Astronomy Professor, Dr. Rachel Smith, has received $2,500 from the North Carolina Space Grant Consortium for her project, "From Local Sky to Deep Space Connecting Museum Visitors to Astronomy & Astrophysics.” The funding will support the construction and programming of a video exhibit to expose visitors to the science and goals of the scientists of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Lab at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and colleagues in astronomy and astrophysics at Appalachian State University. Through the use of a prominently displayed exhibit, complex astronomical studies will be translated in a meaningful and attention-grabbing way to visitors. To further engage visitors with complex research on objects beyond the solar system, an all-sky camera will be installed on the museum roof one floor above the lab. A live feed to the local sky will be continually viewable to visitors on the same screen as the research content, which in turn will be communicated in a simple format focused on compelling visuals. The connection of visitors to their “local sky” will give them an immediate sense of connection to observing the cosmos, and will further connect with a number of citizen science initiatives that involve light pollution and reporting of local sky conditions. The content presented by this project will be produced by researchers and students from ASU, and will provide for direct engagement with learning and research in STEM fields.
Dr. Rachel Smith
