Astronomy Camp

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Contents
  • General Information
  • Registration
  • Sample Projects
  • Data Archive
  • Liquid Nitrogen Cannon
  • 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:

    *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.

     

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    Last modified: Sunday Dec. 31, 2006