Students in Maria Falbo's fall Intro to Astronomy class designed and built a solar astronomy device in the Maker Hub.
Last fall, a group of Maria Falbo’s astronomy students invented a device called the Light Finder, which helps amateur astronomers measure the sun’s position in the sky. The creators of the Light Finder, Jen Finkelstein, Claire Hassard, and Ashley Hunsberger, made their instrument in the Maker Hub.
The primary components of the Light Finder are its light sensors, Arduino board, and LED bulbs. Students can make measurements with the device by pointing it roughly in the direction of the sun. Depending on how much sunlight hits the Light Finder’s sensors, the instrument’s Arduino board turns on a certain number of LED bulbs. When the most LED bulbs are lit, the user knows that the Light Finder is pointed most directly at the sun. The user can then record the sun’s position using a compass attached to the Light Finder.
Finkelstein, Hassard, and Hunsberger visited the Maker Hub several times to code and construct their apparatus. They had no prior experience using Arduino, but with assistance from Maker Hub staff and about eight hours’ worth of work, the Light Finder group programmed their instrument. Finkelstein says she now feels more comfortable with coding, and sees herself working on future projects in the Hub.