FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 

* Why are you called the Island Astronomy Institute?

* Why did you leave that wonderful shop in Bernard?

* Can I visit Meadow View Observatory?

* What is a portable planetarium?

* What is a Sky Quality Meter?
 

Why are you called the Island Astronomy Institute?

Answer #1—Astronomy for a place

Like many businesses operating on Mount Desert Island, Island Astronomy LLC was simply “Astronomy done on 'The Island'”: Mount Desert Island.

Answer #2—A type of astronomy

As time passed, Island Astronomy developed a uniquely Down East connotation. This was something new—a center combining public lectures, sky gazing, telescope sales, a guest cottage, and an observatory under naturally dark skies next to Acadia National Park. In the words of an early visitor to the rustic shop (right) on a working lobster wharf, full of telescopes, books, classical instruments, and Oriental rugs: “It was like no place on earth.”

Answer #3—A legal distinction

While we were transitioning into a non-profit organization in the fall of 2004, the State of Maine did not recognize that Island Astronomy was distinct from Island Astronomy LLC. The addition of another word was recommended by the Secretary of State's office. "Institute" fit the bill, clarifying the organization's mission to play an educational role in the community. The Island Astronomy Institute was born.

Answer #4—An island In space

At Pemetic Elementary School in Southwest Harbor, we selected the unifying theme of teaching students to develop new perspectives, to tie the school's curriculum together. We saw how these perspectives built grade by grade in a spiraling fashion, in response to Maine's grade-specific learning results. Each new level of astronomy built upon the results of the previous one. We also came to learn that skipping steps caused students and teachers to become very lost.

The perspective approach was extended to the Philosophy of Astronomy course offered at the College of the Atlantic. The Island Astronomy Institute recognized that each of the educational steps students must pass through can be seen as ultimately leading to the perspective of earth as an island in space. Our final goal is students who can look at the sky and understand that what they see is the view into the universe from an island in space.

On the cultural side of our mission, the physical isolation of an island builds a sense of community, a sense brought home by the Apollo images of the earth floating in space (above left, courtesy of NASA). The same geographic construct of "island," at work in our first community-based name, brings a similar theme to the social and economic interdependence that all citizens of our "island planet" have a stake in. Research astronomers (as scientists) cannot concern themselves so overtly with the raw inspiration for poetry, literature and music as the Island Astronomy Institute does.

Answer #5—An island universe

The Milky Way provides the final meaning of our name. When the pale, fuzzy patch of sky called the Andromeda Nebula (right) was recognized early in the 20th century as a massive disk of stars viewed from an immense distance, it was declared to be an "island universe." Its recognition as a totally distinct universe of stars separated by a vast expanse of empty space stunned the world.

Astronomers then realized that the bright band of light circling the night sky is simply our perspective from within such an island universe. We refer to this band of light as the Milky Way in honor of its legendary source as the milk from the Greek Goddess Hera. Since the Greek word for milk is galactica, it was natural to name all such structures as "galaxies" in honor of our own Milky Way's role in Greek mythology.

The rich naked-eye detail of the Milky Way, so easily erased by light pollution, is truly a cultural and educational resource. The Institute seeks to promote and protect this modern perspective, which is lost to the majority of the developed world.

TOP

Why did you leave that wonderful shop in Bernard?

The simple answer is: We could not begin to cover the “market value” of the shop. The same economic forces that drive fishermen from the waterfronts across the state of Maine made this painful decision inevitable.

Can I visit Meadow View Observatory?

The observatory and guest cottage do not belong to the Institute and remain private property. They are not open to the public.

 What is a portable planetarium?

A portable planetarium is a tent-like dome that is filled with air by a simple fan. Lightweight projectors and a computer with a database of millions of celestial objects then turns the inside of the dome into the starry sky. When the air is let out of the dome, it rolls up and fits into a large duffle bag, just like a big tent.

Portable planetariums were invented decades ago by Learning Technologies, Inc. They were made to be brought to schools, set up in minutes, and run by one person. This equipment lbrings a whole universe of lessons right into schools at the click of a button. 

After testing models available from several other manufacturers, we have selected the Digital STARLAB from Learning Technologies, Inc. for our educational programs.

What is a Sky Quality Meter?

A Sky Quality Meter (SQM) is the world's first economical light meter made only to measure how dark the sky is. Unlike meters used in photography, it was designed to work in low-light conditions. Manufactured in Canada by Unihedron, it measures a 45-degree patch of sky, and then reports the answer in units of star brightness (stellar magnitudes).  

The  SQM is capable of very accurate readings, but care must be taken to screen out overly dark readings, which are easy to get, and tempting to believe. Knowledge of the sky, independent confirmation, and repeatability are the secrets to high accuracy.

We are looking for volunteers who would like to get involved by learning to use the SQM.

TOP