Southwest Astronomy V.
A field conference in Arizona and New Mexico
Begins Friday evening July 7, ends Sunday July 23, 2023
About Southwest Astronomy V. Southwest Astronomy V. is a field conference hosted jointly by the Michigan and National Earth Science Teachers Associations. Do you teach astronomy and wish that you could make it more relevant to your students? This trip is an awesome way to enhance your credibility factor. Return to class with photos of you at major observatories. Entertain your students with stories of people you met, places you went, experiences you had. Bring back astro swag and classroom materials. Do you like astronomy, but wish you had a better understanding of what astronomers study and why it's of interest? Would you like a chance to learn more about telescopes, instruments, spacecraft, or just the night sky? Go behind the scenes to see state of the art instrumentation, and spend time under dark skies to see what's up there. Do you want to build a more interdisciplinary approach to teaching and/or communicating science? SWA V. will provide opportunities with visits to archeoastronomy sites, amateur astro-imagers, authors, dark sky advocates, and astrotourism facilities. Are you excited about meeting people who share the same passion for astronomy that you do? Join us and expand your network of astronomy friends! |
A virtual meeting to discuss questions and more trip details will be held on Tuesday, February 21 from 7-8 pm EST/ 4-5 pm PST. A link will be sent to those interested in attending. Indicate your interest by filling out this form. |
| Trip Details You can sign up for either the entire trip or the Tucson-only component:
CEUs are available: 3 for the Tucson trip/ 4 CEUs for the entire trip All photos on this page are from Southwest Astronomy IV. |
How it works
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| Registration details You must be a member of MESTA (Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association) or NESTA (National Earth Science Teachers Association) in order to register. MESTA membership is $10/year. NESTA membership is $40/ year. The registration fee covers admittance to all events, a field notebook, a T Shirt, and some free materials. There will be many opportunities to purchase additional astronomy items as well! Registration for the entire trip is $400 per person. Registration for the Tucson-only trip is $300 per person. Registration is fully refundable up to 30 days before the trip start. Register here. |
Trip at a Glance: Tucson area Kitt Peak National Observatory (mutilple telescopes and visitor center), and a night program NOIRLab and Vera C. Rubin Observatory headquarters (teacher workshops) Steward Observatory: Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, ARO 12-meter Telescope, Spacewatch telescopes Fred Lawrence Whipple ObservatoryMt. Graham International Observatory (Large Binocular Telescope, Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Radio Telescope) Center for Dark and Quiet Skies/ International Dark Sky Association Mars Spaceflight Facility and Mars Education Center/ LROC Desert Peak Observatory (private observatory) Rock and astronomy swag giveaway and closing dinner * The above list is not exhaustive. More details and speakers will be added as they are confirmed. Some visits may be subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen events. |