Link to Activities and Programs Pages
Yerkes Education and Outreach
Yerkes Observatory occupies a unique niche for the education and the scientific community. It bridges several important perspectives in formal and informal education. The history of astronomy and astrophysics of the observatory is a solid foundation for introducing all the important topics in current research as well as the practice of observational astronomy. There is a huge range of opportunities for learning. Because of Yerkes' historical context, the world of professional and student astronomers and astronomy educators are drawn to the observatory. These communities learn from one another, build relationships, and create programs, which result in enriched experiences and learning opportunities for young and diverse members of our society.
Yerkes Observatory has from its inception united physics, astronomy, and engineering. Education programs seek to show these relationships by engaging learners in observational astronomy using the telescopes at Yerkes, studying the astrophysics of cosmological phenomena, and designing, building and using instruments.
Currently engineers are constructing the HAWC instrument, which is an imaging camera for the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Concurrently teachers and students in programs at Yerkes learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, and participate in Active Astronomy investigations of circuits, detectors and infrared light, as a component of outreach for SOFIA.
Astronomy Resources Connecting Schools (ARCS) teachers explore SDSS Sky Server with Professor Rich Kron |
The University of Chicago is a leading partner in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Various research scenarios are created by our community of educators and scientists to create relevant student research opportunities in education, building new knowledge, both pedagogically and scientifically. |
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Observing with telescopes and imaging with CCD cameras allows for teachers and students to gain insight into how data is detected, collected and analyzed using the professional tools. Yerkes in collaboration with the Hands-On Universe (HOU) program provides images, an image database, curriculum, and projects, technology and mentors for learners around the world. |
Wisconsin skies are beautiful, and when combined with advances in CCD astronomy and Yerkes telescopes, provide significant experiences for student research and informal learning. The following images compare the image of a galaxy before and after a supernova appeared; these images from the Yerkes 24 inch telescope are filed in the Hands-On Universe (HOU) database. The reference image was easily retrieved to compare with the supernova image. |
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Live Observations
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One example of an informal science collaboration is with the Science Museum in Tokyo and their Science Liveshow UNIVERSE. During this Saturday afternoon show in Japan, it is midnight at Yerkes. Yerkes educators converse with the audience via the internet and share the Williams Bay skies with real time telescope images. | |
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Kavli Institute Space Explorer looking through finder of Yerkes Great Refractor. |
Outreach programs sponsored by various National Science Foundation (NSF) Centers and private foundations offer opportunities for students from urban settings such as Chicago and Joliet, as well as from local communities, to come to Yerkes for academic institutes in the summer and throughout the school year. The SEE Project exemplifies efforts to meet the special needs of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hearing impaired. Students typically work with scientists, graduate students and teachers reflecting the spirit of inquiry which historically characterizes the history of the observatory. |
Contributors and Collaborators for education and outreach programs at Yerkes Observatory include the Illinois State Board of Education, the National Science Foundation, NASA SOFIA and NASA IDEAS, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Hands-On Universe, The Collaboratory at Northwestern, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Geneva Lake Association Environmental Education Foundation, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, Williams Bay and Genoa City Lions Clubs, Kikkoman Foods Inc., George Williams College Aurora University, National Federation of the Blind, Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Wisconsin School for the Deaf, and Science Museum Tokyo.