Maria Mitchell Association Logo

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Launches New Look Up Program

Kelly Bernatzky • November 16, 2021

Loines Observatory is a truly unique location, for both Nantucket and beyond, and should be experienced by all Nantucket residents. As one of two observatories on Nantucket, the other being the Maria Mitchell Association’s (MMA) historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory, Loines Observatory serves as the island’s beacon for learning about astronomy and Maria Mitchell’s legacy as America’s first female astronomer. To continue the MMA’s commitment to making science education accessible for island families and to share this special experience, the MMA is thrilled to announce our new “Look Up” Program, launching in December 2021.

 

The MMA’s Look Up Program provides the opportunity for every student in the Nantucket school system, public and private, to visit Loines Observatory and learn from our professional astronomers. Each month, from December through May, the MMA will host a special version of our Open Night program geared towards children aged five through eighteen. Students will be invited to attend the Look Up Program with their families entirely free-of-charge. We also welcome all teachers and other school employees to join us for this program. “Nantucket is so fortunate to have the darkest skies and to be one of twenty observatories in Massachusetts – we are excited to share the experience of stargazing with the local community and grateful to make it accessible to all families,” the MMA’s Executive Director, Joanna Roche, shares. This program is generously funded by the Weezie Foundation, along with support from our donors.

 

At the Look Up Program, MMA astronomers will lead constellation tours and guide participants through different viewing stations outside the observatory domes. Students will be able to peek at our historic 8-inch Alvan Clark refractor and our modern 24-inch research telescope and then admire their live views projected on large screens outdoors. Students will have the chance to view the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and even other galaxies! If it’s a particularly dark and clear night, the Milky Way will be visible.

 

Students will also have the opportunity to talk with professional astronomers and learn about the cutting-edge research being conducted at the Maria Mitchell Observatory (MMO). Much of this research is accomplished through the MMO-hosted National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program. For more than sixty years, the MMO has offered summer research opportunities in astronomy and astrophysics for students from all over the country. Each summer, six interns selected from over 300 applicants join the MMO and work on individual research projects under the guidance of experienced astronomers. In 2009, this program received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama and in the past six years, five NSF-REU interns have been recipients of the competitive Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award from the American Astronomical Society for their research at the MMO.

 

As part of this program, all Nantucket students will receive a free star chart from the MMA through their school to promote scientific learning outside of the classroom and to invite them to join the MMA at an in-person Look Up Program. When students arrive at Loines Observatory for the in-person component, they will receive a special Look Up t-shirt to celebrate their participation in this program. The MMA will also have a Spanish translator at all Look Up Programs in an effort to increase accessibility. The MMA’s Director of Astronomy, Dr. Regina Jorgenson, says, “We are really excited to be able to offer free Open Nights at the Loines Observatory for local children and their families ̶ and we hope everyone will take advantage of this special Nantucket resource!”

 

The schedule for the “Look Up” Program for 2021/2022 is as follows:

 

Wednesday, December 8th, 6-7:30PM

Thursday, December 9th, 6-7:30PM

 

Wednesday, January 19th, 6-7PM

Friday, January 21st, 6-7PM

 

Wednesday, February 2nd, 6-7PM

Friday, February 4th, 6-7PM

 

Wednesday, March 9th, 7-8PM

Friday, March 11th, 7-8PM

 

Wednesday, April 6th, 8-9PM

Friday, April 8th, 8-9PM

 

Wednesday, May 4th, 8-9PM

Friday, May 6th, 8-9PM

 

Throughout her life, Maria Mitchell believed in the importance of “learning by doing.” While a professor at Vassar College, this philosophy led to her lasting impact on the women who took her astronomy and mathematics courses, many of whom went on to become astronomers, scientists, and educators themselves.

 

Today, the MMA continues with this legacy to cultivate a curiosity for the Universe and the natural world. With this spark of curiosity, the MMA hopes to generate the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards. It is also this philosophy that inspires the name “Look Up,” aiming to open the Universe to curious minds and allow people to see what before was unseen. As Mitchell once said, "We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing.”

 

The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.

For Immediate Release

November 16, 2021

Contact: Kelly Bernatzky, Development Associate

kbernatzky@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Pam Murphy and Kim Schulam of Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket as Featured Guests for the February Science Speaker Series

February 18, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Pam Murphy and Kim Shulam of the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket (MMAN), as featured presenters for its February Science Speaker Series. Their presentation will take place on Wednesday, February 26 at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all. Join Pam Murphy, the MMAN Executive Director, and Kim Schulam, the MMAN Vice President and Stranding Coordinator, in a discussion on the importance of seals and other marine mammals in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem, and how we can all help keep these populations safe. The mission of the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket is to monitor, rescue, and protect marine mammals on Nantucket, advocate for their well-being, and educate the public. MMAN belongs to the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and is among thirteen organizations dedicated to protecting, rescuing, and advocating marine mammals along the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Maine. You can learn more about the animals they rescue, their partner teams, useful tips, and statistical maps here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5d29b842996d44eea0c4517f71ecca4d Pam Murphy has been involved in animal rescue for many years, from creating a Be Kind to Animals Club at the age of seven, to being one of the founders of Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals (NiSHA) in 2011; serving eight years as board president. Her extensive board experience with TWN, NiSHA, and NAC put her in a solid position to manage MMAN’s board and see it develop into a stronger organization, capable of attracting the donor support the mission deserves. A lifelong vegetarian, Pam has never been able to stand idly by when an animal is suffering. To be allowed to approach injured and entangled marine mammals legally and help was what drew her to MMAN. She became Level A trained, learning to restrain and disentangle seals and went on to attend a Cetacean Stranding Workshop with IFAW. “I have learned a great deal about marine mammals and how to help through the vast knowledge of my teammates.” Kim Schulam began visiting Nantucket in 2013 and fell in love with the remote, natural qualities of the island. A Biological Sciences major in college, she initially considered the fields of Marine Biology or Veterinary Medicine but ultimately pursued a career as a Physician’s Assistant. Now retired from medicine, she met former Stranding Coordinator Scott Leonard and learned of MMAN. She immediately joined the team and became Level A trained. She regularly attends IFAW’s Marine Mammal Mass Stranding training, and is 24-Hour HAZWOPER certified for oil spill wildlife rescue. Now a full-time resident of Nantucket, she serves as the team’s Stranding Coordinator and Board Vice President. She coordinated MMAN’s first team-conducted large whale necropsy last year and works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain the team’s Stranding Agreement as Nantucket's sole agency legally permitted to handle marine mammals. She feels strongly that humans have an obligation to marine life to help them survive given all we have done to injure them and destroy their environment. Pre-registration is required to attend Zoom. To register for Zoom, use the registration link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7UnSEop1RKyxgl0LBio2Kw#/registration This series is generously sponsored by our lead sponsor, Bank of America.  The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages ###

Good Neighbors

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • February 18, 2025
Good neighbors seem hard to come by these days. And, by these days, I mean the last thirty or more years. There are still good neighbors out there but many neighborhoods are not what they once were. People tend to be more insular, inside more often on devices, not outside tending to their yards or just sitting on the front porch. Children do not run rampant over yards and fences, multiple ages playing outside until the last gasp of daylight. Grown-ups are not inviting one another over for dinner or giving each other a hand as they once did. In elementary school, my best friend’s family moved in across the street (how lucky was I?!). Our bedrooms were directly opposite one another and we developed a flashlight signal to share from our windows. After Hurricane Gloria, without power for days, our two families gathered to clean out the refrigerators and freezers before things spoiled. Our father’s grilled it all on charcoal grills so we could have a hot feast – and save the food. Does that happen anymore? We are all more focused on ourselves than one another. The MMA recently lost a good neighbor. Nancy lived on Vestal Street for twenty-five or more years with her husband in a house that was once occupied by another good neighbor. I think a little osmosis might have been at work but also, simply, Nancy was a good neighbor. I would liken her to the “Mayor of Vestal Street.” She looked out for people, paid attention, invited her neighbors for dinner, and helped them out. She certainly helped the MMA out. She offered to garden – and re-did our Astronomer’s Cottage garden and side yard. She painted window boxes. She donated an old door she had so we could replace a rotting door we had. She donated a refrigerator – still humming along nicely in one of our dorms. She welcomed a Mitchell House intern into her home to look at the grain painting in her home from the nineteenth century as the intern worked to study the grain painting in the Mitchell House’s 1825 Kitchen. She attended our events. She was a member. She helped out in other areas of the MMA with advice and support. She swept at least weekly – if not more – the stones from our driveway that constantly tumbled into the street. She gave us plants, kept her eye on things, and looked out for our staff and interns, too. She even gave me a few dresses she could not wear and a baby gift when we brought our son home. She was a mensch. Finding out about her death knocked me down. I keep expecting her to be outside sweeping or walking her beloved dog or putting a new flower arrangement in her front window. She loved her historic home and she and her husband worked very hard to preserve it and also restore details that were lost over the last 100 or more years. She was an incredibly talented and smart person and had a whole other life in Boston where she worked for many years in human resources. I could not think of a better person to have such an occupation. She always had a smile on her face and was ready with support. Good neighbors are hard to come by. I hope that Nancy and her memory inspire a few more people to be good neighbors in this world. The step, however small, which is in advance of the world, shows the greatness of the person, whether that step be taken with brain, with heart, or with hands. – Maria Mitchell JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • February 10, 2025
Feb. 15, 1853. I think Dr. Hall (in his “Life of Mary Ware”) does wrong when he attempts to encourage the use of the needle. It seems to me that the needle is the chain of woman, and has fettered her more than the laws of the country. Once emancipate her from the “stitch, stitch, stitch,” the industry of which would be commendable if it served any purpose except the gratification of her vanity, and she would have time for studies which would engross as the needle never can. I would as soon put a girl alone into a closet to meditate as give her only the society of the needle. The art of sewing, so far as men learn it, is well enough; that is, to enable a person to take the stitches, and, if necessary, to make her own garments in a strong manner; but the dressmaker should no more be a universal character than the carpenter. I believe MM’s words are self-explanatory, no commentary needed on my part. JNLF
Show More
Share by: