Chelen Johnson
This experience really made me realize how broad a career field Astronomy really is.
The middle schoolers [from NITARP 2012] fielded questions from an astronomer from the Keck observatory like old pros -‐ very professional! I can’t wait to see my students do the same.
I think the best part about the trip and NITARP as a whole is the chance to do authentic research and learn the methods and techniques used to tease as much information out of the data as possible. It still amazes me (and this is what I try to instill in the students in my astronomy classes) that we can learn so much from a tiny point of light if we are just clever enough to know how to look at it.