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Space Camp
Hightower
Trail 4th Grade Class,
Conyers, Georgia
March 9, 2007
3rd Annual SPACE CAMP at Hightower Trail Elementary (HTE), Conyers, GA.
For the 3rd year in a row, the 4th grade faculty of HTE asked the
Charlie Elliott astronomers to be part of their very successful Space
Camp. Steven Phillips (1st time), Jon Wood (2nd time), Debbie & Clevis
Jones (3rd time) spent a delightful evening sharing the night sky with
more than 100 4th grade students, some of their parents, the 4th grade
faculty, and school volunteers.
Debbie Jones was given a classroom where she taught that the entire
celestial sphere is mapped into areas (like states in the U.S.) that are
called constellations. She showed maps of the sky and explained the
connect-the-star stick figures are correctly called asterisms. She
pointed out how some, like Orion, have the same name as the
constellation they are in, while others others, like the Big Dipper,
have names different from the constellations they are in. In addition
she answered a ton of questions from the kids covering all sorts of
astronomy topics. Debbie said the kids were "amazed" to find out the sky
is mapped into areas.
The sky, having been overcast all day, began to clear as we arrived and
forced us to switch from plan B (presentations indoors) back to plan A
(observing). Not that we minded! Steven Phillips, Jon Wood, and Clevis
Jones setup their telescopes. By the time the first of five groups came
out to look at Saturn (an excellent view), the Orion Nebula, Pleiades,
and other objects, the sky had completely cleared. It remained so for
the other four groups. It was unbelievable how the sky cleared for Space
Camp, letting everyone have a turn at each of the three telescopes and
Steven's big binoculars, and then at the end, clouded over again.
As students, parents, and faculty got their first glimpse of Saturn -
GASPS, and exclamations galore! Quick looks with a, "that's nice" were
NOT heard tonight. Nearly everyone kept glued to the eyepiece until they
were reminded (some had to be reminded twice) that others wanted to
look. Saturn and the other objects put on their best splendor for the
Space Campers.
Thank you Ms. Bates (Principal), Gretchen Gault (our host) and her
fellow 4th grade faculty, and the great 4th grade students and school
volunteers for inviting the Charlie Elliot astronomers to your 3rd
annual Space Camp. You gave us a wonderful time! It was our pleasure to
share the night sky and our knowledge of astronomy with you. We look
forward to next year! "Keep Looking Up!"
--Clevis Jones
Debbie Jones and a few of the happy 4th grade Space Campers
Jon Wood answers a pointed question
while a young Space Camper takes a long look at Saturn through Jon's
telescope.
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