To all the Libras out there invested in the Sun-Mercury-Mars Triple Conjunction this month, the McConnell Rooftop Observatory has your back! The start of classes means that the McConnell Observatory is in routine use by students once again. The observatory is part of the Clark Science Center, and is a resource at Smith for any student interested in astronomy. The observatory hosts regular “star parties,” where all Smith students are invited to take part in night-sky observation on the rooftop.
The McConnell Observatory has a variety of equipment available for student use. According to James Lowenthal, the Chair of the Astronomy Department, introductory astronomy courses use more basic 8-inch telescopes to view the Moon, planets, the Sun, stars and galaxies. The observatory has 10,12 and 16-inch telescopes used on most clear nights for research, for teaching higher level astronomy classes and for public stargazing. The newest addition, a Dobsonian Newtonian telescope, is wheeled around campus, making observation more accessible to the whole student body. “Our Coronado SolarMax90 H-alpha solar telescope delivers gorgeous views of the deep red layer of the Sun called the chromosphere, where flares and prominences are visible,” Lowenthal described. “We used that just a few weeks ago for the Welcoming Reception on the Seelye Lawn, where families were dropping off first-year students at Smith, and we use it regularly in our intro classes.”
Research is underway at the McConnell Observatory, including Lowenthal’s “Exoplanet Transit Project.” A team of students uses telescopes to identify the presence of exoplanets, or planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. With highly precise measurements, students can use information about the orbits of known exoplanets to detect other planets in that solar system. The team is also part of the NASA TESS Follow Up Program, which works to confirm potential exoplanets that are detected by the NASA TESS mission.
Four classes at Smith focus on astronomical observation, including two 100-level introductory classes. Madelyn Boyle ‘24 is a student in AST 100: A Survey of the Universe, which is designed for non-science majors and focuses on all things space. Boyle recently attended a “star party,” where telescopes were set up for casual observation from the McConnell rooftop. “I loved it, it was so cool,” Boyle said. “We got to see Saturn and Jupiter through the telescopes, and the Milky Way … you could see everything.”
Boyle thought the observation opportunity was incredibly beneficial to her learning experience in AST 100, explaining, “We had talked about certain things you could see with your naked eye in the sky in class, but it’s hard to fathom that until you go up and actually see it. We saw the Milky Way and learn about what the Milky Way is, so to be actually able to see it and connect the dots was really cool and helpful.”
Star parties like the one Boyle attended are not only reserved for astronomy students. The entire campus is invited to the observatory multiple times a semester. The next party is on Oct. 28, and the full list of dates for the fall can be found on the Astronomy Department website: https://www.smith.edu/academics/astronomy.
[Image: McConnell Rooftop Observatory. (Photo via Smith College)]
