2025 Student Research Symposium

Banner for 2025 Student Research Symposium

The 2025 MDSGC Student Research Symposium was held on Monday, August 4, beginning at 8 a.m. EDT.

This year’s event showcased presentations by student interns and researchers working at varied institutions across Maryland, including: The Bryn Mawr School, Capitol Technology University, Hagerstown Community College, Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, NASA, Space Telescope Science Institute, Towson University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The venue was the Mt. Washington Conference Center in Baltimore, MD. For GPS navigation, head for “Johns Hopkins At Mt. Washington, Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD” (link) and park in the nearby visitor parking lot/garage. Below is an image from Google showing the relative locations of parking and the conference venue:

Google map screenshot showing Mt. Washington Conference Center and Visitor Parking relative locations.

The event schedule and full online program are below.

Symposium Schedule

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Registration, networking, and breakfast.

9:00 – 10:40 a.m.
Oral Presentation Session I.

10:40 – 11:00 a.m.
Break for Group Photos.

11:00 – 12:10 p.m.
Oral Presentation Session II.

12:10 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch and Small Group Discussion.

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Oral Presentation Session III.

Oral Presentation Session I, 9:00 – 10:40 a.m.

9:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introductory Remarks — Dr. Joseph Eimer, MDSGC Director

9:10 a.m.
Spaceflight Operations Training Center Modernization Project — Kieran Cooke and Ismail Shah (UMCP/CTU)

The Space Flight Operations Training Center at Capitol Technology University recently underwent multiple major additions, including the modern Dell servers, ten new virtual controllers with the latest Galaxy release installed, and ten total virtual spacecraft. This presentation will cover the process of installing those upgrades, reconfiguring the database to work with the new setup, and testing the system to ensure it is ready to be used by students in the upcoming fall semester.

9:30 a.m.
Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment Costing Analysis — Hannah Magruder (UMCP)

An often overlooked part of every good research project, invention, or product, is the cost. Before the public can benefit from a new invention, they must consider the price tag and weigh it against the other bills demanding of them this month. Within the current economic landscape, the cost of things is often more important than anything else, despite a commodities’ possible overwhelming benefits. For a solution such as the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX), that seeks to provide a pathway for clean energy through nuclear fusion, getting cost estimates that satisfy both investors and everyday consumers alike is essential to reaching this future. Using python and github, a cost modeling algorithm was developed for the machine, assessing certain physical property changes of the fusion reactor against the cost of electricity and overall cost of running a nuclear fusion power plant while supplying energy to customers.

9:40 a.m.
Magnetic Diagnostics in the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment — Justin James (UMCP)

What if I told you that one of the largest temperature gradients in the known universe was right here in Maryland? Well it is true, at the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) we have supersonically rotating hot plasma inches away from liquid helium superconducting magnets. CMFX expands on the established concept of the magnetic mirror, implementing a radial electric field with a central electrode that causes the confined plasma velocity component to point in the azimuthal direction, thus stabilizing and heating the plasma. Magnetic diagnostics are essential to understanding the interactions between the plasma and the centrifugal mirror. For my summer internship, with input from my mentor and the CMFX team we constructed Bz probes which consisted of an array of three loops. Each loop has 30 turns and a measured cross-sectional area of 6.5 × 10-5 m2. The probes are then mounted on a window exterior to the vacuum vessel. Each probe was shielded and connected to a digitizer/oscilloscope for data acquisition. The signals are then filtered, integrated, and detrended to produce ∆B graphs. FFT and spectral analysis were implemented to identify sources of noise within the ∆B signals. This builds on the previous research from last year’s internship by improving the signal-to-noise ratio using shielding techniques and by employing Python within Jupyter Lab for data analysis. Preliminary results from the Bz probes suggest ∆B signals on the order of 102 G near mid-plane.

9:50 a.m.
United States Naval Academy STEM Center for Education and Outreach — Lucas Weigel (HCC/USNA)

This country thrives off the inventions, technical systems, and aid of various STEM careers such as doctors, engineers, and chemists. Due to the reliance on these fields, the STEM Center for Education and Outreach at USNA aims to increase the number of students pursuing STEM related subjects and careers. They make this goal possible through the help of USNA faculty, Midshipmen, and interns providing fun and educational modules, to be taught both directly to students and teachers, fostering their interest in various STEM fields.

10:00 a.m.
Calculating the Speed of Light the Old-Fashioned Way — Isaure Roubi (BMS/TU)

We tried to calculate the speed of light by using Roemer’s technique of observing one of Jupiter’s moons’ eclipses at different times of the year. By observing Ganymede’s immersions in May and August, we were able to calculate the difference in time and divide it by the difference in distance between Jupiter and Earth in the spring and fall to find the speed of light.

10:10 a.m.
Using the H I Spectra of Supernova Host Galaxies to Determine a Baryonic Tully Fisher Relation — Paulina Utochkin and Zachary Mittman (TU)

We present the outcomes of an observing campaign to obtain HI spectra of supernova host galaxies from the Democratic Samples of Supernovae (Stahl et al. 2021) using the L-Band receiver on the Green Bank Telescope. The data was collected as part of a project of the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team to generate a template Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation by combining the GBT sample with an archival sample of 21-cm spectra for a total sample of 160 galaxies with accurate, redshift-independent distance estimates. Here we present our data analysis process and our BTFR result in comparison to the Schombert et al. conclusions. 

10:20 a.m.
The Creation and Development of the Johns Hopkins University Cube Satellite Club — Kyle Dalrymple (JHU)

Driven by a passionate group of students, engineers, and research scientists, the Johns Hopkins University Cube Satellite Club (JHU CubeSat Club) was formed in 2023 with the goal of linking engineers and scientists with undergraduate students who would like to gain hands-on experience in space science and engineering. The JHU CubeSat Club’s inaugural project is focused on the development of an amateur radio ground station that is remote accessible, up-link capable, and designed to support future and current CubeSat missions, including the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) Supernova remnants/Proxies for Reionization/ and Integrated Testbed Experiment (SPRITE) CubeSat projected to launch in late 2025. In the short term, the club will provide mission communication command and control up-link, and science data down-link on behalf of its partner, CU Boulder. The long-term vision is to provide remote support for multiple missions, by allowing the station to be remotely accessed by other Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed partners/collaborators via the Internet. We foresee an opportunity to foster the development of a global network of up-link capable ground stations. Student involvement is integral to our mission at JHU CubeSat Club. We strive to be a bridge for undergraduate students to apply their theoretical knowledge to real world space missions. JHU CubeSat Club continues to give students the opportunity to delve deeper into areas that they have inclinations towards while also fostering an environment that encourages the exploration of different interests.

Group Photos, 10:40-11:00 a.m.

Oral Presentation Session II, 11:00 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

11:00 a.m.
Engineered Lunar Composite Electrical Resistivity — Sam Heintz (UMCP/NASA GSFC)

This project focuses on characterizing the electrical conductivity of various samples of lunar regolith mixed with paraffin wax and CNT/CF (Carbon Nanotubes/Carbon Fibres) by using a combination of 2 and 4 point surface resistivity measurements. These tests take place at room temperature and at simulated lunar conditions in a thermal vacuum chamber.

11:10 a.m.
NASA Wallops Ground Operations Internship — Logan Hurney (UMCP/NASA WFF)

Hello! My name is Logan Hurney, and I was an Intern at Wallops Flight Facility working with the Ground Operations team at NASA. This Internship was full of fun and exciting things from Rocket Launches, plane rides, and tours to load testing, wiring, and facilities operations. During this internship I was exposed to various valuable experiences, and each day was more exciting than the last!

11:20 a.m.
NASA Journalism, Multimedia, and Social Media — Vivian Renkey (UMCP/NASA GSFC)

In this talk I will outline my role, the duties that came with my job, and how NASA Goddard has shaped my career path..

11:30 a.m.
A Non-Traditional Journey Through Astronomy and Academia — Dr. Kielan Hoch (STScI)

Dr Kielan Hoch will share her journey through academia as a women with a nontraditional background starting from her undergraduate time at Towson University, her graduate studies at UC San Diego, and her time as a Giacconi Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She will then share her PhD and current research area in Exoplanet studies and how she is pioneering space-based exoplanet science with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and her involvement with the efforts to plan the future space telescope, Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) with which we hope to answer the question: are we alone?

Lunch and small group discussions, 12:10 – 1:00 p.m.

Oral Presentation Session III, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

1:00 p.m.
Mission Robotics: Hands-On Learning at UMES — Nnaemeka Onugbolu (MSU/UMES)

This summer, I participated in a robotics internship at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) under the auspices of the AIRSPACES (Autonomous Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platforms to Advance Creativity and Engage Students) project, funded by the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. The AIRSPACES project also has synergistic interfaces with the NASA-MSTAR funded DREAM (Developing Robotic Explorations with Agrobots and Moonbots) project ongoing at UMES. My work centered on autonomous navigation and system integration using the Agilex LIMO—a four-wheeled, multi-modal mobile robot equipped with LiDAR, a stereo depth camera, and onboard computing. Leveraging the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, I explored robot mapping, localization, and navigation, and conducted simulated navigation tasks in the Gazebo environment. The move_base ROS package played a central role in enabling autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance. In addition, I gained hands-on experience with soft robotics, assisting in mobile and robotic arm applications utilizing soft grippers. Together, the LIMO and soft robotic platforms provided a dynamic and engaging environment that deepened my understanding of robotics and autonomous systems. 

1:10 p.m.
Sustainable Space Agriculture — Philip Alsop (CTU/UMES)

NASA’s Artemis mission, a collaboration with commercial and international partners, aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and apply the lessons learned to support future crewed missions to Mars. As part of this vision, sustainable food production is a critical research area.

Smart agriculture integrates advanced technologies to enhance crop productivity and quality while reducing manual labor through automation. FarmBot, an open-source robotic farming platform, can autonomously perform tasks such as planting, watering, and weeding. This project investigates FarmBot’s watering capabilities to support the growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) microgreens in Martian regolith simulant amended with varying concentrations of horse manure. The objective was to identify the soil mixture that yielded the greatest edible biomass. The 50% regolith simulant / 50% horse manure treatment produced the highest yield with a mean biomass yield of 18.15g, followed closely by the 70% regolith simulant / 30% manure mixture with a mean biomass yield of 15.13g.

A second experiment explored soil-less cultivation using aeroponics—a method where plant roots are suspended in air and misted with nutrient-rich water. Broccoli microgreens (Brassica oleracea) were grown in a Tower Garden FLEX automated vertical aeroponic system and treated with a kelp-derived foliar biostimulant at varying concentrations to evaluate its effect on edible biomass. Preliminary findings suggest potential benefits but require further trials to determine statistical significance and overall efficacy.

1:20 p.m.
An Approach to Stand Counts and Crop Health Using Robotics — Suseel Kumar Yerramsetti and Lance Ward (UMES)

Manual methods for stand count and vigor assessments in agriculture are highly time-consuming and error-prone, particularly in large-scale cornfields. This presentation addresses the integration of robotics, computer vision, and artificial intelligence to develop an autonomous and scalable solution for accurate plant detection, counting, and health assessment. Utilizing an AgileX Scout Mini equipped with an Intel Real sense d435i camera, video segments were systematically collected at predefined intervals corresponding to 1/1000th of an acre. OpenCV and YOLOv8 algorithms were employed to ensure precise detection and tracking of individual plants across video frames, addressing challenges such as variable lighting, occlusions, and growth stage variations. Plant health was quantified using a vigor scoring system assessing morphology, stem strength, and color health. Stand count estimates achieved up to 96.67% accuracy when compared against the known seed application rate. The approach demonstrates good potential for practical agricultural applications including crop emergence assessment, early disease detection, growth rate tracking, and yield estimation. Future enhancements aim to integrate drone and satellite imagery for improved detection capabilities, multi-class identification, and expanded analytical functions such as weed and pest detection, disease classification, and cloud-based data processing.

1:30 p.m.
Asteroid Precovery with TESS Data — Justice Thomson (MSU/UMCP)

Understanding the orbits of asteroids is crucial for assessing potential threats to Earth and other celestial bodies. For example, in 2024, an asteroid (2024 YR4) was identified that was initially thought to have a significant chance of impacting Earth. Although further research has shown that it will not hit Earth, there is still uncertainty about its potential to impact the Moon. This project focuses on identifying potential precovery events for such asteroids within archival data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). By developing a Python-based software pipeline, we cross-reference known asteroid orbital data from NASA’s Small-Body Database with TESS sector observations to determine whether asteroids were observed prior to their official discovery. The process involves querying candidate asteroids, retrieving TESS observation windows using the TESSCut API, and comparing these with discovery dates. Successful matches indicate potential for precovery events, which are instances where an asteroid was captured in images before its official discovery. Initial results show that the potential precovery rate with TESS data is approximately 5%, resulting in a total precovery estimate of up to 6500 objects. These precovery detections will provide additional data points to improve the orbit fitting process and confidence level in impact probability, contributing to planetary defense efforts.

1:40 p.m.
ASIC: Measuring High Energy Radiation in the Upper Atmosphere — Daniel Geer (CTU/UMCP)

During the last few months I have been working with the UMD’s Ballon Payload Program, gathering and processing data for submission to NASA’s science activation, updating and preparing ASIC and NSO, two balloon payloads that were designed to track radiation in the upper atmosphere. For this payload I have designed, printed and integrated a circuit board, integrated the ability to utilize a real time clock, barometer and easily save the data for analysis later. We are currently looking to integrate a scintillator and are preparing to test the payload on the high-altitude ballon flight on the 9th with a back up date of the 10th of August. 

1:50 p.m.
MDSGC Summer Internship at UMD’s Space Systems Laboratory — Jonah Malcolm (UMBC/UMCP)

At the University of Maryland’s Space Systems Laboratory, I contributed to the development of VERTEX, a modular Mars rover platform designed to support advanced research in robotic mobility and autonomy. My work focused on robotics and control systems, including motion coordination and testing in dynamic environments. The ultimate goal of VERTEX is to serve as a mobile life support system for astronauts during planetary exploration, reducing their workload and enabling safer, more efficient surface operations.

2:00 p.m.
Terp Raptor: A Student-Led CubeSat Mission to Asteroid Apophis — Brent Barbee (UMCP)

The ~340-meter diameter Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) designated 99942 Apophis 2004 MN4 will make a historic close approach of Earth on April 13th, 2029, passing within ~32,000 km of Earth’s surface, just over 4,000 km closer than the distance of geosynchronous satellites. This is a once in 7500 years event that will be an exceptionally unique opportunity to observe planetary encounter effects on an asteroid. It is also a novel opportunity to collect imagery of a sizeable asteroid via a cubesat in Earth orbit, placing the mission within reach of a university team. Our Terrapin Engineered Rideshare Probe for Rapid-response asteroid Apophis Profiling, Tracking, Observing, and Reconnaissance (TERP RAPTOR) is an Earth-orbiting mission concept in which a 12U CubeSat built by University of Maryland students would perform a flyby of Apophis during the time surrounding its closest approach to Earth and collect visible and near-infrared imagery of the asteroid.

2:20 p.m.
Concluding Remarks — Dr. Joseph Eimer, MDSGC Director

MDSGC offers our sincere congratulations to our student presenters, a huge thanks to our internship mentors, collaborators, and supporting staff, and our hope that all attendees enjoyed and learned from these presentations!

April 8, 2024: Solar Eclipse

Image of 2017 solar eclipse. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.

On Monday, April 8th, 2024, the Moon crossed in front of the Sun as seen from much of North America, giving millions of Americans another chance to experience a solar eclipse. Like in October 2023 and August 2017, Maryland experienced a partial solar eclipse. During a partial eclipse the Sun is never fully blocked by the Moon. This means that it is never safe to look directly at a partial eclipse without special eye protection — regular sunglasses are not okay! Please see below for more information on safe observing practices.

From Maryland, the beginning of Monday’s eclipse (aka “first contact”) was be at approximately 2:05 p.m. according to timeanddate.com, depending slightly on the viewer’s location. Maximum eclipse depth of approximately 90% coverage occurred at 3:21 p.m. and the show was all over at around 4:30 p.m.

For eclipse watchers in the Baltimore area, a couple of opportunities to come out (or stay in) and see the spectacle were:

Eclipse safety: It is very important not to look at the partial eclipse directly unless you have appropriate eye protection such as special eclipse glasses (NOT regular sunglasses) from a reputable manufacturer. Courtesy of NASA, here is a summary of information about eclipse safety. Key takeaways: either use special eclipse glasses or use an indirect viewing method, such as a projected image from a pinhole camera.

While Maryland experienced only a partial eclipse, a swath of the USA stretching from Texas to New England briefly fell into darkness as the Moon fully covered the Sun, creating the fateful (and amazing) condition known as a total eclipse. The image below shows the approximate locations where this occurred; for more detail see NASA’s Where & When.

Map of continental USA showing the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse.
Map of continental USA showing the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. Credit: NASA.

To all eclipse watchers, we wish you clear skies!

Observatory Images

The following images are from our main 20-inch telescope using one of two cameras, a ZWO 1600MM Pro or Canon EOS 6D DSLR. Many of these images were acquired by observatory visitors, W. Balmer, and M. Prem, and most post-processing was carried out by M. Prem using SIRIL.

Friday, May 26rd, 2023

Color image of M101 with supernova SN2023ixf
M101: This well-known and lovely spiral galaxy is also known as the pinwheel galaxy due to its large spiral disk being oriented almost directly towards Earth. However, this image shows a very special guest that was not visible in this galaxy just a few short weeks before this image was taken: the core collapse supernova SN 2023ixf (appears as a large light-blue blob in the upper-right). While this supernova will fade over time, its host galaxy (known as Messier 101 or M101) is still very interesting due to its large star-forming regions visible scattered throughout its spiral structure. This image is shown in color based on another image of M101 from a few days prior (courtesy of M. Prem), which was used to transfer the colors, using the data taken from the observatory’s monochrome exposure as a luminance layer.
Monochrome image of galaxy M51
M51: Colloquially known as the whirlpool galaxy, M51 is a real treat of the Northern skies, appearing close to the big dipper. Of course, the two interacting galaxies in this image are actually much further away; so far in fact that their light takes over 23 million years to get to us. These are some of the best known interacting galaxies, with the gravitational disruptions causing large tidal streams visible in longer exposure images, and likely contributing to the formation of the well defined spiral arms of the larger galaxy. M51 was the first to be identified as a spiral galaxy (or a spiral nebula as they were known at the time). The smaller, dimmer galaxy IC 4278 is also visible in this image just a little way from M51; see if you can spot it!
Monochrome image of the galaxy M81
M81: Another bright spiral galaxy near the big dipper, this grand design spiral galaxy is in the process of interacting with the nearby galaxy M82. This image highlights the large brightness difference between the very bright core of the galaxy, and the significantly fainter arms, where there wasn’t enough light collected to make them easily stand out from the background. To make the arms visible at all, the stacked image was greatly stretched, with heavy noise reduction applied.
Monochrome image of galaxy M82
M82: A companion galaxy to the spiral galaxy M81, and one of the nearest starburst galaxies, with its starburst thought to have been caused by a previous interaction with M81. A starburst galaxy is one where the rate of star formation is much greater than normal, with M82’s center alone producing around 10 times the new stars that the entire Milky Way galaxy does. This huge amount of star formation causes M82 to be very luminous, with the dust lanes seen in the image silhouetting the brighter background. Not seen in this image, but possible to pick up in longer exposures, are large streams of hydrogen that form a so called superwind which is likely driven by the supernovae which are common in this galaxy.
Monochrome image of the globular cluster M13
M13: A favorite of northern hemisphere astronomers and a target that we have imaged several times before, this large grouping of stars contains the mass of around 600,000 suns packed together far tighter that the local neighborhood of our own solar system. Because of its shape, M13 is known as a globular cluster, as opposed to the more common open star clusters such as the Pleiades. To show the maximum number of stars, this image of M13 was processed to enhance the visibility of faint parts of the cluster while preserving details in its bright core, which combined with the slightly blurred stars to make this image appear different from our other image of M13 shown further down the page.

Sunday, May 21st, 2023 (guest image)

This galaxy is looking different! These images were taken by trained observatory guest Gavin W. (JHU) and Observatory Fellow William B. (JHU). It was processed by Gavin W. using SIRIL. It shows the nearby M101 spiral galaxy, where just this past week a new supernova has erupted. Over the next few weeks, the bright source of light marked “SN 2023ixf” will fade away and disappear completely. Currently it is out shining the combined brightness of all the other stars in its host galaxy! This is one of the nearest supernova to the Earth this decade, an exciting opportunity for astronomers around the world to study these violent stellar-deaths in detail.

Friday, May 19th, 2023

The Ring Nebula (M57) in narrowband H-alpha, O[III] filters. This nebula was generated by a Sun-like star that has finished fusing hydrogen into helium. The nebula is about 7000 years old. The beautiful blue center of the nebula is emission from diffuse oxygen gas left in the wake of the expanding shell of red hydrogen gas, which we isolated at this open house using special filters that cut out a lot of the light pollution from the city.
The Sombrero Galaxy. We only managed to take images in one filter (a Green filter) but even in monochrome, the dramatic dust-lane of this galaxy is impressive. We are viewing this distant galaxy “edge-on” where the dust and gas that orbits within the spiral arms blocks the light from the center of the galaxy.
The Eyes Galaxy. More monochrome green filter images, again showing a beautiful partially edge-on galaxy with spirals of dust along its arms.
A globular cluster, M13, “Great Globular Cluster in Hercules.” This group of stars are more than a hundred times more closely packed together than the stars near our Sun. These stars are almost three times as old as the sun, 12 Billion years old, and this cluster exhibits signs of having been “accreted.” This means that this cluster of stars could have been a much smaller galaxy that the Milky Way gobbled up!

Monday, January 16th, 2023

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), otherwise known as “the Green Comet” or “the Neanderthal Comet” is shown here, about two weeks before its closest approach, having just passed periapsis (when it is closest to the Sun). Images were observed by W. Balmer in Blue, Green, and Red filters using our science camera, and processed by M. Prem using SIRIL. Because it is nearby, the comet has a large apparent motion compared to the background stars, and keeping the telescope fixed on the comet during an imaging sequence results in star trails as seen here.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Processed image of Orion Nebula
Orion Nebula. This image combines 31 DSLR exposures with a total integration time of over 15 minutes, processed to bring out detail, calibrate the colors and suppress noise. Glowing gas is reflecting and re-emitting the light of bright young stars, while darker clouds of cool gas and dust frame and partly obscure the view.

Thursday, October 27

Color image of the bubble nebula
Bubble Nebula. A single massive, hot star is responsible for most of the nebula’s emission. Gas expelled from the star’s own “wind” forms the shell; the gas in the shell and in surrounding clouds is excited by light from the star and glows. About an hour’s worth of exposures in narrow band filters sensitive to emission from hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur gas were combined to form this image. Processing was used to calibrate the colors, bring out details, and suppress background noise.
Crab Nebula. A single exposure, processed to suppress background noise and enhance contrast, reveals details within this iconic celestial object. The nebula itself is the result of a supernova explosion whose light first reached Earth in the year 1054.

Friday, October 21

The following image was obtained with our ZWO 1600MM Pro camera with a narrow-band H-alpha filter.

Monochrome image of eagle nebula through H-alpha filter
Eagle nebula (H-alpha): The eagle nebula seen in this image is an active star-forming region. The energetic emissions from its young stars cause the gas in the nebula to glow in very specific colors, the strongest of which is called H-alpha, from atomic hydrogen gas. When observed through a filter that only lets through this color of light, a significant amount of detail can be seen, from the brightly glowing gas itself as well as the dust clouds that block some of the light. This image was made by stacking 10 exposures to reduce noise and then stretching to show the detail hidden in the shadows.
Image of Saturn and Titan
Saturn and Titan. This image was created by combining short exposures to capture the planet itself with deeper exposures to be able to detect its large moon, Titan.

Friday, October 14

These images are from our Canon EOS 6D with a light pollution filter.

Image of globular cluster M13
M13. This globular cluster is composed of stars that are about 11.65 billion years old, nearly 3 times older than the Solar System! Observatory open house attendees took 5 images with a total exposure time of 11 minutes which were aligned and combined to produce the image pictured here.
Image of planetary nebula M27
M27. This target, called Dumbbell Nebula or the Apple Core Nebula, is a cloud of gas and dust expelled by a dying, Sun-like star. At its center is the remnant of the progenitor star, called a “white dwarf.” It is only about 10,000 years old, a very short time in astronomy! A certain young attendee took one 3 minute image of M27, which we post-processed using “photometric color calibration” to match the colors in the image to catalogue colors from research images, and then applied a brightness stretch and de-noising filter.
Image of planetary nebula M57
M57. The Ring Nebula was a favorite of our open house attendees, who took about 20 minutes’ worth of images of this nebula. Similar to M27, this nebula was generated by a Sun-like star that has finished fusing hydrogen into helium. The nebula is about 7000 years old. The beautiful blue center of the nebula is emission from diffuse oxygen gas left in the wake of the expanding shell of red hydrogen gas. We combined, smoothed, and then stretched the images to produce the final picture.

A visualization of stellar open clusters

Partial screenshot showing the stellar position visualizer.

Have you ever wished you could venture beyond Earth and explore among the stars? We certainly have. Alas, for the time being such explorations remain in the domain of imagination and science fiction. However, thanks to the precision of modern stellar catalogs, we can map the nearby stars and render their positions on your computer screen, allowing you to explore among them from the comfort of home! Click to access one such stellar visualization, created by MDSGC volunteer M. Prem. The accompanying text explains what is displayed and how it works. Have questions? Please email us at mdsgo@jhu.edu.

Preserving Dark Skies for Astronomy

Flyer for Dark Skies talk

Happy April! International Dark Sky Week is coming up later this month. We are delighted to invite you to attend a special two-part event in celebration of dark skies!

  • 4/15/22 @ 7pm ET – Dark Skies Presentation: Join us on Friday, April 15th at 7pm in room 361 of the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy (Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus). Dr. Sarah Marie Bruno (JHU), cosmologist, will discuss the impact of satellite constellations on ground-based astronomy, and the importance of preserving dark skies for astronomy and beyond. Light refreshments will be served directly following the talk.

    Preserving Dark Skies for Astronomy: The starry night sky has inspired humanity from the dawn of our history. However, the night sky we can see from Baltimore in 2022 looks vastly different from the skies that Galileo Galilei observed with his telescope or the skies that inspired the star stories of indigenous peoples in North America. Artificial lighting from ground-based sources and reflections off satellites can impact astronomy and impede our ability to witness the natural beauty of the skies. The Milky Way, once a fixture of human experience, is now hidden from view for over two thirds of the world’s population. Sadly, light pollution is only getting worse with the increasing number of commercial satellites flooding low-Earth orbits. While satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink will likely boost the global economy and increase internet accessibility worldwide, they will introduce additional light pollution and foreground contamination which may greatly impede astronomical observations from the ground. Specifically, solar reflections, radio frequency transmission, and thermal emission will impact ground-based astronomy in the optical, radio, and microwave frequencies, respectively. Bruno wilI (1) discuss the projected impact of the growing space industry on the field of astronomy, (2) present proposed strategies for mitigating these effects, and (3) reflect on the importance of preserving the dark sky environment not only for astronomy, but for human health and wellbeing. 
  • 4/15/22 @ 8:30pm ET – Observatory Open House: After Dr. Bruno’s talk, we will migrate up to the roof of the Bloomberg building for an observatory open house. We expect that observing will be possible beginning around 8:30pm. We will use the telescope in the observatory to view the stars and planets and an additional smaller telescope on the roof to observe the Moon. Join us in celebrating the beautiful dark skies above Johns Hopkins campus! 

Please note that due to space limitations on the Bloomberg roof, this event is restricted to the first 50 registrants. Please sign up here to attend.

The event is free to attend and free parking will be available on the Upper Muller Lot (located next to the Bloomberg building and accessible off of San Martin Drive.)

 Note: This event (both talk and observatory night) is subject to rescheduling depending on the weather. The following Friday (4/22) is a backup day. Registered attendees will receive an email by the evening of April 14th confirming whether the event will take place April 15th or be postponed to April 22nd. 

Interactive Astrophysics Stories

At the MDSGC Observatory, we’re always looking to share our enthusiasm about the Universe and its many fascinating phenomena. Therefore, we’re pleased to present this short series of interactive online astrophysics stories!

#4: Detecting Exoplanets via Transits

Snapshot of a simulated planetary transit across the face of its host star.

Since the first discoveries starting in the 1990s (see post below), the continued search for new exoplanets and the study of their properties has grown into a major area of astronomical research. As additional effort has been invested and new technologies have been developed, the primary techniques for finding and characterizing new exoplanets have also evolved. Follow this link over to our Exoplanet Transits story at ObservableHQ to learn about how astronomers have discovered most of the exoplanets we now know — and where we’re still looking to improve our knowledge!

#3: Hot Jupiter Systems

Still frame of an animation of a Hot Jupiter planet orbiting its host star.

Until the 1990s, the only planets known to science were the nine* of our own solar system. As technology progressed and astronomers began to focus their efforts on looking for planets around other stars, they received several great surprises in the form of just how different the first discovered “exoplanet” systems were, compared to ours. In the decades since, intense efforts have revealed a more detailed picture, and we now understand planetary systems to be a widespread if not universal phenomenon — as astronomers had hoped all along. But the earliest discovered systems continue to play an important role in our new understanding. Follow this link over to our Hot Jupiter story at ObservableHQ to learn more!

(*Those were the days, eh, Pluto?)

#2: Imaging a Star Cluster

Image of stars in Messier 67 taken from the Maryland Space Grant Observatory.

When it comes to practical astronomy, whether we’re idly admiring the night sky or concentrating closely on a telescopic view, star clusters are some of the most interesting things up there. The image above shows a portion of the star cluster Messier 67 obtained from our Observatory. (Another prime example of a star cluster is also one of the Fall sky’s highlights: the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters.) So what, apart from simple visual appeal, makes star clusters interesting for astronomers?

Follow this link over to our interactive Star Cluster Image story at ObservableHQ to learn more!

#1: The Earth-Moon System

Still frame from animation of the Earth-Moon system at the epoch of the dinosaurs, showing Earth's tidal bulge.

It was Fall as we wrote this, and in Earth’s northern hemisphere the days were getting shorter. DayLIGHT, that is! But did you know that actually, the length of Earth’s day is increasing as time goes on? What’s that all about, and what in the Universe could be responsible?

Follow this link over to our interactive Earth-Moon System story at ObservableHQ to find out!

After reading, send us your questions and let us know what you think at mdsgo@jhu.edu!

Observe the Moon

First quarter moon over Earth's limb; photo taken from ISS.
Image of the Moon over Earth’s limb, taken from the International Space Station in 2019.

While most of our attention may understandably be consumed by events taking place here on planet Earth, it’s a good practice to pause occasionally and take in a larger perspective. A fine occasion for such activity presents itself whenever clear skies align with favorable Moon phases.

Each year, International Observe the Moon Night, marked in 2020 on Saturday, September 26th, encourages Earthlings to point our gazes skyward and appreciate our closest celestial neighbor. (NASA organizes a list of events that might allow for an in person experience, as well as ways to participate from home.)

The first quarter lunar phase each month is widely considered to be best for viewing because of its evening visibility and the oblique angle of sunlight that throws its surface details into sharp relief. When looking at the Moon from Earth, we definitely recommend grabbing a pair of binoculars, if available, as any amount of magnification greatly enhances the visibility of surface features such as craters.

And while you’re thinking about gazing skyward, don’t forget to think about other ways to get your astronomy fix, and be sure to check out Sky & Telescope’s Sky at a Glance for more detail about what’s on the celestial menu these days.

Astronomy during the pandemic

NASA SOFIA image of the Milky Way.

While the MDSGC Observatory remains closed for the time being, with a little inspiration and effort we can still admire the night sky above us — and certainly now, as much as ever, we can all benefit from a cosmic perspective!

Here is a recent article by University of Arizona astronomer professor Chris Impey on ways to enjoy astronomy during the pandemic. It’s a must read for would be backyard astronomers. Of special note is the “Sky at a Glance” from Sky & Telescope, a highly useful guide to tracking the Moon, planets, and other noteworthy celestial events.

Another recommended activity that may be appealing is to construct a planisphere: a device that shows the locations of the stars in the sky each night. You can buy one, of course, or use free astronomy software such as Stellarium, but if you happen to live at a latitude not too different from Baltimore, MD (39.29 degrees North) and have access to a printer, you can also make your own using these files: planisphere instructions and planisphere cutouts. The second file has two pages, which need to be printed on separate sheets of paper. You’ll also need a paperclip.

Until we can once again welcome you to visit our Observatory, happy star-gazing!

NASA and ISS Videos

Aurora over Scandinavia at night from the International Space Station.

Watching live coverage of the successful NASA Mars Insight landing yesterday reminded us of some other excellent space videos we’ve seen lately.

Here’s one to mark NASA’s 60th anniversary. Like science fiction, but real:

Also celebrating an anniversary recently, in this case its 20th, was the International Space Station (ISS). A long sequence of Earth from orbit, with some landmarks identified:

As long as we’re on the topic, here’s one more from ISS. An inbound rocket launch:

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did. If you’re curious about the image at the top, click on it to learn more!

Quaternions Turn 175

Plaque on Broom (Brougham) Bridge in Ireland commemorating Hamilton's discovery of quaternions.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018, is the one hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the discovery of quaternions, one of the most difficult discoveries ever in the history of mathematical physics.  The discovery was made — in a sudden moment of inspiration following 11 years of studious toil — by Sir William Rowan Hamilton as he was crossing Brougham Bridge, in Ireland, with his wife.  On the spot, or so it is said, he carved his famous equations on the bridge.

Some years later, Hamilton recalled:

They started into life, or light, full grown, on the 16th of October, 1843, as I was walking with Lady Hamilton to Dublin, and came up to Brougham Bridge.  That is to say, I then and there felt the galvanic circuit of thought closed, and the sparks which fell from it were the fundamental equations between I, J, K; exactly such as I have used them ever since.  I pulled out, on the spot, a notebook, which still exists, and made an entry….

Although Hamilton’s original inscription does not survive, the plaque shown above hangs on the bridge to this day in commemoration both of Hamilton’s discovery and of his sudden inspiration. The plaque reads:

Here as he walked by
on the 16th of October 1843
Sir William Rowan Hamilton
in a flash of genius discovered
the fundamental formula
for quaternion multiplication
i2 = j2 = k2 = i j k = -1
& cut it on a stone of this bridge

Here’s to Hamilton, to quaternions, to bridges, and to inspiration!