2026 Workshop @ Texas Tech

Submitted by ShaneWood
Published: | Group(s):
Texas Tech University QuarkNet Center

QuarkNet Workshop 2026

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas Tech University

Dates: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 – Friday, June 12, 2026

Location: TTU Campus, Science Building & Campus Observatory

 

📋 Workshop Overview & Leadership

This collaborative program equips secondary school physics and astronomy teachers with practical, hands-on experience in observational astronomy, telescope operations, digital imaging, and time-domain data analysis.

Hosting & Coordination Team

  • Dr. Sung-Won Lee – Department Chair & Professor, TTU Physics & Astronomy
  • Dr. Elias Aydi – Assistant Professor, Astronomy (Represented by the Observatory Team)
  • Dr. Kirill Sokolovsky- Post-Graduate studies, Astronomy Observatory Team

Participating Educators

  • James Holloway – Frenship High School (806-642-3914)
  • Kyle Vernon – Frenship High School
  • Jack Props – Frenship High School (Incoming QuarkNet Member)

 🔍 Detailed Daily Program

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | Day 1: Foundations & Telescope Basics

  • Daytime Session: 9 am - 11 am 
  • Welcome & Orientation: On-campus meet-and-greet, packet distribution, and goal alignment.
  • Equipment & Preparation: Tool inventory, software pre-checks, and safety briefings.
  • ⚠️ Safety Briefing: Kyle Vernon to coordinate safety protocols for the green astronomy laser.
  • Evening Session (After Dark | Campus Observatory) 8:45 pm - 12 am
  • Activity 1: Identifying the Texas Night Sky
  • Naked-eye observation, navigating seasonal sky patterns, and using planispheres, star charts, and mobile planetarium apps.
  • Activity 2: Smart Telescopes vs. Traditional Visual Systems
  • Side-by-side setup, alignment, and observation of deep-sky targets (star clusters, nebulae, galaxies).
  • Core Discussion: Exploring visual limits vs. digitally stacked imaging to manage classroom expectations.
  • 🎯 Target Outcome: Draft a comparative telescope lesson plan for secondary students.
     

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | Day 2: Advanced Lab Work & Data Capture

  • Daytime Session: 9 am - 12 pm
  •  Curriculum Development from the night before.
  • Evening Session (Night 2 | Campus Observatory): 8:45 pm - 12 am
  • Activity 3: Scientific Target Acquisition & Calibration
  • Setting up the observatory's 12-inch telescope.
  • Hands-on collection of vital calibration frames (bias, dark, and flat-field images) with instruction on why they are physically necessary.
  • Tracking and imaging active targets: Variable stars, the recurrent nova target, eclipsing binaries, or exoplanet transits.
  • 🎯 Target Outcome: Secure a raw, high-quality scientific dataset for Day 3 analysis.

 

Thursday, June 11, 2026 | Day 3: Data Reduction & Time-Domain Astronomy

  • Daytime Session: 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
  • Technical Prep & Installation: Verification of Astro Image installations on teacher laptops and a walkthrough of digital image reduction theory.
  • Data Analysis and disaggregation.
  • Evening Session: 6 pm-9 pm (teacher on own)
  • Activity 4: Multi-Aperture Photometry in Astro Image
  • Applying the flat, bias, and dark calibrations to correct raw data collected on Night 2 (or utilizing archival data in case of weather issues).
  • Measuring stellar brightness magnitudes and plotting light curves.
  • Activity 5: Transient Surveys & Global Alert Systems
  • Introduction to time-domain astronomy, survey projects (e.g., LSST/Rubin, ZTF), and alert streams.
  • Interpreting live alerts for supernovae, novae, and asteroids.
  • 🎯 Target Outcome: Generate a finalized light curve and design a classroom exercise utilizing public transient alerts.
     

Friday, June 12, 2026 | Day 4: Curriculum Integration & Program Wrap-Up

  • Daytime Session: 9 am-4 pm
  • Working Group Roundtable: Translating the week's 5 core activities into concrete, classroom-ready lessons.
  • Zoom Meeting: Shane Wood @10am
  • Curriculum Development: Lessons designed and prepped for classroom use this upcoming school year.
  • Administrative Onboarding: Finalizing onboarding paperwork for Jack Props to officially join the TTU QuarkNet cohort.
  • Feedback & Evaluations: Reflections on the workshop, logistics planning for the remaining one-day session to be scheduled later in the year, and program wrap-up.
  • Reminder: QuarkNet "must do" items






 

📌 Critical Action Items