Active Astronomy is a non-credit continuing education course offered at the Crownpoint Institute of Technology in the Fall 2004 semester. The course, consisting of five two-hour sessions, begins on Monday, October 18 and continues through November 15.
Course Description:
Active Astronomy is about learning for the fun of it, so
relax and enjoy the scenery. The non-technical aspects of observing the night sky will be
emphasized, although we will learn plenty of interesting facts and terminology. We will
build some simple instruments which will allow us to navigate our way around the sky, tell
time by the stars, and observe the rainbow of colors visible in light. We will use
telescopes to view planets, galaxies and nebulae, and learn to find astronomy information
on the internet. There's so much to see both with and without a telescope! You'll find
that the simple pleasure of stargazing is more rewarding when you know what you're looking
at. There will be no tests or grading, nor is attendance an
issue. We are all here because we want to be.
Course Information:
Time & Day: 6:30 - 8:30 PM, Monday
Sessions: Oct. 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15
Location: CIT Campus, Room 325, Tech Building
Registration Fee: $20
Materials Fee: $5
Registration
Information:
To register come to the Crownpoint Institute of Technology administration
building and fill out a registration form: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to
5:00 PM. For information, call (505)786-4100.
About the Instructor:
Colleen Gino, who holds a Master of Science in Astronomy degree from the Swinburne
University of Technology in Australia, has been involved in astronomy education and public
outreach for over a dozen years writing, producing and presenting public lectures and
planetarium shows, and has worked at some of the nation's premier astronomical
observatories. While at the Mt. Wilson Observatory in California she operated a variety of
telescopes and advanced instrumentation including the 150-foot Solar Tower coelostat and
the natural guide star adaptive optics system on the 100" Hooker telescope. Colleen
operated the Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) while working at
the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico from 2000 to 2002, then moved to
New York to hold the position of Executive Director of the Dudley Observatory from 2002 to
2004. While in New York, Colleen became known as a local expert on astronomy, and appeared
over 30 times on TV and radio news programs speaking on a wide variety of astronomical
topics. She has been teaching astronomy at the college level for over three years, and
currently teaches astronomy courses over the internet for Augsburg College in Minnesota
and Schenectady County Community College in New York. Colleen is a faculty member in the
Applied Computer Technology program at the Crownpoint Institute of Technology in
Crownpoint, New Mexico.
| Page Last Updated 11/22/04 | Copyright © 2004 C. Gino |