By Helen Usher

Helen Usher, a member of the Faulkes Telecope Project and PhD candidate at the Open University will be presenting at the National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) this year. NAM brings together a number of astronomy-related communities across the UK to present a wide-reaching programme that demonstrates the diversity and interests of these communities.

Helen will be talking about the ‘Comet Chasers’ project and the activity of herself, Paul Roche, Colin Snodgrass, Tony Angel, Richard Miles, Ben Wooding and Sam Wooding.

The STFC-funded ‘Comet Chasers’ project, working with primary schools in South Wales, was designed to use comets as the focal point for practical activities to teach the scientific method and elements of the STEM and broader curriculum in a fun and engaging way. It also seeks to change attitudes and aspirations with regard to science and careers. We present details of the project and its results.

The project was initially designed to be centred on a day-long visit to six primary schools, with some optional follow-up activities (e.g. making comet observations with the Faulkes Telescope Project). With Covid restrictions, the project was deferred, and then redesigned for virtual and teacher-led delivery.

As well as providing background information/activities about comets, the project seeks to engage schools in real science, making observations and analysing the results, supported by professional-amateur comet researchers.

Some of the analysis to be undertaken requires understanding of new concepts e.g. varying exposure times, the use of filters, astrometry, photometry, and lightcurve production and interpretation. Hands-on demonstrations and experiments, using everyday analogues, were devised to help students understand these concepts. They range from physical filtering of beads, through to a (loan) kit based around a simple motorised turntable, torch and webcam, and bespoke software, which allows pupils to see light curves of objects generated in real-time. Hence spinning a rubber duck (analogue for Rosetta’s comet 67P) and a potato (analogue for asteroids). Students are also encouraged to test other objects to see the link between the shape of the light curve and their physical and rotational properties. This element of the project will have wider potential for use in future projects (simulating e.g. eclipsing binaries, exoplanet transits and pulsars).

To find out more about the National Astronomy Meeting 2021, you can check out their website here.