Rowan Astronomical Observatory
Department of Physics & Astronomy                                   
The Rowan Astronomical Observatory (RAO) is dedicated to the exploration of our universe by faculty, students, and the neighboring community. Astronomy courses, astronomical research, K-12 outreach, open houses, and public lectures are part the observatory's activities.  RAO’s activities are not confined to the campus of Rowan University. Faculty and students frequently travel to world class telescopes to conduct their research. These facilities include the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico for the study of galaxies at radio wavelengths, the W.M. Keck Telescope and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) both atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii for the study of planets and comets at infrared wavelengths. Rowan students with an interest in astronomy can minor in astronomy.  RAO’s efforts have been aided by a generous gift by Ric and Jean Edelman that funds equipment for the Fredric and Jean Edelman Planetarium and a rooftop observatory in the new Science Hall (see below). 

Observatory News:

Please explore our universe:

Edelman Planetarium:

Edelman Planetarium is housed under a 40-foot diameter dome and features manufactured and installed by Spitz Inc. of Chadds Ford, PA. Housed in an elegant cylindrical structure, the planetarium has a capacity of up to 102. Operators will have the ability to project the nightime sky, slides, DVD, videotape, and digital images using a large suite of projection equipment. A stereophonic sound system features 5.1 surround sound.

The planetarium will be more than just a place to learn about the night sky. It will serve as a multimedia theater, lecture hall, and center for K-12 science outreach. Faculty at Rowan are involved in planning innovative programming for the planetarium. Elementary and secondary school outreach will be priorities. Click here to learn more about the planetarium!

Rowan Observatory at Science Hall :

Atop Science Hall is an observatory and observing deck that are used for astronomy courses, outreach, and student research. A 16-inch aperture DFM Cassegrain telescope is housed in the dome, and smaller telescopes can be mounted on the outdoor observing deck. The DFM telescope is controlled by computer and can be fitted with a CCD Camera or spectrograph. The observatory will allow faculty to create new opportunities for student research such as asteroid searches and monitoring of variable stars. This telescope and the camera equipment for our new observatory has been funded by a gift from Ric and Jean Edelman.

Rowan Radio Astronomy Observatory:

A 10-foot radio telescope called the SRT (Small Radio Telescope built by CASSI) has been installed on Science Hall.  The telescope will be commisioned in September 2005.

Also, faculty from the Astronomical Observatory and the College of Engineering will be designing 5-meter radio telescopes that built and installed on campus. This project is in a conceptual stage. Updates on this project will be posted here.

Faculty:

Don Farnelli, Associate Professor
Eddie Guerra, Associate Professor
Keith Johnson, Planetarium Director
David Klassen, Associate Professor
Karen Magee-Sauer, Professor

John Herrmann, Adjunct Lecturer
Steve Simmerman, Adjunct Lecturer
Wellington Woods (Emeritus), Adjunct Professor



The Very Large Array (VLA), National Radio Astronomy Observatory, New Mexico

Research:

E. J. Guerra, Ph. D., Princeton University
Field: Radio Astronomy & Theoretical Astrophysics

Radio astronomy gives us a glimpse of the most distant (and thus oldest) known objects and structures in the universe. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) often emit vast amounts of energy in radio waves which can be observed at great distances. Many of the radio-loud AGN studied are so distant that their radio waves originated at a time when the Universe was much younger than it is now. Also, many advances in cosmology, the study of the universe as a whole and single system, have come from precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background at radio wavelengths, and more insight will be gained in the next decade with such measurements. My research includes radio observations and theoretical studies of radio-loud AGN and supermassive black holes. Various National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) telescopes are utilized, including the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. These studies are aimed at understanding the physics of radio-loud AGN and Big Bang cosmology. Students figure prominently in my research. This research is funded in part by the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Lindback Foundation.

David Klassen, Ph.D., University of Wyoming
Field: Planetary Astronomy

Planetary astronomy is the study of objects in our solar system using Earth-based telescopes. This science complements, expands upon, and even directs NASA's spacecraft explorations. The strengths of Earth-based observing lie in temporal coverage and spectral range and resolution.  My research uses near-infrared (wavelengths from 1.5-4.0 µm) spectral images gathered at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The near-infrared spectral range contains diagnostic features of water and carbon-dioxide ices and certain minerals thought to be on Mars based on in-situ measurements by the Viking landers in 1976. These images are used to make maps of the spectral features to search for these materials which are important to piecing together the climatic history of Mars. The ice features allow the determination of the composition of the Martian clouds, which sets limits on the atmospheric temperatures and also allows the measurement of the total Martian water budget. This work is done in collaboration with scientists at Cornell University and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Karen Magee-Sauer, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Field: Planetary Science

Dr. Karen Magee-Sauer's research field is in planetary sciences. Her research is supported through grants awarded by the National Science Foundation's Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program and NASA. She collaborates with scientists in the Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Dr. Magee-Sauer primarily studies the composition and behavior of comets by observing the infrared emission of cometary molecules. She uses the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Keck II telescope both atop of Mauna Kea (14,000 ft) on the Big Island of Hawaii to detect parent molecules in comets. Undergraduate students are involved in all aspects of this research and present their work at national conferences highlighting undergraduate research.


NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) atop Mauna Kea

Undergraduate Research:

Undergraduate students in science, engineering, computer science, and math who have an interest in astronomy have the opportunity to do research. Many research students have presented findings at national meetings and a few have co-authored papers with faculty. Research students have traveled with faculty to world-class telescopes as part of ongoing faculty research.



Meghan Spence at the Very Large Array

Courses:

1911.120      4 s.h.
Introduction to Astronomy (Lecture and Lab)
This course is a descriptive study of the universe that emphasizes the physical concepts that explain astronomical phenomena. The evolutionary, structural, and dynamical aspects of the solar system, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and the entire universe are discussed. The laboratory experience has both quantitative and qualitative components that include outdoor observations of night sky objects, daytime solar observations, and computer simulations. There is occasional evening viewing outside of class.

1911.221      3 s.h.
Exploration of the Solar System
In the study of planetary science, the students will explore geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy in their applications to the composition, dynamics, atmospheres, surfaces, and magnetospheres of objects within the solar system. The search for life or conditions suitable for life in other parts of the solar system is a driving force of solar system exploration, thus biology is incorporated as well. This course will help the student develop skills necessary to discuss and write about science.

1911.231      4 s.h.
Methods and Techniques in Modern Astronomy (Lecture and Lab)
(Prerequisite: Precalculus or permission of instructor)
This course surveys current methods in modern astronomy research and education. The topics include, but are not limited to, modern telescopes (optical and radio), CCD cameras, astronomical data, imaging software, solar observing, and planetarium operation. Topics during a given term may be chosen around a theme of either research or education. This course features the use of precision instruments and quantitative methods. Special observational projects, field trips, and presentations are part of the course.


Saturn and Jupiter by Meghan Spence and John Mullens (1911.211 Fall 2000)

1911.241  4 s.h.
Astronomy and Astrophysics (Lecture and Lab)
(Prerequisite: Calculus I or permission of instructor)
This course is an overview of astrophysics, with an emphasis on the relevant physics in modern astronomy. Topics include the solar system, properties of stars, stellar structure and evolution, supernovae, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, the Milky Way galaxy, star formation, interstellar medium, normal galaxies, active galaxies and quasars, and Big Bang cosmology. The relevant physics will be briefly presented in the course. This course is intended for students majoring in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, and engineering.