Middlesex Community College: MCC Partners With Merrimack To Allow Students Use Of Telescope

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

10/26/2021

With public observatories not holding open hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Middlesex Community College Associate Professor Dr. Madhu Dhar found a new way for her Astronomy students to see the night sky. In order to have a better understanding of concepts, “students need to appreciate the celestial objects through the lens,” Dhar believes.

Although observing the sky through a telescope is an important practice in Astronomy, not all introductory Astronomy courses have access to telescopes or viewing opportunities for their students. Through collaboration with community and institutional partners, Middlesex is able to provide experiences students would not otherwise have.

In partnership with Merrimack College – where Dhar works as an adjunct faculty member – Middlesex Astronomy students have the opportunity to look at an online feed of the sky through the telescope at Merrimack’s Observatory.

“By partnering with these institutes, I want students to develop a passion and appreciation for the process of observational astronomy, and experience in a very small way what it is like to be an astronomer,” Dhar said. “I want MCC students to have the opportunities that are out there. As a professor, it is my goal to see my students succeed beyond the classroom.”

MCC students will have a few different opportunities to view the Observatory’s feed throughout the Fall 2021 semester. The practical experience will help them to better learn how to estimate locations of objects in the sky, translate and interpret telescope data measurements, communicate their results, and write scientific papers, according to Dhar.

“Some instructors think of observing in terms of students becoming more engaged in becoming aware of their environment,” Dhar said. “All of these approaches to observing are long-standing practices across the community.”

During one session, MCC Astronomy students were able to view images of Saturn and Jupiter. The experience is what Iveta Dinbergs, MCC’s Chair and Professor of Science, considers to be “unique and wonderful.”

In the future, Dhar is hoping to expand MCC’s offerings in Astronomy, including by offering a lab component and hybrid courses. She is also hoping to hold in-person sessions at the telescope at Merrimack’s Observatory.

MCC’s STEM pathway helps students go into – and succeed in – the workforce or transfer to four-year schools with its award-winning and affordable offerings, small class sizes and flexible schedules. For more information, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/dyp_stem.aspx to discover a path to a career in STEM at Middlesex.

Students can get back on track and reach their goals with a variety of options in MCC’s Fall 2021 Mini-mester II. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 to register.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.