Use telescopes to explore the skies! We will learn how to set up and use MIT's 8-inch teaching telescopes. We will then go onto the roof and use the telescopes to examine stars, planets, and (if the night is good) nebulae and star clusters, including detailed observing of the Moon and Saturn. We'll finish by warming up with hot chocolate and chocolate poptarts*. Class will be from 6-7, running until the end of Spark. From 7-9 will be open observing; all are welcome to observe! Warm clothes are a must for all attendees, including gloves and a hat; a good rule for observing is to dress as if the weather is 20 F colder than it actually is. If you are late and/or want to come to open observing, come to 37-292 and/or have Spark personnel call the teachers. *MIT observing tradition -- we'll tell you about it!

Introduction to hands-on astronomy. Learn about astronomical objects and find them yourself using 8" telescopes! Each class will consist of a classroom portion where you will learn about various astronomical topics, and an observation portion where you will learn to operate an amateur telescope to view objects in the night sky. Topics include: constellations, the Moon, planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, telescope optics, CCDs, and how observation drives science in astronomy. The course is currently planned for 3 hours on Saturday evenings (1 hour class, 2 hours observation). Precise hours will be scheduled on the first day of class based on student and instructor availability. The first day of class will be held at the regular scheduled HSSP time. There will also be an optional field trip to Wellesley observatory near the end of the term.

The moonshot and the Apollo program were magnificent successes, catapulting us to the moon in close to a decade. However, ...