MaST students have
their heads in the clouds

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

It’s no secret that students and staff at the Math, Science and Technology Charter School in Somerton continually reach for the stars.
The school has received many accolades during its seven-year existence, including recently being named Charter School of the Year by the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C.
But now students at MaST can literally attain new heights with a robotic, remote-controlled telescope encased in a 10-foot-diameter dome perched atop their science building.
"We want to do everything we can to support the kids in science and math," said Richard Trzaska, chief executive officer at the school.
The 8-foot Meade RCX400 20-inch telescope is believed to be the biggest telescope in diameter in the Delaware Valley, according to Tom Ullom, a digital imagery teacher who heads the astronomy club at the school.
Acquiring the telescope was never a far-out idea for Ullom and other members of the MaST community — they’re no space cadets when it comes to providing the best technology for students.
Instead, the $50,000 purchase was made possible by a state grant secured through the help of state Rep. George Kenney (R-170th dist.) and money raised by the school’s Parent Advisory Council.
"It’s been a real partnership between the community and the parents," Trzaska said.
The Meade RCX400 offers research-grade optics and produces detailed images. It is mounted and includes cameras to snap pictures of images in space. The telescope has 190,000 objects in its library and can be moved by remote control or via a laptop computer. The technology also directs the open sliver of the astronomy dome on MaST’s roof to rotate and focus on the part of the sky where the telescope is aimed.
"It’s a whole new range of technology that has hit the market in the last five years," Ullom said. "It’s a revolution in new software and hardware. It’s really cutting-edge stuff."
The students who’ve so far spent the most time with the telescope are the 17 members of MaST’s astronomy club.
"It’s amazing," said junior Jen Feldman, 17. "I looked at the moon. I never saw the moon in so much detail.
"But don’t look at the sun," warned freshman Thomas Harwath, 15. "It’ll boil your eyes."
Students have been trying to make stereo images of meteor showers, which involves combining two images taken from different positions. Future projects include calculating the orbits of objects and studying asteroids.
"We’re hoping to photograph the same star field when there’s a possibility that an asteroid is passing through that field, and when it’s not," Ullom said.
Images saved through the telescope can be accessed from a computer anywhere in the world, Ullom said. MaST eventually wants to form partnerships with institutions around the country and the world so that their students can also use the technology. The school is also in need of teachers or retired persons to help with astronomy lessons.
Ullom hopes that having the telescope at MaST will help attract more people to the field of science.
"We’re not trying to do science," he said. "We’re trying to get people excited about science." ••
Anyone interested in learning about or becoming involved in future plans for the telescope can contact Ullom at Tullom@mastcharter.org
Reporter Lauren Fritsky can be reached at 215-354-3038 or lfritsky@phillynews.com