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by Maxwell Teitel-Paule '06
Related Links:
The
Oberlin College Observatory's Homepage
| No regular meeting times have been scheduled yet for the OAC, but for information about future meetings and observation times, contact Casey Dreier or Aaron Clark. |
NOVEMBER 1, 2002--Students interested in gazing at the Sea of Tranquility--or figuring out where the Sea of Tranquility is in the first place--need look no further. Oberlin's Astronomy Club (OAC) is back.
The OAC was established in 1998, but fizzled out within a year as student interest died out. Last year, Casey Dreier '05 reinvented the club, which coincided with the arrival of the Department of Physics and Astronomy's new Celestron-14 telescope.
"People sometimes ask me why I wanted to revive the OAC," Dreier says. "Basically, I like astronomy, and decided that I enjoyed it enough to share my interest with other students."
In fact, the OAC welcomes Obies of all skill levels, even those who are unsure about the basics of astronomy. Every member receives training on the equipment in the observatory in Peters Hall. The club is also planning field trips to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to hear professional lectures, and a road trip to Green Bank, West Virginia, to view the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's newly rebuilt radio telescope.
But is there any excitement in studying some detritus floating light years away in the endless void of space? Daniel Stinebring, associate professor of physics and astronomy (and the club's advisor), has a ready answer.
"I've studied pulsars for 25 years now, and I love looking at them for two reasons," he says. "Many of them have pulse rotation rates that are comparable to a human heartbeat. So, when you're observing them you can see the signal thumping along, sometimes in time with your own heartbeat. I also like them because they are so versatile. With pulsars, I haven't even begun to run out of new things to study."
Not all OAC members are interested in astronomical theory. Some students are interested in simply reveling in the beauty of the night sky or proving to themselves that Mars really is red.
"Everyone is invited to join the OAC," Dreier says. "We welcome amateurs and experts alike. This is really just about sharing something and having a good time."
Abbey Deats, member and co-founder of the OAC agrees.
"We're an active club, and we encourage each member to make the experience his own. If a group wants to go to the observatory every night to watch Jupiter for signs of movement, they are more than welcome. If a member wants to bring local residents in to learn how things work, that's encouraged, too. Instead of sitting around, we're constantly in our element, doing what we joined the club to do."
Please send comments, questions, and suggestions about Oberlin Online news and feature articles to online.news@oberlin.edu.
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