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General Information
Astronomy
Camp and its diverse staff offer an opportunity to experience the universe in a new and exciting
way. Teenage students gain a cosmic perspective of the earth and themselves,
examine career alternatives, and reinforce school lessons through real
scientific and engineering applications. Adults get away from normal routines
and pose questions of a lifetime. Everyone can Reach for the Stars!
At
night, campers observe celestial objects under a dark sky using a 12-inch Meade
LX-200 telescope, the 40-inch and
60-inch telescopes, on Mt. Lemmon and the 61-inch
telescope on nearby Mt. Bigelow. Campers become astronomers, operating research
telescopes, keeping nighttime hours, interacting with leading scientists, and
interpreting their own observations. Astronomy is about exploration, and
Astronomy Camp fosters that philosophy.
Campers
have an amazing array of unique tools to help them explore their universe. All
telescopes can be equipped with a selection
of instruments, including 35mm cameras, a photometer, three CCD cameras,
two CCD spectrometers, and specialized equipment for detailing imaging of the
Sun. The Advanced Camps feature access to professional instruments for imaging
at visual and infrared wavelengths with large format CCD and HAWAII (1024x1024
pixel) electronic cameras, respectively. A complement of computers
allows campers to analyze data using professional languages and to simulate
astronomical phenomena.
During
the daytime, internationally known scientists
speak on current scientific topics, including the latest NASA space missions.
Students also explore the diverse geology and ecology of Mt. Lemmon though
hiking and outdoor demonstrations. Space
artists illustrate how science becomes art. All Camps include an in-depth
tour of the University of Arizona's Mirror Laboratory, now
producing the world's largest telescope mirrors with 8.4-meter diameters.
Interesting Selections
DATA and candid pictures
from past Camps:
http://data.astronomycamp.org/
SAMPLE PROJECTS at Astronomy Camp:
- Can
you find Pluto?
- Astronomical
Spectroscopy
- Measuring
the Hubble
Constant.
ARCHIVE of Astronomy Camp CCD
images and data:
- Image of the NGC 3718 galaxy cluster (Astronomy Picture of the Day) combining electronic data from the 60-inch and 12-inch telescopes.
- Images
with a 2048x2048
pixel CCD (compressed FITS format)
- Color
image of the interacting galaxy, Arp 220,
obtained at the 61" telescope with a 1024x1024 CCD at the 1997
Advanced Teen Camp.
LIQUID NITROGEN powered cannon!
MAP of The
University of Arizona campus.
Back to the
Astronomy Camp Home Page.