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Project Progress

This workshop was organized by Dr. James D. Armstrong, Maui Institute for Astronomy and Faulkes Telescope EPO lead, who secured funding for it. Having someone on Maui to work on logistics was a relief. It was held at Maui Community College whose staff we have previously worked with. Haleakala amateur astronomers brought their telescopes on Sunday night for night sky observing. On Monday, the students and teachers spent the first day of their spring break learning about the solar system with a lecture by Dr. Ilia Roussev (who paid for his own expenses). They were introduced to blinking images on a hunt for moving asteroids in the computer laboratory. They had fun with some optics activities learning about how telescopes work. Spectrocopy and the electromagnetic spectrum, key concepts for astronomy, were other topics discussed with colorful demonstrations. Tuesday was only for teachers to have in-depth discussions with the workshop scientists to better understand any concepts necessary to implementing workshop activities from Monday. One middle school teacher, trained in biology, had been clueless about the spectrum tubes found in her storeroom at school. She learned how to use the equipment and developed more confidence. Another shared his lesson on extrasolar planets that he had developed. School visitations were not possible since school was not in session. This was the second annual Maui workshop. Another is scheduled for spring break, Mar. 11-13, 2010.