Astronomy
The Thacher Observatory
In December of 2016, the newly renovated Thacher Observatory was unveiled. The Thacher Observatory houses a PlaneWave CDK-700 telescope which has a 0.7m aperture and a fully robotic dome. The observatory operates in a fully automated fashion using a flexible dispatch scheduler.
The transformation of the Observatory into a state-of-the-art, research-grade facility was part of a wider expansion of the astronomy program at Thacher and the result of years of hard work and vision by Dr. Chris Vyhnal, the chair of the Science Department, Dr. Jon Swift, director of the Thacher Observatory, and many others.
The Observatory has a long and interesting history stretching back to 1965 when UCLA and Caltech brought the facility to campus as part of a Summer Science Program for high-achieving students hosted at Thacher. After the departure of the SSP and through the passing of years, the observatory went into disuse. But since its renovation, it has offered a new generation of students in astronomy, data science, and computer science courses profound applied-learning opportunities once again. Among these opportunities is the chance to contribute to Dr. Swift’s ongoing NASA-funded research of eclipsing binaries and transiting exoplanets, which he is undertaking in collaboration with colleagues at the Boston University and Harvard.
Research
Thacher has an active astronomical research program with students working at the forefront of astrophysics research. This research is done in collaboration with partners across the globe including teams at the Boston University, the University of California at Santa Cruz, Harvard, and the Las Cumbres Observatory. We are dedicated to providing an authentic experience where students engage fully with pressing problems in astronomy and build breadth and depth of understanding while gaining invaluable experience working in small teams toward meaningful goals.
For information about current and past research projects, visit the observatory website.
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TOADTalk: My Nudibranch Teacher
Heather Grant shares her enthusiasm for sea slugs and what we can learn from them.Read More -
Thacher Students Test the Waters in Turtle Conservation Chemistry
"Tackling real-world problems gives us a deeper understanding of the concepts we are learning in the classroom."Read More -
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Thacher Astronomy Program Joins NASA Team
Read MoreNASA’s TESS Mission aims to identify some of the nearest exoplanet systems to Earth and Thacher will be helping. -
The Origins and Future of the Thacher Astronomy Program
Doc V and Doc S Publish Papers in Scholarly Journal.Read More -
Thacher Students Present at the American Astronomical Society Conference
Seniors, Alejandro and Yao shared their findings on the erratic dimming events of Tabby’s star.Read More -
Nick Edwards Earns Author Credit on Professional Research Paper
Thanks to the data he gathered on “Tabby’s Star” at the Thacher Observatory.Read More -
Searching for Supernovae
Student astronomical research project earns time at a professional observatory.Read More -
Where’s the Flux?
Monitoring “the most mysterious star in the galaxy” at the Thacher Observatory.Read More -
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In Search of Earth-Like Planets
Royal Astronomical Society publishes research by one of our own.Read More
List of 8 members.
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Ms. Heather Grant
Science Department Chair, Biology and Chemistry TeacherMount Holyoke College - BABio
Montana State University - MS -
Mr. Edgar Arceo
Psychology Teacher; Los Padres Dorm HeadKenyon College - Bachelors of Arts (B.A)Bio
University of Pennsylvania - Masters of Science in Education (M.S.Ed)
Middlebury College - Masters of Arts (M.A.) -
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Dr. Christopher Vyhnal
Science Department; Chemistry and Geology TeacherColgate University - BABio
University of Tennessee - MS
Dartmouth College - PhD -
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A college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12
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