Last month, three young minds were able to present their projects that they had been working on with teams of astronomers and their teachers. Even though their high schools did not offer any classes in astronomy, they pursued their interest outside of their schools, and came up with some really great ideas for research.
Larry Chew and Ryan Chew are teenage brothers which have enjoyed working together with several astronomers to learn about a dark body which eclipses the star Epsilon Aurigae every 21.1 years. Using density techniques they found that some of these particles that surround the earth maybe literally the formation of new planets. Additionally, they also determined what the form of the ring is like. These boys felt that what work they have accomplished was just scratching the surface. They also make the wireless internet for laptops technology seems so elementary.
Working with a team of teachers and astronomers, Katherine Hsu created a tool that identifies the kind of stars there are, their temperature differences, and their distance from the earth. The tool is now available to teachers online, and Katherine is hoping to make it available to many more people in the near future.
Out of the Chew brothers, Larry was the first one to start his research project in Astronomy starting in 2009. Seeing what Larry was doing piqued Ryan’s interest and he soon joined his brother in astronomical research.
While concurrently enrolled in a local college, Katherine attended an astronomy class. It was there that she learned about the opportunities within her own high school to do research. She jumped at the chance.
Programs like these allow young minds of tomorrow to start working on new research projects and ideas today. It is a priceless opportunity to be able to work with astronomers on what is currently a hobby, but has the potential to become a career.