in advance.

• Have night lunch switch telescopes depending
  on needs bed.

• Once per camp experiences insider tours of
  Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, observatories at
  Kitt Peak, Mt. Hopkins, or Mt. Graham.

• The initiative has other components as well
• Heavy involvement with local Girl Scout
  council, including helping with national effort
  and career events for 500 girls.
  
• Scholarships for Girl Scouts to attend teen
  Camps.
  
• Correcting major errors in extant Girl Scout
  astronomy materials.
  
• Curriculum development, in part relating to the
  James Webb Space Telescope, including
  distribution to Girl Scouts.
  
• Large student (graduate undergraduate)
  involvement.
  
• Planning the Girl Scout leaders camps.
• Undergrads planning a 5th grade camp with a
  Scout leader.
  
• Web site documents a grad students unfolding
  career path.
  
• Creating annual astronomy badge day.
• Donating time to Girl Scout star parties.

OVERVIEW OF ADULT PROJECTS
Adult campers mostly enjoy looking at and talking
with the astronomers about a variety of objects.
Some of the advanced campers like more focused
activities, including contributing to ongoing
research. Campers have helped identify a comet,
imaged low surface brightness galaxies, and
contributed to a survey for very high redshift
quasars.
AN EXCITING FUTURE
OVERVIEW OF ADVANCED TEEN PROJECTS

• A small group of business people, former adult
  campers, are planning major upgrades to the Mt.
  Lemmon summit site
  
• A 2 to 3 meter state-of-the-art telescope,
  designed for research and use at Astronomy Camps.
  
  
• High-quality research instruments, likely
  emphasizing infrared and adaptive optics, along
  with eyepieces.
  
• Upgrades to facilities, including new kitchen,
  common area, offices, etc.
  
• An on-site science center emphasizing
  astronomical origins.
  
• This will be an enormous upgrade in Camps
  capabilities and scale.
  
• Timescale is 2-3 years.

FUNDING TELESCOPE ACCESS
Teen campers, particularly those in the advanced
camp are very ambitious and often push the limits
of feasibility in their proposed projects. Staff
astronomers help guide them in planning and
execution, but an important part of the
experience is learning to deal with the
frustrations of research, limitations of
equipment, and the great deal of time effort it
takes to accomplish much. The projects range
over many areas of observational astronomy, from
our solar system to quasars, utilizing both
imaging and spectroscopy. Several advanced
campers have continued working on their projects
after the Camp and have used them to reach the
finals in major science fair competitions.
Astronomy Camps are a self-supporting non-profit
program affiliated with the University of Arizona
Alumni Association (Camps are open to anyone, not
just alumni). Most Camps are funded by camper
fees, kept as low as possible through tight cost
control, donations, mainly from former adult
campers. Scholarships are available for
teenagers from lower-income families. NASA
recently started funding some of the Camps
through Spitzer and James Webb Space Telescope
education and outreach programs.
Access to the three large telescopes is gained b
y competitive peer review, just like for any
research project. The Camp proposals often
receive the highest ranking among all submitted
for these facilities.
Part of the Mt. Lemmon summit site. The geodesic
dome in the center is a former military tracking
facility, recently decommissioned. The building
and pier are very robust, and this will likely
house the new 2 to 3 meter privately funded
telescope. (The helicopter was working on fire
suppression.)
EDUCATION RESEARCH ON THE ADVANCED TEEN CAMP

• Astronomy Camps, particularly the teen camps,
  appear to have a major impact for a relatively
  short experience, based on feedback from
  participants, parents, and teachers. A masters
  thesis explored the reasons for this using
  interviews with campers and staff at the 2002
  Advanced Teen Camp (2002, Deborah McCarthy, M.S.
  in Curriculum Instruction at the University of
  Wisconsin, Madison a copy is available at
  www.astronomycamp.org)
• Youth centered Campers design execute their
  own projects, with the help of staff, and are
  primarily responsible for the projects success
  they are trained to operate equipment and collect
  data largely independently minimal rules with
  maximum impact help foster a sense of personal
  responsibility there is a strong connection with
  peers staff.
• Meaningful science activities Campers draw a
  sharp distinction between school science and what
  they do at Camp, which is modeling the entire
  research enterprise from project conception,
  proposal, project planning, data collection,
  analysis, and presentation to the peer group.
• Fun aesthetic environment informal
  relationship with staff accepting helpful
  peers scheduled relaxation time spontaneous
  fun and the beauty of the night sky, including
  time for stargazing and eyepiece observing.

THE POSTER BACKGROUND IMAGE
Messier 27, a.k.a. the Dumbbell Nebula, consists
of the former outer layers of a dying star. The
hot remnant core of the star ionizes the gas.
The resulting emission lines produce the colors
you see. The stars are slightly elongated due to
a small drift in the tracking of the telescope
during the exposure. This image was taken by
participants in the spring, 2002 adult Astronomy
Camp. Note also the adjoining images taken by
Campers.
The Antennae, a pair of interacting galaxies.
Note streamers of stars gas, ripped from the
galaxies by gravity during the close passage (the
streamers are actually much longer than visible
here). Blue knots are active star formation,
triggered in part by the interaction. Image
taken by spring, 2002 adult campers.
Messier 57, the famous Ring Nebula, Its the
shell of a dying star, similar to the poster
background image. Notice the hot (blue) remnant
core of the former star at the center. Image
taken by spring, 2002 adult campers.