We are very pleased to be offering Beginning and Advanced Astronomy Camps for teenagers from around the world. This year marks the 37th anniversary of the Beginning Camp! These camps provide a genuinely unique educational experience, unlike anything else in the United States. We encourage all students with a particular interest in math, science, optics, engineering, or astronomy to apply. These camps are focused on "hands-on" projects that are challenging and fun, we also include leisure time for recreational activities, but first and foremost these camps are designed as academic adventures.

Astronomy Camp engages students through the concept of doing science and engineering. It is an immersion experience that reinforces school subjects and demonstrates future career areas. Students develop scientific skills of experimentation and data collection using some of the many research facilities which have given Tucson the title "Astronomy Capital of the World." Interactive talks on scientific topics of current interest are also presented. This program is combined with a number of other fun activities relating to the unique environment of the Southwestern and Sonoran Deserts.

Steward Observatory astronomer Donald W. McCarthy is the Camp Director. Serving as camp counselors and teaching assistants are astronomy graduate and undergraduate students who guide the campers through the adventure that real "hands-on" science has to offer. The counseling staff uses a very "Youth Centered" approach and treat the campers as colleagues, encouraging them to ask questions and help them find the answers to those that have puzzled them. The Director and counselors are with the students full time throughout the week. Other guest lecturers include astronomers, engineers, and space artists from other universities, NASA facilities, and research teams from around the United States.

Tuition ($1700 for Beginning Camp; $1900 for Advanced Camp) includes lodging, meals, transportation in Tucson, and all materials. Tuition scholarships are available and based on financial need. These scholarships come from former campers (teen and adult), the Richard F. Caris Foundation, and from the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady, New York.

BEGINNING CAMP - (Offered for students late-12 through 15 years old). This Camp is for students who have a strong interest in science, astronomy, and engineering. Upon arrival, students travel to Mt. Lemmon Observatory about 1.5 hours drive southwest of Tucson. Once on the summit (9200 feet), they immediately become real astronomers doing hands-on projects at many different telescopes. The Campers control the 8-inch and 11-inch HyperStar, 12-inch LX-200, 24, and 32-inch telescopes, etc., pointing them to many interesting deep-sky objects and analyzing astronomical objects over six nights. Observing projects include astronomical imaging, spectroscopy, electronic photometry, digital imaging and astrophotography, experiments in basic physics, computer simulations and developing skills in navigation by the Sun, moon and star constellations. On one night the Campers use the historic 61-inch Kuiper telescope. We also conduct daytime experiments in solar observing.

During daytime hours, Astronomy Camp students undertake a variety of hands-on projects in science and engineering. Some examples of projects are measuring solar activity, interacting with professional astronomers on modern research topics, hiking a scale model of our Solar System in the unique environment of Mt. Lemmon, playing volleyball, and even eating ice cream "from Saturn" cooled by liquid nitrogen. There are also other hikes around the area to introduce basic concepts of ecology, geology, and orienteering. Typically, we also take a day trip into Tucson to visit the campus of The University of Arizona, the Pima Air and Space Museum and the University's Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab.

Students sleep in the astronomers' dormitories along with the adult counselors and the Director. Responsibility and teamwork are vital parts of the Camp experience. Students and adult leaders also work together in teams to prepare meals, clean the facilities, and to compete against other teams in some of the many science projects.

Here is a sample schedule from the 2022 Beginning Teen Camp which was held on Mt. Lemmon.

Daily Blog (2022): During Camp, we publish an illustrated, daily journal for parents and relatives to follow our progress. We encourage our Campers to write from their perspectives.

Descriptions of the Camp experience are found in this article written by Dr. Susan Benecchi "A Day in the Life of an Astronomy Camper."

Apply for the next Beginning Camp to be held June 13-19, 2024.

ADVANCED CAMP - (Offered for students 14-19 years old). This Camp is for students who have completed either Algebra II or Geometry and have an interest in astronomy. Students reside at Mt. Lemmon Observatory for six nights and seven days to allow maximum time on the telescopes. Students form and complete one or more research projects to present to the entire camp on the last night of camp. Research activities include digital imaging, spectroscopy, electronic photometry, and astrophotography for studies involving variable stars, spectral classification, asteroid orbit determination, etc. An overnight trip to the world's largest telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope, is an annual highlight. We utilize the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) of the Arizona Radio Observatory, the 24- and 32-inch telescopes on Mt. Lemmon, and Steward Observatory's 61-inch telescope for optical imaging and spectroscopy. We also conduct daytime experiments in solar observing.

Students sleep in the astronomers' dormitories along with the adult counselors and the Director. Responsibility and teamwork are vital parts of the camp experience. Students and adult leaders also work together in teams to prepare meals, clean the facilities, and to compete against other teams in some of the many science projects.

Here is a sample schedule from the 2022 Advanced Teen Camp which was held on Mt. Lemmon. Also, check out the Mercury article for a more in-depth look at what goes on during an Advanced Teen Camp.

Daily Blog (2018): During Camp, we publish an illustrated, daily journal for parents and relatives to follow our progress. We encourage our Campers to write from their perspectives.

Descriptions of the Camp experience from former students are found as follows:

• "Discovering the Universe at Astronomy Camp" published in Mercury magazine of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific written by Elena Buckley;
• "A Week At Astronomy Camp" published in The Reflector magazine of the Astronomical League written by Gayathri Cheran;
• "Astronomy Camp Adventures" published in Universe Today by Yvette Cendes;
• in this poem written by Lindsay Renick-Mayer who attended in 1999;
• and in this article written by Kristina Nyland who attended in 2001 and 2002.

Dr. Yvette Cendes is now a radio astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics. Lindsay was Wisconsin's Journalist of the Year and majored in journalism at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Kristina Nyland is now a radio astronomer at the US Naval Research Laboratory.

Apply for the next Advanced Camp to be held June 22-30, 2024.