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Astrophysics

Three-Week Summer Science Program

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 Since the advent of human life, we have looked to those luminescent points in the night sky with wonder and curiosity. How do we know the distances to various stars and planets? What is dark matter? Why do we need it? Is a black hole a hole? Do pulsars pulse? Venus is hotter than mercury, Sirius is hotter than our Sun – but wait, how do we know that?
 
Explore these astounding questions and much more with our BLI teaching team, which includes physics scholars from Harvard and Princeton!
 
As we traverse the cosmos, it is imperative to understand the laws of physics that allow astronomers and space scientists to grasp the behavior of celestial bodies. This course offers an exciting look into the fundamental physics of the universe and is ideal for teens interested in physics and astronomy.

 Note: this page represents our best expectations for the program we will deliver, but is subject to change. We will update this page as new information becomes available.
Students visit an observatory in the Physics of Space one-week summer science program

Applications will open for Summer 2024 on November 1, 2023.

July 1-19, 2024 | Gann/Bentley, Waltham

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New 2024 programs and dates will be announced soon! Join our mailing list to be the first to know.

Students will learn about and explore SETI signals, using data streaming online to search for radio signals in space that may originate from extraterrestrial intelligence. They will use data streaming in from Pluto from the Bright Horizons project. Cassini, a satellite orbiting Venus, streams data that students can analyze on their own computers. Students will learn about stellar nurseries that create new galaxies. They will explore how wobbling in the light streaming in from distant stars may indicate the existence of orbiting planets. This data will be explored against a backdrop of lectures on astrophysics and a field trip to a local observatory.

Instructor: Miguel Vasquez-Vega

Miguel is an astronomer studying and researching at Tufts University. He loves to share his passion for physics and science in the classroom. Miguel dreams of a world where science, specifically physics and math, isn’t this insurmountable beast but this beautiful place where people can find common ground. He runs a popular Astrophysics-focused TikTok, with videos reaching 3 million views!

Astrophysics student comments

Student Comments from Summer 2023

‘The program was unique and interesting; very open and we were able to discuss many things throughout our time. I really appreciated the discussion-style of teaching, and how we were pushed to ask questions. I felt as though the flow of topics made sense, and I was often curious to know more. I liked working with data and having the ability to form our own conclusions.’

‘This program was awesome. I attended this program to see if this would be a topic I could explore more in college, and I feel like this class gave great insight into that curiosity. This class and Miguel’s enthusiasm allowed me to find out what I like specifically in astrophysics.’

I learned so much about astronomy and astrophysics with practically no stress or boredom. I really enjoyed this program as a whole, as I learned much about a topic I was interested in. I enjoyed the parts of the program where I had to think about things, like classifying galaxies or solving Schrodinger’s equation.’

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