Congrats to Anthony Ayiomamitis

In the same issue of S&T there is a letter from a ninth grade student in Utah who recorded the Analemma by noting the position of ht eshadow of her basketball hoop on a driveway for a year.

An approach similar to that described in the March 2003 S&T, "Amateur Astronomers – Astronomy with Children: Our Backyard Analemma Project". An intersting project for the teachers out there?

Cheers,
~Al

Recording an analemma would be a fascinating project for a teacher. Unfortunately it seems that very few science teachers are interestec in astronomy as a hobby. I teach english and history, while Jim Finn, who moderates the computers in astronomy forum, teaches computers and metalwork. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm being totally general, but it seems that way. It would be hard for me to justify making an analemma on the basketball courts during english class.

During my school's recent "physics day" I brought in my Tasco luminova and the science teachers were incredibly impressed at this expensive telescope!

I still think transition year would be a prime opportunity to get astronomy into schools and I also think IFAS would be the group to get it in there.