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Last updated: 02/05/2010*
Approximately 500 eighth-grade students learn the concepts of optics and astronomy by building their own telescopes, Jan. 14, courtesy of Raytheon.
Students from Tucson’s Sunnyside School District became modern-day astronomers by building their own telescopes at the University of Arizona during Raytheon Missile Systems’ fourth annual MathMovesU Day, Jan. 14.
Students got a hands-on opportunity to build and keep their own Galileoscopes —affordable, high-quality telescopes with the highest magnification at 50x. Each student also received a tripod for his or her telescope, courtesy of the RMS Engineering organization.
Keynote speaker Don McMonagle, RMS director of NASA and Energy Security Programs, shared his experiences as an astronaut who logged more than 600 hours in space. Comparing the students’ Galileoscopes to the Hubble Space Telescope, he encouraged students to find stars and planets that have yet to be discovered.
Juan Zozaya, an eighth-grader at Lauffer Middle School, said he wants to be an astronomer and was anxious to test out his new Galileoscope.
“It was really fun to build, and the engineers and instructors made it pretty easy,” he said. “I’m definitely going to check out the moon and stars tonight.”
The telescopes were constructed under the guidance of Robert Sparks, science education specialist at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The students were also led by 70 Raytheon engineers in the Leadership Development Program and 11 Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association volunteers.
Andrew Chang, a design quality engineer who works at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems and a member of the Leadership Development Program, said it felt great to give back to a local community and share what he did as an engineer with the students.
“The kids were definitely energized,” he said. “Many of them have never even had a chance to look at a telescope before.”
MathMovesU Day 2010 is a partnership among Raytheon Missile Systems; the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program; and NOAO.
Larry Wasielewski, RMS systems engineer and MathMovesU volunteer, envisioned the event’s activity almost a year and a half ago and led the groundwork for this year’s MathMovesU Day.
“I would be ecstatic if one of the students today would decide to pursue a path in engineering because of the Galileoscope build event,” said Wasielewski. “And even more so if, some day, they become a Raytheon employee.”
Read more of Wasielewski’s reflections on MathMovesU Day.
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