18 Sunday, December 24, 2017 Subaru Telescope National Astronomical Observatory of Japan We offer JOB OPPORTUNITIES (check our website) STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM EDUCATION at our Local Schools http://SubaruTelescope.org Guided tour at the Subaru Telescope (16 years or older) Sign up at The Subaru Website: Subaru Home Page > Visiting the Subaru Telescope Base Facility Tour and Staff Presentations For details visit: Subaru Home Page > For Educators > Staff Presentation Program where the students work alongside the two telescope operators, who help get the mirror into position. But it’s up to the students to run the instruments, control the telescope’s exposure to ensure as many photons are collected as possible, make sure the telescope stays on target, as well as document their steps. If a step is missed or delayed, that means less light is collected, and Bus is there to make sure not a second of science is wasted. “I tend to be a task driver,” he said. “I’m trying to instill that a little bit.” Saturn averages about 886 million miles from the sun — more than nine times Earth’s distance. Depending on positions of both Earth and Saturn, it takes the photons roughly 174 minutes to leave the sun, bounce off Titan’s atmosphere, reach the telescope, and show up on their computer screens, Bus said. To ensure they are getting the best data, the telescope shifts between Titan and what’s known as a “guide star.” Laychak said they use the star, this one locat-ed near the constellation Scorpious, also known as Maui’s fishhook, so they will know if their instruments are working correctly. Once they switch to Titan, the moon appears on one of their computer screens in the infrared. What they see is more of a gray smudge than the colorful pictures captured by Cassini. But they’re not here to get the prettiest picture. What they’re after is to capture and analyze the spectrum of light reflecting off the moon’s atmosphere. That shows up as lines bending across one of the student’s screens. It might not look fascinating, but this type of data can tell researchers what’s going on in Titan’s atmosphere, including what type of chemicals are most abundant. That could give clues to the presence of life. “All these bumps and wiggles are tied to molecules,” Bus said, as he points out ridges and troughs in the lines. It’s essentially the barcode of the moon’s atmosphere and gives a snapshot in time of what’s happening on our distant neighbor. It’s the same technique astronomers will use to find planets in far-off solar systems that could harbor life. While they may not have found evidence for new lifeforms that night, the research will provide data that could be cited one day in a scientific paper. “By allowing different groups to observe many times, you can get what’s called time-domain astronomy,” Bus said. “Many things aren’t constant. In fact, the data they are taking right now could be used by a larger scientific project that is being carried out right now by a scientist from Cornell (University).” After returning to Hale Pohaku, the students grabbed cups of hot chocolate and reflected on their evening. “I still feel like a kid playing with a telescope,” said Kaitlin, 16, a junior. “At least I know I could do it if I wanted to.” Laychak said the program’s goal is not to create the next generation of astronomers, but to inspire keiki to seek careers in any field of science, technology, engineering or mathematics, commonly known as STEM. Asked what this would have meant to her if she had a similar opportunity in high school, she said: “I would have died. It would have meant the world to me, and I know it means the world to them.” Email Tom Callis at tcallis@ hawaiitribune-herald.com. SCHOLARS From page 16 Mary Beth Laychak Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Hawaii Tribune-Herald
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