Instrumentation For Undergraduate Research In Astronomy

9352146 Hirshfeld这个项目的目标是(I)扩大本科生在观测天文学方面的研究机会；(Ii)确定和开展可转移到拥有小型天文台的类似机构的具体教育研究项目；以及(Iii)编制书面指导方针和材料，帮助这些机构的教员启动他们自己的天文学本科研究项目。该项目的主要仪器是一台CCD成像相机，以补充现有的望远镜和光电光度计，以及用于数据采集和图像分析的计算机。该相机将被本科生用来获取行星和扩展天体的图像，如星团、星云和星系，并对亮食双星、变星和哈佛天体径向速度研究中心选定的程序星进行长期口径光度测量。这个项目的意义，除了它对学生教育的本地影响之外，还在于它有可能通过寻找方法来改善本科科学培训，以帮助其他机构的教员为学生建立自己的观测天文学研究项目。该大学正在为首席调查员提供释放时间，以实施该项目。***

9352146 Hirshfeld The goals of this project are to (i) expand research opportunities in observational astronomy for undergraduates; (ii) identify and carry out specific educational research projects that would be transferable to similar institutions with small observatories, and (iii) produce written guidelines and materials that would help faculty at these institutions initiate their own undergraduate research programs in astronomy. The primary instruments for the project are a CCD imaging camera to supplement an existing telescope and photoelectric photometer plus computers for data acquisition and image analysis. The camera will be used by undergraduates to obtain images of planets and extended celestial objects, such as star clusters, nebulae and galaxies, and to do long- term aperture photometry of bright eclipsing binary stars, variable stars, and selected program stars in the Harvard Center for Astrophysics radial velocity study. The significance of this project, beyond its local impact on the education of students, is its potential to improve undergraduate science training by identifying ways to help faculty at other institutions set up their own observational astronomy research programs for students. The university is providing release time for the principal investigator to carry out the project. ***