Universo Viviente
Related Articles
The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) rooftop observation deck, at the entrance to the Daytona Beach campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is currently under construction and expanded to accommodate the addition six new telescopes.
With a seventh telescope on the way later this fall, funded by a satellite tracking research project, the new equipment is “desperately needed to accommodate burgeoning enrollments” in the campus’ Bachelor of Astronomy and Astrophysics program, according to Dr. Terry Oswalt, professor of engineering physics and associate dean of SFOC.
Since the inception of the Astronomy and Astrophysics program in 2015, it has grown by an average of 22 students per year to reach 187 majors, including its largest freshman class to date: 70 new students expected to arrive this fall.
“In terms of degrees earned per year, our young program is already one of the largest US astronomy bachelor’s programs followed by the American Institute of Physics,” Oswalt said. “We are tied for 12th among the 93 Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics programs in the country, comparable to much larger institutions.”
The demand for general education astronomy lab courses has also increased, he added. And, before the Covid-19 pandemic, open house events in astronomy regularly drew several hundred visitors from the campus community.
“SFOC’s rooftop observation facilities support all of these activities,” Oswalt said.
The new refractor telescopes – which Oswalt called “top of the line” – are six inches in diameter and, with the associated cameras, can detect light several thousand times weaker than with the naked eye. They are almost identical to those already on the observation deck.
Additionally, SFOC’s existing one-meter telescope also recently received a boost, with a research-grade camera add-on that will go into service this fall, thanks to a donor.
“With this research-grade telescope and camera, students will have more opportunities to conduct research in photometry,” said Dr. Tomomi Otani, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, who leads research to study the evolution of subnate B stars, a mysterious post-main sequence of stars with high temperatures and high gravity. “Undergraduate researchers and graduate students will participate in this survey. “
With the new camera on the one-meter telescope, students will also undertake other class and research projects in astronomy, such as estimating the age of stars, detecting exoplanets orbiting around other stars and more.
Posted in: Space
