Beyond the Classroom: 4th Graders Photograph Nebulae and Galaxies

Students in Ms. DeSantis’ 4th-grade class at Plymouth South Elementary School, located in Plymouth, MA, recently had the privilege of participating in Insight Observatory's educational outreach program, an experience that proved both motivating and deeply inspiring.

The project began with students exploring the Insight Observatory website to familiarize themselves with the 16” Dream Aerospace System astrograph reflector telescope and its location at the Utah Desert Remote Observatories. Through guided discussion, they examined why Beryl, Utah, serves as an ideal site for deep space photography and broadened their perspective by researching other premier observing locations around the world. With that foundational knowledge in place, each student selected either a planetary nebula or a galaxy to be photographed by the telescope using Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request (EIR) application.

Students then undertook a comprehensive research project on their chosen object, covering the three main classifications of nebulae, the processes by which nebulae form, and the remarkable distances and physical scales involved. By the time their images arrived, students were already deeply familiar with their subjects — which made the moment of receiving their photographs all the more rewarding.

Just a few of the deep sky targets, Ms. DeSantis ' 4th-grade class imaged remotely on Insight Observatory's affiliate remote telescope, ATEO-1, located at Utah Desert Remote Observatories.

Upon seeing their images, the class engaged in rich discussion about the immensity of cosmic distances and the extraordinary variety and beauty found among deep space objects. Students consistently highlighted two aspects of the project as most memorable: the vivid colors and diverse shapes revealed in their images, and the anticipation of waiting for their photographs to arrive. They also expressed a sense of wonder at the fact that a ground-based telescope on Earth is capable of capturing objects located light-years away.

The class extends its sincere gratitude to Insight Observatory for providing both the imagery and the supporting information that made this project such a meaningful and enriching experience.

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5th-Grade Students Research Nebulae with ATEO-1

Insight Observatory had the pleasure of providing its remote telescope services once again this school year with Ms. Christine DeSantis' 5th-grade students at Plymouth South Elementary School, Plymouth, MA. The students specifically accessed the 16" f/3.75 Dream Aerospace Systems astrograph reflector (ATEO-1) remotely from their classroom using the Educational Image Request (EIR) from their Chromebooks.

A 5th-grade student in Ms. DeSantis' class at Plymouth South Elementary School studies her image taken with ATEO-1 of the NGC 2073, The Iris Nebula on her classroom-assigned Chromebook.

Here is what Ms. DeSantis said regarding her class utilizing ATEO-1 for their classroom project...

"Learning about deep space objects and how they are photographed was an exciting and motivating experience for my fifth graders! This project related well to two science units: matter and energy and the solar system. Students were able to extend their knowledge of the elements and discovered why dust and gasses are able to glow when energized by a nearby energy source and how this results in spectacular nebulae. Before the image requests were put in, the students researched three types of nebulae.

As they proceeded to put in the requests they discovered that certain nebulae may or may not be visible at various times of the year. They reviewed phases of the moon and became aware that deep space photography works best during the new moon and also learned why the location of the telescope is important.

After their images were processed, the students compared the images from Insight Observatory to Hubble photographs. Next, they created a slideshow to demonstrate comprehension of all the concepts including adding details about their chosen image: the type of nebula, its age, distance from Earth, and distance across (size). This is a wonderfully thought-provoking and exciting way to learn about some complicated and abstract concepts. We are so grateful to have been able to participate in this project!"

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NGC 2244 - The Rosette Nebula (left), NGC 7293 - The Helix Nebula (upper right), and M42 - The Orion Nebula (bottom right) all imaged by 5th-grade students in Ms. Desantis' class using remote telescope ATEO-1.

Insight Observatory would like to thank Ms. DeSantis for once again collaborating with us. If you are an educator and interested in participating in a classroom project utilizing Insight Observatory's remote telescope services via our online Educational Image Request (EIR), please contact us.

We would also like to thank all of Insight Observatory's loyal remote imagers and Patreon patrons for their ongoing support that allows Insight Observatory to provide remote telescope services for educational purposes.

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5th-Grade Students Image and Study Nebulae

Insight Observatory had the pleasure, for the third straight school year, of collaborating with Ms. Christine DeSantis' 5th-grade class at Plymouth South Elementary School located in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Ms. DeSantis' students were given the assignment of imaging and studying the different types of nebulae that exist in our universe. Here is her summary of the assignment for her students...

A 5th-grade student in Ms. DeSantis's class reviews Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request (EIR) online application before submitting an image request for his nebulae research assignment.

"We are very excited to have been able to benefit from Insight Observatory’s educational outreach program, especially during this challenging process of hybrid learning! As an at-home assignment, students first visited Insight Observatory's website to learn more about the remote telescope and its location. They discussed why New Mexico was an ideal location for deep space photography and learned about other Insight Observatory remote telescope locations around the world. After this research, students choose a nebula to have photographed.

Insight Observatory's 16" f/3.7 Dream Aerospace Systems astrograph reflector (ATEO-1) remote telescope that was used by Ms. DeSantis' 5th-grade students to image supernova remnant known as M1, the Crab Nebula, IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula, and IC 1805, the Heart Nebula.

They then did a research project on their assigned nebula that included information about the three main types of nebulae, how nebulae are formed and how far away and large the nebula they chose was. This project was completed from home and then presented in class using Google Slides. The students were thrilled when their images arrived as they already knew so much about their subject.

5th-grade student researching her nebula image assignment virtually from home along with images of Westerhout 5, an emission nebula, and NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula in Cassiopeia.

After seeing their images, students discussed the immensity of distances in space and reviewed the variety and beauty of these deep-space objects. Students said that the things that they loved most about this project were the discovery of how different their own nebula could appear depending on the telescope used and the time of year it was photographed. They also were impressed that energy, gas, and dust could create such astounding beauty.

5th-grade students selected a nebula to image on ATEO-1 with NGC 7662, a planetary nebula located in the constellation Andromeda, and NGC 7023, the Iris Nebula, a bright reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus.

Many thanks to Michael Petrasko and Insight Observatory for providing us with the astrophotography and information for this motivating and inspiring project!"

If you are an educator and would like to participate in a classroom and/or virtual project similar to this one utilizing Insight Observatory's Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO) remote telescope network, please contact us.

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ATEO-1 Nightly Rentals Now Available!

Insight Observatory's 16" f/3.7 astrograph reflector remote telescope is now available for full nightly rentals at discounted rates.

Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO-1) is now available for full nightly rentals.

This 16" f/3.7 astrograph reflector remote telescope, designated the Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO-1), is hosted at SkyPi Remote Observatory located at an elevation of 7,778 ft in the dark skies of New Mexico. This telescope went online back in August 2017 and is accessible remotely via the internet for students, amateur astronomers, and astrophotographers to conduct astronomical research and deep-sky imaging.

M81 and M82 - Bode's and Cigar Galaxies  (upper left),  M13 - Globular cluster in Hercules (lower left), and M63 - The Sunflower Galaxy in Canes Venatici (right). All image data acquired on ATEO-1 and processed by Utkarsh Mishra.

You may now rent a full night on this remote imaging system to gather image data in addition or as an alternative to purchasing imaging credits. Nightly rental use of the telescope can be for conducting research and deep-sky imaging for a flat discounted rental rate. These rental rates are depended upon the time of year the telescope is reserved. Discounted nightly rental rates cannot be applied with other running discounts and promotions.

If bad weather becomes a factor for your reserved night, you will be contacted either to reschedule or cancel without penalty. If your nightly imaging rental encounters unforeseen weather during the imaging run, we would then continue the imaging run the following night to complete the equivalent of a full nights worth of imaging hours.

Available slots are limited, so please Contact Us today for more information on pricing and details!

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Online Learning Opportunities Using ATEO

During these unusual and stressful times, Insight Observatory has been fortunate enough to be able to offer and provide online learning opportunities with teachers and students from their homes. One instance was a recent collaboration with Plymouth South Elementary School 5th-grade teacher, Ms Christine DeSantis, from Plymouth, Massachusetts. Insight Observatory and Ms. DeSantis had scheduled an education program earlier this year to take place in April 2020. Fortunately, due to Insight's online Educational Image Request (EIR) application, Ms. DeSantis and her 5th-grade students could still proceed with the class project as planned.

Plymouth South Elementary School Student, Aidan F., examines his image of M27, The Dumbbell Nebula, taken on Insight Observatory's 16 f/3.7 astrograph reflector (ATEO-1) remote telescope.

"We are very grateful to have been able to benefit from Insight Observatory’s educational outreach program, especially during this difficult and challenging process of distance learning!" states Ms. DeSantis. "Students first visited Insight Observatory's website to learn more about the online remote telescopes and their locations. The students discussed why New Mexico was an ideal location for deep space photography, and how Insight Observatory Co-Founder, Mr. Petrasko, first became interested in space photography. It was inspiring and motivating for the kids to learn how a hobby and interest in space could eventually develop into this type of program."

Plymouth South Elementary School Student, Morgan H., displays her image of M57, The Ring Nebula.  M97, The Owl Nebula (upper right), and M108 Galaxy (lower left) were imaged by Brook C. and Cameron J. All deep-sky objects were imaged by the students on Insight Observatory's 16" f/3.7 astrograph reflector (ATEO-1).

"After their research, students were paired up to choose some deep-sky images to have photographed. It was particularly exciting for the students to find out that the spring sky is loaded with galaxies. Students chose from a list of open star clusters, spiral galaxies, globular clusters, and planetary nebulae. They were thrilled when their images arrived. After seeing their images, students discussed the immensity of distances in space and reviewed the variation in galaxy shapes. This was such a wonderful project, especially since it allowed my students to visit faraway places without having to leave their homes."

More images were acquired by Plymouth South Elementary School 5th-grade students using ATEO-1. M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy imaged by Trevor B. (left), M27, The Dumbell Nebula, imaged by Aidan F. (upper right), and M3, Globular Cluster imaged by Nathan B.

Insight Observatory would like to thank Ms. DeSantis and her 5th-grade students for participating in a classroom project for the 3rd year straight year! Even during these challenging learning conditions, we are very happy we could still make it possible!

If you are an educator and would like to participate in an online learning opportunity using our Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO) remote telescope network, please Contact Us. 

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The Sky Show

Barnstable High School Senior Astronomy students, AKA, "Astro Junkies",  are recently focused on a unit called “The Sky Show” which challenges each student to learn the taxonomy of the heavens.

Barnstable High School astronomy students study the use of Insight Observatory's Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO).

Similar to Zoology, where each organism is assigned a Class, Phylum, Order, Family, Genus, and species classification, each object in the nighttime sky is given a classification designation as well. As students learn about open star clusters, globular star clusters, spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, irregular galaxies, double stars, planetary nebulae, emission nebulae, reflection nebulae, dark nebula, variable stars, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, they will select a specific celestial object that they would like to research and image with a partner. Together, they will search the skies, using the website Telescopius.com, to find “that image” that speaks to them and their specific interests.

Barnstable High School astronomy students research and select their deep-sky object to image on the ATEO remote telescope network.

Insight Observatory provides a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about deep-space objects, telescopes (reflectors vs. refractors), and the nighttime sky (in both celestial hemispheres). Students truly enjoy being part of the imaging process. Ownership, which is key to learning, helps create crystallizing memories that will resonate with students for many years to come. If educators are thought of as being in the “memory-making business,” then Astronomy provides the magic for making this happen.

Michael Gyra - Astronomy Teacher, Barnstable High School, Barnstable, MA

 A few images of deep-sky objects acquired by Barnstable High School seniors (Astro Junkies) - M1 imaged on the 16" Dream Aerospace Systems f/3.75 astrograph reflector (ATEO-1), NGC 1499 imaged on the 5" f/5.8 refractor (ATEO-2A) and NGC 2024 imaged on the 12.5" f/9 Ritchey-Chretien (ATEO-3).

More images of deep-sky objects were taken by the Barnstable High School senior astronomy students. Sh2-279 was imaged on ATEO-3, M31 was imaged on ATEO-2A and IC 1848 was imaged on ATEO-1.

A special thank you to Mr. Gyra and his senior astronomy students, AKA, "Astro Junkies", for utilizing Insight Observatory's Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach for the second consecutive school year with their class projects. If you are an educator interested in accessing Insight Observatory's ATEO remote telescope network for a classroom project using its intuitive Educational Image Request (EIR) form, please Contact Us.

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The Awesomeness of the Universe

"Appreciate the Awesomeness of the Universe..." This was the theme 8th-grade science teacher, Aaron Daniels, from the Plymouth Community Intermediate School, implemented when he brought two of his science classes into the Blake Planetarium (located inside the school in Plymouth, MA) to image and learn about galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. On May 17, 2018, Mr. Daniels brought the first two of his classes into the planetarium where Planetarium Director, Steven Davies presented a lesson he produced demonstrating the distances of deep-sky objects along with explaining what equipment was needed to get a better look at these objects. The equipment was to be Insight Observatory's Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO).

Mr. Daniels's 8th-grade classes engaged in Mr. Davies's lesson in the Blake Planetarium covering the distances of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters and how we get a better look at them. Photo by Emily Goonan.

When I asked Mr. Daniels what his objectives were for using the ATEO with his classes he stated "Awe is felt when our mind begins to comprehend something that we did not comprehend before. This can be as simple as noticing the beauty in the intricacy of a flower or in marveling at the immense expanse of space. Our goal was to point the telescope towards 24 small patches of sky to capture galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. I hope that these images our students collect stay with them and bring a feeling of greatness whenever they need inspiration. In addition to the deep space photograph that the students used the ATEO from Insight Observatory to take, they will be required to create a caption. Their caption can be artistically applied to their photograph in any way they would like."

All captions will include at least the following information:

• Name and nickname (if applicable) of the object
• Classification of the astronomical object (galaxy, nebula, globular star cluster, etc.)
• Definition of the classification of the astronomical object
• Distance from earth (in light-years)
• Location in the sky (in which constellation)
• Other interesting astronomical objects in the constellation’s field of view
• Actual size (not arc)
• Description and additional information
• Exposure
• Names (this image may be published online; therefore, the first name only is optional

Once the list of deep-sky objects was submitted for imaging, they were immediately acquired that night as the weather was very cooperative the whole time I had my visit the observatory. As John Evelan, Managing Partner of SkyPi Remote Observatory, and I were visually observing galaxy clusters with his 18" Dobsonian reflector telescope, we could hear the ATEO slewing all night long hitting the targets on the student's list. Once the images were processed by the staff at Insight Observatory they were uploaded to Astrobin.com, a website that hosts Insight Observatory's Image Gallery. Individual collections were created for each class where Mr. Daniels and his students may access the data they retrieved with the ATEO.

Insight Observatory Project Developer, Michael Petrasko, broadcasting live from Pie Town, NM to Plymouth, MA
demonstrating how the ATEO acquires images of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. Photo by Emily Goonan.

Coincidently, I had just arrived on my annual trek to Pie Town, New Mexico to make some enhancements to our Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO) and thought it would be a bonus for the students if I broadcasted live from the observatory and explain how the remote telescope imaging system worked. After my brief live presentation, Steve presented his lesson followed by the students teaming up to request their deep-sky image using Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request Form (EIR). Each group was assigned an object they then would enter into the form along with their desired exposure time. We repeated the same format for the third class the next day.

M8 - The Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius (left) and M3 - Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici (right)
Imaged by 8th-grade students in Mr. Daniel's science class from PCIS, Plymouth, MA.

Upon completion of the student's assignment, they returned to the planetarium to present their images taken with the ATEO and what they have learned from this experience. I would like to thank Mr. Daniels and Mr. Davies for allowing Insight Observatory to collaborate with their classes and the opportunity to bring the universe to their classroom.

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Hidden Galaxies

Ever since our new flat field light table was installed on the south wall in Gamma at SkyPi Remote Observatories, the quality of the images coming back from ATEO-1 has greatly improved. Recently the crew at Insight Observatory were imaging random deep-sky objects to test their image processing with the new flats and as they were imaging a few of the most common deep-sky objects for testing, they uncovered a potential project for students that could be a lot of fun while creating colorful deep-sky images...

M97, the "Owl Nebula" imaged by Muir Evenden with a circled unidentified anomaly.

One of the objects randomly imaged was the planetary nebula known as M97, the "Owl Nebula" in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.  As Insight Observatory's Project Developer, Michael Petrasko, was post-processing the 300-second image originally acquired and processed by Systems Engineer, Muir Evenden, Michael noticed a smudge-like anomaly towards the lower right bottom of the image. The object had very similar characteristics to that of a comet. However, the object was yellowish in color, and comets, for the most part, show up on images as bluish-green in color.

As Michael zoomed into the image to get a closer look at the aberration, he saw many dim disk-like objects randomly scattered throughout. These objects were in fact galaxies.  However,  Michael could still not resolve what that blurry spot of light was in the frame even after being at full zoom. He then circled the object and forwarded it off to Muir for his consultation of what it may be.

Screenshots of the galaxy cluster identified from the Aladin Deep Sky Atlas Software.

Muir was also baffled by the oddity of light so he referenced the SIMBAD image database included in the Aladin Sky Atlas software. With this application, Muir could overlay one of his original luminance frames to determine if the object was in fact in the SIMBAD database of images for comparison. Identification of the blurry object was then confirmed by Muir using the software. The object was a small cluster of galaxies and when viewing an enhanced image of the object from the SIMBAD database, the single blurry object can be resolved as multiple galaxies.

As students acquire images of common deep-sky objects, it would be good practice to task them with zooming in and panning around their images to look for other anomalies such as this one and attempt to identify them with an application such as the Aladin Sky Atlas.

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Astronomy April at Whitin Observatory

On Monday, April 23, 2018, I had the chance to share my passion for astronomy with the subscribers of Facebook Education as part of their Astronomy April month. Facebook Education's Monica Ares conducted a Facebook Live session with Abigail Harrison (known as Astronaut Abby) and I at Whitin Observatory located on the campus of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Abby has the dream of becoming an astronaut and the first person to walk on Mars. She is also recognized as an International STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) and space ambassador and is the founder and leader of an international nonprofit with more than 1.1 million followers called The Mars Generation. After hearing her inspiring interview on Facebook Live, I truly believe with her passion and drive to be the first person to set foot on Mars... It will become a reality!

Facebook Education Live - Astronomy April Promo Card.

I arrived an hour early to make sure I found my way to the observatory where the interview was scheduled to take place. After I arrived I browsed through classic astronomy texts in the observatory's library inserted between the domes. Monica and her sister, Cristina, (who amazingly operated the camera) arrived shortly thereafter. We were then greeted by Dr. Kim Katris McLeod, an astronomer and professor at the college, who gave us a brief tour of the telescopes housed under the three domes. As Monica and her sister were prepping for the live event, Dr. McLeod shared with me some of the research projects that were undertaken utilizing the 24" Sawyer telescope.

The Facebook Live interview started promptly at 1:00 pm EDT in the dome that houses the college's 12" Fitz Clark refractor telescope. Astronaut Abby was interviewed first describing how the 12" telescope operates and what its main function is at the observatory. Abby then gave a tour of the computer room that displayed meteorites and various antiquated research instruments such as a spectrometer and compasses. She then shared with the Facebook Education community the foundation she founded and leads.

Dr. Kim Katris McLeod explains how the 6" Alvin Clark refractor is used at Wellesley College (left) and Facebook Education's Monica Ares, Abigail Harrison (Astronaut Abby), and Insight Observatory
Managing Member / Project Developer Michael Petrasko (right)

The Mars Generation is an international nonprofit operating in the United States as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the support of an advisory board of astronauts, engineers, scientists, and hundreds of thousands of online supporters. The nonprofit has reached over 25 million people in its first two years of operation and works to educate and excite kids and adults about space exploration and STEM education. The Mars Generation has 3 core programs: The future of Space Outreach Program, the Student Space Ambassador Leadership Program, and the Space Camp Scholarship Program.

Whitin Observatory domes that house the 12" Fitz/Clark refractor (left) and the 6" Clark refractor (middle)
and the 24" Sawyer reflector telescope (far right).

Then it was my turn... I waited in the dome that hosted the 6" refractor manufactured by Alvin Clark and Sons back in 1890. Monica proceeded to ask me to explain a little about the 6" telescope and how it differs from the imaging telescope we have at Insight Observatory. I explained to Monica how our 16" remote imaging telescope, designated the Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO), is accessible to the education community via the internet bringing the universe to the classroom. I also explained the different types of research projects that can be done with the ATEO such as extragalactic supernova search, asteroid hunting, studying variable stars or simply imaging detailed colored images of galaxies and nebulae.

24" Sawyer Reflector telescope used for student research at Wellesley College.

We all then proceeded to the dome that houses the 24" Sawyer reflector telescope. Astronaut Abby explained how the telescope is constantly used for research using CCD imaging equipment very much like the ATEO. Monica then ended the live segment by asking Abby and me a few questions posted by students. This event was an honor to be part of and I would like to thank Monica Ares from Facebook Education, Whiting Observatory, and Astronaut Abby for inviting Insight Observatory to be part of it!

See the full Facebook Live event for Astronomy April Here!

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Comet Hunters

Main-belt comets are a recently discovered population of small bodies residing in the Solar System's asteroid belt, exhibiting distinctive tails that we typically associate with comets. Very little is known about main-belt comets, as only about 10 have been discovered to date, but with a larger sample, we could probe the origins of the Solar System and the active processes occurring in today's asteroid belt.

View of Mauna Kea (one of the best astronomical observing sites in the world) from the Subaru Telescope Cat Walk - Image Credit: M. E. Schwamb.

Zooniverse.org has initiated the Comet Hunters project to try to greatly increase the discovery rate of these objects. Some main-belt comets were first known as inactive main-belt asteroids and then were only found to have cometary activity in later observations. Asteroids frequently appear by chance in wide-field astronomical observations, and so by scanning through these images, we may have a chance of finding more active objects. We have extracted images of known main-belt asteroids from the public archives of the Subaru Telescope, one of the largest telescopes in the world (at 8.2 meters, or 27 feet, across), located on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. None of the objects we are targeting has been previously known to show activity, but most have so far only previously been studied using small telescopes that may have missed faint activity.

Discovery image of a comet-like activity in bright main-belt asteroid Griseldis taken on the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea - Image Credit: Adapted from a figure by D. Tholen, S. Sheppard, C. Trujillo - original image.

This is important because we believe we can discover many more main-belt asteroids if we can detect fainter activity, and the way to detect fainter activity is to use larger telescopes like Subaru. Detecting comet-like activity is not easy. Comets can have a wide variety of appearances, and it is difficult to design automated routines to detect all the different types of cometary behavior that might exist in telescope images. In contrast, the human eye can easily spot tails of many different shapes and sizes that indicate cometary activity.

This is where you come in. By reviewing asteroid images on the Comet Hunters website to identify whether the asteroids have a tail or not, you can help find new candidate main-belt comets that the Comet Hunters science team will then follow up with ground- and space-based telescopes. Most of these chance asteroid observations have never been reviewed for cometary activity before. You just might be the first to discover that an asteroid is really a comet!

Zooniverse.org would love to see Comet Hunters incorporated into the classroom:

A wide variety of ages should be able to perform the task we are asking volunteers to do in the main classification interface in order to help identify new comets residing in our Solar System’s asteroid belt.

You might find some resources on NASA's Asteroid and Comet Watch page helpful. If you are interested in building a scale Solar System to show students where the asteroid belt is located, you can find a guide here.

The Comet Hunters Blog is also a great place to keep up with the latest science results and news from the project. Comet Hunters are currently showing images of previously discovered asteroids with well-characterized orbits.

If you develop a lesson based around Comet Hunters, please consider sharing it by uploading it to the Zooniverse Zoo Teach platform. Also, check out the Zooniverse's Education Talk discussion board to interact with the Zooniverse Education Team and other teachers interested in utilizing citizen science in the classroom.

Learn more at https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mschwamb/comet-hunters/about/research

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Educational Image Request Form for Classrooms

Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request form for the Astronomical Telescopes for Educational Outreach (ATEO) is now available for use with classroom teachers and students.

The staff at Insight Observatory would like to thank the Plymouth Public School District located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for allowing a few of their classes to participate in a trial program utilizing the ATEO remote robotic imaging telescope integrated with the Educational Image Request form (EIR) for their astronomy research projects.

Secure login for access to the  Insight Observatory ATEO Educational Image Request Form.

The process begins with an account created by the teacher for their class. Once the account is created, credentials are created for the EIR form that each student in the class would use to access the form. When the students log into the EIR form, they are then prompted to enter their name followed by requesting a deep-sky astronomical object to image with the requested exposure parameters. 

There is a drop-down set of user instructions for completing the form. When a deep-sky object is chosen, a message will appear confirming that the object is visible that night for imaging. Once the EIR form is submitted by the student, the class instructor receives a receipt of the student's request and the image request is then submitted into the ATEO remote imaging telescopes queue.

Screenshot of the Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request (EIR) Forms for the ATEO telescope network.

A couple of examples of classes using the EIR form with the Astronomical Telescope for Education were 5th-grade students at Plymouth South Elementary School, MA and earth science students at Plymouth North High School, MA, and senior astronomy students at Barnstable High School, MA.

M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy imaged on the Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach, ATEO-2A (upper right) by students from Middletown Public Schools, Connecticut.

If you are an educator interested in using the ATEO Educational Image Request form for your classroom projects, please Contact Us for a FREE consultation and 15-min online training on the EIR application.

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High School Earth Science Classes Utilize the ATEO

This past fall, Insight Observatory had the pleasure of collaborating with Karen Merrill and Sawyer Thompson's Earth Science classes at Plymouth North High School, located in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This was the first project Insight Observatory had undertaken with high school students utilizing their remote Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO).

Plymouth North High School Earth Science students are researching and presenting their research projects using the Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO).

Ms. Merrill stated, "This unique experience allowed students to gain access to a remote telescope located in New Mexico. Students remotely requested an image of their assigned celestial body (nebula or galaxy). Students then researched their celestial object, mapped it using constellations, and created a presentation to teach the class about their object. Students highlighted their image by giving a detailed description of how their object formed and how long it has existed in the universe."

Both instructors used Insight Observatory's Educational Image Request (EIR) application, which allowed each student to submit their image request to the remote telescope's imaging queue. After the student submits their assigned image request, the EIR application then sends a receipt to the class instructor so the instructor can keep track of the class's submissions.

Examples of Deep-Sky Objects imaged on the ATEO by the Plymouth North High School students.

There were roughly 100 image requests submitted between both Ms. Merrill's and Mr. Thompson's classes. The students selected their imaging targets by referring to the DSO Browser website. This online resource lists all of the deep-sky objects that are visible in the current night sky.

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5th Grade Class Images Galaxies and Nebulae

Students in Mrs. DeSantis' fifth-grade class at the Plymouth South Elementary School located in Plymouth, MA, used Insight Observatory's 16" Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO) located at an elevation of 7,778 ft in the dark skies of New Mexico. This telescope is accessed remotely via the internet as a rental and used in classrooms for students as well as the general public to conduct astronomical research projects for science education or deep-sky imaging. 

Students in Mrs. DeSantis' fifth-grade class queuing up their image requests for the ATEO.

Mrs. DeSantis stated; "As part of our solar system unit, our fifth-grade class was offered the opportunity to receive some images via a remote telescope in New Mexico. The students were paired up and allowed to choose from a list of deep-sky objects including nebulae, galaxies, and supernova remnants. They also had to choose whether to receive a color or a black-and-white photo as well as choosing the exposure time. Once they had chosen, we submitted the image requests under their names. They then created a Google Doc for their object and did some research on it. For example, if they chose a nebula, they had to explain what kind it was (planetary, emission, or diffused) and then elaborate. Students also visited the Insight Observatory website to learn more about the remote telescope. The kids were thrilled when the images arrived. They compared the nebulae and discussed whether the type of nebula correlated to its appearance. This was a motivating and exciting project!"

Insight Observatory had previously collaborated with the Plymouth Community Intermediate School also in Plymouth, MA, using remote robotic telescopes on a third-party telescope network. This is the first venture with the Plymouth school district utilizing their own instrument since the installation of the 16" Astrograph imaging telescope this past summer.

From Left to Right: NGC 7293 - The Helix Nebula Imaged by Nolan and Ella,  IC 5070 - The Pelican Nebula Imaged by Haley and Ava,  M33 - The Triangulum Galaxy Imaged by Kassidy and Liam.

The images above are just a few of those taken by the students.

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ATEO Nearing First Light

In our previous post "ATEO Feeling at Home at SkyPi" regarding the installation of the Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO), we mentioned the focuser needed some improvement before achieving first light. We just received an update from John at SkyPi Online Observatories that the hardware necessary for the upgrade is in and the focuser is now in the hands of their machinist. John stated that by the end of this week he should have the revamped focuser back and that he and the staff at SkyPi will be completing the telescope build. The timing for the first light will be perfect due to the waning phase of the moon.

Insight Observatory's Systems Engineer, Muir Evenden, with the
Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO-1).

While the telescope's focuser has been attended to since our return from the ATEO installation in New Mexico, Insight Observatory's Systems Engineer and Co-Founder, Muir Evenden, has been continuing his development of the telescope's online interface. This web-based application will allow students, educators, and the general public to access the telescope remotely from anywhere in the world. 

As Muir continues his work on the telescope's interface development, Insight Observatory's Project Developer and Co-Founder, Michael Petrasko, continues to work on promoting awareness to educational communities and forums regarding the future availability of the 16" f/3.75 Dream Aerospace Systems astrograph telescope. If all goes according to plan, the ATEO remote robotic online telescope will be accessible this upcoming July 2017.

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Introducing iTelescope Sky Tours

iTelescope.net, Insight Observatory's remote robotic telescope network partner, recently started a new program called Sky Tours. iTelescope.Net Sky Tours is a paid, weekly, interactive live video stream of the night sky using iTelescope.net remote robotic telescopes and hosted by Dr. Christian Sasse. In each episode, Dr. Sasse selects targets of interest that are visible from iTelescope.net telescopes and talks about these targets. He gives detailed explanations and tips for imaging the chosen objects. If weather permits, Dr. Sasse takes images of these targets live, answering questions and describing how to best capture the targets.

iTelescope.net Live Sky Tour.

I was able to attend the first live Sky Tour back on January 23, 2017. The first event covered Dr. Sasse discussing imaging real-time deep-sky objects in the southern hemisphere. The session was greatly attended by interested folks from around the globe. The interactive chat feature is a plus as attendees are allowed to ask Dr. Sasse questions in real time during the imaging session. I found this new feature offered by iTelescope.net to be of value to the educational community. Episode 2 took place live on February 7, 2016, and covered exploring the biggest globular cluster in the Milky Way, Omega Centauri, and one of the most amazing bright nebulae Eta Carina. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend this session, however, iTelescope.net archives all of their Sky Tour episodes on Youtube so those who have missed it may view it at a later time.

Fortunately, a group of 6th graders and I were able to attend their Jupiter imaging session this past weekend. It was the first episode covering planetary imaging. The session was very informative and it inspired iTelescope.net members to want to do planetary imaging with their network. That type of setup is a bit different than the normal setups their remote robotic telescopes have for deep-sky imaging. At the end of the session, I thanked Dr. Sasse for sharing his imaging session with us and he mentioned he would be interested in doing other imaging sessions with students in parallel with his Sky Tours. Needless to say that this was very exciting to hear and now we are working on a plan to execute this with science classes in various school districts.

iTelescope.net Sky Tours - A Closeup of Jupiter

iTelescope.Net Sky Tours are included with all of their monthly subscription plans, each of which allows you to take control of the iTelescopes to take your own images. They have also introduced a new subscription plan, SkyTour, which only grants access to the Sky Tours live streams, but at a quarter of the cost of their lowest imaging subscription plan. This new plan is available for $4.95 USD per month and includes access to the Sky Tours live streams, access to the archived videos of those streams (in case you missed the live show), and the ability to download images taken during the streams once they are uploaded. You can see a list of the dates and times of the streams, as well as which targets will be covered by checking the Sky Tours Schedule on their website, www.itelescope.net.

To sign up for iTelescope.Net Sky Tours, you must first register for an iTelescope.Net account. Once registered, you can sign up for the SkyTour subscription plan (or any of their other subscription plans) by following this step-by-step guide, and selecting SkyTour (or their other plans) from the menu. It really is that easy! We could also help you get set up and started with iTelescope.net and their Sky Tours by contacting us here at Insight Observatory.

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