Paper Plate Education
"Serving the Universe on a Paper Plate"

AstroCamp 2010

AstroCamp 2010 divided into two groups--morning and afternoon --that came together for viewing under the stars at night.  AstroCamp emphasizes learning the constellations and using telescopes to find deep sky objects.  The AstroCamp logs indicate a fantastic list of celestial objects were observed over several nights.  A crowning sight was asymmetrical Jupiter.  By day, water rockets flew high and fast.

AstroCamp is featured on WNIT PBS television show Outdoor Elements (Episode #1003, Segment #1).  Well done, Jason J.  See http://www.wnit.org/outdoorelements/1000/1003/1003.html.   Note that former AstroCamp attendee and part-time AstroCamp counselor Sarah is the guest of Episode #2.	AstroCamper is featured on WSBT TV news for story Astronomy Camp Draws Star-Savvy Kids at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ju6Ep_Dps.   Well done, Constantin B.  Story by Abby Weppler.

Morning campers and their group log of celestial objects seen at night.

Afternoon campers and their group log of celestial objects seen at night.

Something else really cool was going on, but only a few who stayed up late got to see it.  

In past years, AstroCampers have looked at Jupiter and have observed two dark belts encircling the planet.  These are vast, turbulent clouds.  The Southern Equatorial Belt harbors the Great Red Spot, itself many times larger than earth.  Jupiter picture, left, is from previous AstroCamp.

In the spring of 2010, Jupiter emerged from behind the sun in the morning sky, and suddenly it was different.  Jupiter's southern belt was gone.  A weather system that could swallow the earth, and in a matter of months it had become visually absent.   Jupiter picture, right, from 2010 AstroCamp.

Combined, before and after:

Astronomers await a "revival."  See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/94107139.html.

Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightwise/sets/72157624901047836/ for more images 
of AstroCamp 2010 at YMCA Camp Eberhart in Three Rivers, Michigan.  While much of the camp experience is by day, photographs with flash at night impinge on everyone's night vision.  Hence, there are few night shots.  

The pictures are also available in an AstroCamp 2010 slideshow (5:24), below:

SQM Readings from behind Dave's House
 at Camp Eberhart, Three Rivers, Michigan
Latitude 41.9297 N, Longitude 85.7499 W
July 13, 2010
Clear Sky, No Moon

*"Squims" are magnitudes per square arc-second

See images from other AstroCamp sessions linked from the Astrocamp Home Page.

Thank you, AstroCamp staff, for a fun adventure under the stars.  Astro rocks!

Front row: Debra, Chuck, Linda, Steve, Darren.
Back row: Lou, Brent, Tom, Jim, Patrick.
Not shown: Matt.

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Copyright ©2012 Chuck Bueter.  All rights reserved.