Details: The IUSB Observatory will be open, weather permitting, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15. Two of the best object for visual observing, Saturn and Jupiter, are in the evening sky these days, and we’ll be slewing the telescope back and forth between them, with maybe a short detour to Uranus, during this event…. Read more »
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Teaming Up with Concord Elementary Weather Balloon Launch
Students in the Concord school system launch weather balloons each year to learn about project design and development, collaboration and, of course, the atmosphere. Since 2017 this annual project / event has been led by Ms. Elizabeth King, who is the teacher for high-ability students at Concord Ox-Bow. Here’s coverage, including pictures and video, from… Read more »
MTS Event: Wednesday, April 12th (Venus, Mars, and Stars!)
CURRENT STATUS: Conditions for the 12th are looking good! Details: The IUSB Observatory will be open, weather permitting, from 8:30-10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12th. Venus will still be high enough to view with the telescope at 8:30. Then we’ll have a look at Mars, and then a variety of star clusters and maybe a… Read more »
Green Comet
I braved the cold Tuesday night (11F when I finished at 10 pm) to get a few photos of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from the IUSB Observatory, using our color CCD camera and the 90 mm aperture refractor. The field of view is too small to see the tail — about a quarter of a… Read more »
Orion Nebula
I had hoped to capture an image of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) during the brief break in the clouds on Jan. 23, but it was too low in the sky — barely 10 deg above the horizon. Instead, I took a few photos of the Orion Nebula. The photo below was taken with our Atik… Read more »
Club Leadership Meeting with National Director
Dr. Brad Conrad, Director, Society of Physics Students (SPS) and Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ), was in town to visit Saint Mary’s College as part of their inaugural ΣΠΣ inductions and reached out to meet with our club leadership. Fortunately, even though it was after finals, and even commencement, outgoing president Cody Crip, and incoming co-presidents… Read more »
Physics Club Trip to Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry
Our Physics Club / Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter organized a trip to Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry on Saturday, April 12, 2022. It was a long day, with travel on both ends via the South Shore, but it was a fantastic group and, by all accounts, an extraordinarily fun and interesting day…. Read more »
Prof. Hinnefeld Receives 2021 IN-AAPT Service Award
Prof. Jerry Hinnefeld has been awarded the 2021 Charles Emmert Distinguished Service Award from the Indiana Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (IN-AAPT). Notably, Jerry recently completed a three-year leadership cycle in the IN-APPT during which he rotated through the roles of Vice President, Secretary and President, and in 2019, shortly before the… Read more »
Fall 2021 Majors Fair
Special thanks to majors Kelly Allen, Jo Alters, Michael Nelms, Austin Veldman, and Michael Wujick for helping to staff our table at the 2021 Majors Fair! Despite uncertainty regarding how things will play out with the pandemic, and a return to in-person classes, the University has felt impressively vibrant during our first week back. It’s… Read more »
Alum Update: Danny Workman ’15
Danny Workman graduated with a B.S. in physics in 2015 and started a new job recently at Benebios in Mishawaka. Briefly, the company produces starter cultures that are used for probiotics and dairy cultures (e.g., yogurt) by growing the desired bacteria and then using centrifuges for separation and freeze-drying techniques to manipulate the triple point… Read more »