Astronomy Club Focuses:

Dark Sky Light Pollution Research Astro-imaging Telescope Building

Local Observation/Community Outreach (Star Parties)

ASTronomy Club:

I am currently the Co-President of the Ida B. Wells Astronomy Club. I have been a member for all four years of my high school career, but started taking a leadership role Junior year (when I was President of Observation).

Our club is filled with those who love observing the night sky, sharing their passion for the stars, and building telescopes for our local community. We hold weekly meetings with occasional guest speakers who are experts in their fields.

One of the most exciting and engaging parts of Astronomy Club are our Star Parties. We meet up (usually on weekends) with our telescopes to observe the night sky.

Through Astronomy Club and our Star Parties I have been able to teach Elementary and Middle school students about a range of different constellations and how telescopes function.

“Annie Jump Cannon” Dobsonian Telescope

Telescope Group:

Telescope Group is a small group within the Astronomy Club. We meet every week for nighttime build sessions in the Ida B. Wells woods and metals shop. I have been part of the Telescope Group in my Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years of high school.

Each Dobsonian Telescope is hand built and distributed free of charge to club members or people from the community who are interested in astronomical viewing.

Telescope Group gives students the opportunity to improve their engineering design and construction skills. We also fine tune, decrease the weight, and repair the club’s scopes.

Some telescopes are bought or borrowed from retired astronomers and enthusiasts who want their scopes to be used by the next generation of eager club members.

In the Spring of 2024, me working with the band saw in order to make the side panels for Aurora’s Rotary Mount.

My friend Marissa and I at the 2024 Ida B. Wells Club fair introducing Astronomy Club to incoming Freshmen.

Telescope Group Projects:

  • Merkules Rotary Mount

    Completed: Fall 2023

    Dimensions: 19" x 18" x 12"

    Materials: Plywood, screws, teflon (for smooth vertical angle adjustment), rotation bolt

    Designed and manufactured rocker box rotary mount for "Merkules" Dobsonian Telescope.

  • Corona Dobsonian Telescope

    Maintenance Completed: Winter 2023

    Dimensions: 16" x 15" x 52"

    Materials: Plywood, springs, aluminium truss tubes, 3D printed/metal fasteners, screws, 10" mirror

    Modified spring balancing system on "Corona" Dobsonian Telescope in order to be more stable.

  • Merkules Dobsonian Telescope

    Completed: Winter 2023

    Dimensions: 19" x 18" x 64"

    Materials: Plywood, aluminium truss tubes, 3D printed/metal fasteners, screws, 10" mirror

    Including the Merkules Rotary Mount, this Dobsonian telescope improves on the design of the Corona Dobsonian Telescope in order to reduce the weight.

  • PLA Printed Helical Focusers

    Completed: Fall 2023

    Dimensions: 4" x 5" x 4"

    Materials: 3D print PLA, screws, nuts & bolts, teflon (for smooth movement of adjustment knob)

    We made multiple 3D printed teflon focusers for all of our newer Dobsonian telescopes. The teflon allows the focuser to smoothly adjust for clearer viewing.

  • Aurora Rotary Mount

    Completed: Spring 2024

    Dimensions: 16" x 15" x 7"

    Materials: Plywood, screws, teflon (for smooth vertical angle adjustment), rotation bolt

    A more detailed rocker box rotary mount for the Aurora Dobsonian Telescope. This design better secures the top half in place and has a lighter profile with smooth rotation.

  • Aurora Dobsonian Telescope

    Completed: Spring 2024

    Dimensions: 16" x 15" x 52"

    Materials: Plywood, aluminium truss tubes, 3D printed/metal fasteners, screws, 10" mirror

    The design of the Aurora Dobsonian Telescope (Pictured here with my friend Katie) again improves upon our previous models. It is shorter and more compact, while also being just as powerful as most of our other telescopes.