In our GCSE Astronomy CCA, we have learned about constellations and how to navigate the night sky, asterisms, a little ancient Greek, sidereal vs solar years, and features of the Moon. We have also done a little night sky observation and even dabbled with some astrophotography.
The ‘romance’ of going out to
observe the universe
Assemble the telescope mount, place the telescope in the mount, adjust the angle, connect the battery, and boot up the computer. In the process of learning astronomy, we put it into practice. On one quiet night, guided by Dr Adam Neufield, we, a group of middle school students who love astronomy, set up our binoculars and telescopes under a few shining stars (Shanghai’s light pollution severely limits what we can see) to explore nature. We felt the mystery of the magnificent scenery, limited as it was. We observed quite a few stars that night e.g., the “Summer Triangle”.
Because this was our first time looking directly through a telescope and viewing real celestial objects (apart from looking at photos in a book), we were excited to select “Jupiter” or “Moon” in the computerized location system of the telescope mount. Under the guidance of Dr Adam, we ‘clicked’ the button on the pad and slowly the telescope mount started to whir away, turning its head and tilting up and around towards the rising Moon. The amazing Lunar surface was so bright and clear – so many craters covered its surface like a giant white net. Even though the round sphere was partially covered in shadow, looking at the Moon through a powerful telescope left us with an amazing and memorable impression. The experience inspired us and motivated us to learn more about astronomy.
A dazzling telescopic journey
Although it may not be possible for us to buy or borrow a high-powered telescope, we are still able to dabble with astrophotography! SUIS Qingpu is a member of the Faulkes Telescope Project, which in turn is part of the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) network of robotic telescopes. This means that we can access a network of 0.4m, 1.0m and 2.0m telescopes around the globe, synchronously and asynchronously. So, when we need a picture of a celestial object (e.g.，a galaxy, a nebula, a comet), we only need to submit our request and specify several parameters (e.g., colour filters, time of exposure). After we do that and click the ‘submit’ button, the robotic telescope will either take our image right away, or sometime that week (if our request is in a queue). We have displayed a few of our images on our GCSE Astronomy display board on the campus’ first floor of the D-wing.
Why do we enjoy astronomy?
We enjoy exploring the vastness of the universe and learning about its mysteries. From the origin of the universe to the formation of galaxies and stars, there is so much to discover and marvel at. The stars, planets, and other celestial objects are breathtaking. We find that the night sky is calm and peaceful, and we all enjoy stargazing as a way of relaxing and escaping from the stresses of everyday life.
Stellarium
We have come to appreciate how important Stellarium is for amateur astronomers. Stellarium is an astronomy software application that helps us with planning our observations and learning more about the different objects we may wish to image. The software can show us the position of the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae and more, at any time of day or night and from any location on the Earth. It can also map constellations and other events such as meteor showers, as well as solar and lunar eclipses, etc.
The GCSE Astronomy display
in corridor 1D
In the 1st floor corridor of the school’s D Wing, you may have noticed a display board that has been allocated to our GCSE Astronomy CCA. Several items from our CCA are now on display, including our first project on constellations (e.g., Orion, Cygnus, Taurus and many more) as well as several images that we have taken using the LCO network of robotic telescopes. We hope you take some time to look at our board.
The universe provides us with a dream at dusk, and the story of the stars continues. We sit on the Earth and look up to those far off places and the hope that they bring.
We are the students of the GCSE Astronomy CCA, and we wish that all students always keep their enthusiasm for cosmic exploration. Thank you!