Overview
| Telescope | RASA (Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph) |
| Submissions | IAU Minor Planet Center |
| Data Types | Astrometry, photometry |
| Programs | Planetarium, public astronomy |
Research
Initiated asteroid astrometry and photometry reporting to the IAU Minor Planet Center, imaging wide fields on a Celestron RASA astrograph and Planewave mount, and using blink comparison of frames taken one to two weeks apart to flag and measure moving objects.
Service
Served as a docent at biweekly planetarium shows over more than a year, answering astronomy questions from visitors ranging from young children to adults. Began developing a new website for the observatory and attended board meetings.
Impact
Put a small rural observatory's asteroid astrometry and photometry into the IAU Minor Planet Center, the database top researchers use to track and refine asteroid orbits. Reached the public through biweekly planetarium outreach in northern California, hoping to pull young people toward the natural sciences, the path I am now on as an Aerospace Engineering student.
Reflection
Taylor Observatory is a big reason I am studying Aerospace Engineering. I believe humanity should be a spacefaring civilization, and that curiosity starts with the stars, which I saw firsthand as a docent, through the questions of five-year-olds and elders alike.
