Constructing the Light Curve

March 19, 2011 - On a recent trip to the delightful dark skies of southeastern Illinois, Stars at Yerkes teachers were challenged to uncover the meaning of asteroid light data collected by the Astronomical Research Institute.  ARI Director Bob Holmes hosted and inspired the group, providing a tour of the facilities and providing access to a rich library of data on asteroids imaged at ARI.  Tyler Linder and Dr. Jim Conwell of Eastern Illinois University added to this wealth of information, teaching about how the data is analyzed by constructing light curves.  ARCS teacher Kathleen Roper organized the day to include a session on building devices to simulate asteroid motions, led by ARCS teacher Kevin McCarron.  

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