AST 210 Astronomy Field Trip (3 ECTS)

Professors Ravit Helled & Ben Moore

Your task is to each take a calibrated image of a deep sky object that you cannot see with your eye. i.e. nebulae, the andromeda galaxy, the Milky Way etc.

We hold an introductory lecture, one evening in the first or second week of the teaching semester. This is to explain the field trip class to you and to give you background information for astrophotography with dslr cameras. Students are divided into groups of two or three and each group receives equipment (tripod, startracker, ballhead and a camera if your group does not have access to one). Attendance of this lecture is mandatory to continue with the class.

We hold a field trip one night outside of Zurich where you can take data. You can practise beforehand, and ideally you can take the equipment on your own into the mountains where there is less light pollution and fog. Note that the weather in the Unterland can be very foggy/cloudy and it is not guaranteed we can hold the field trip. Because we wait for good weather, you will only receive a few days notice for the field trip. You do not have to attend the trip and can take images on your own.

You will write a short report detailing your work. This class takes place each semester and books out very quickly. We have a maximum of 27 students. The field trip is a lot of fun and you will learn a great deal about basic astronomy and astrophotography.