• NASA
  • IPAC

NASA/IPAC Teacher
Archive Research Program

How it works

I've been involved in many professional development activities and this is by far the best one I've ever done

Chelen Johnson

C-WAYS/Rebull

C-WAYS/Rebull

Cool, Wise, And Young Stars (C-WAYS): Using Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared images to find optically enshrouded stars that are in the process of formation in the bright rimmed clouds BRC 27, BRC 34, and BRC 38 which are clouds of gas being illuminated by other nearby, newly formed (but un-enshrouded) stars.

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Our Participants Talk About NITARP

  • Curtis

    After this experience, I’m more aware that beyond just teaching my students good science, my focus should be to prepare them for a career in science.

  • Black

    I already had a pretty good idea of how astronomers do science, but NITARP helped me see more exactly how data is collected, processed, and analyzed. It helped me also see that I can do astronomy myself, and can make a contribution beyond my own classroom. Not only can I analyze astronomical data to find scientifically useful results, but I can publish my work as a poster and be part of this community. I did not feel like a stranger or usurper or even out of place – it felt like I belonged.

  • Robert

    Real astronomy is very exciting! I was not expecting to have to solve problems in excel the way we did. We were asked to answer simple questions or develop simple graphs at times but in order to get correct results (as far as we can tell) our team had to parse our skills and play with logic. I remember creating my first SED: I became so excited I could not sit down anymore. Another teacher was so thrilled they raised their hands and yelled in excitement. It was the first time we had results; it was a thrill.