Pre-MAP Program

Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP)

Searching for Inner Solar System Objects with the SDSS: Amy , Kenza, Kathryn

Pre-MAP is a research and mentoring program housed in the University of Washington's (UW's) Astronomy Department, whose primary goal is to recruit and increase retention of students traditionally underrepresented in science, math and technical majors. Freshmen and recent transfer students take an introductory astronomy course and the Pre-MAP seminar where they learn astronomy computing skills to work on a research project with a faculty, postdoc or graduate student. Students are encouraged to continue their research projects in winter and spring quarters culminating a presentation of their research at the spring Undergraduate Research Symposium on campus.

Two students from the first cohort are graduating this spring with degrees in physics and astronomy. Amy Rose plans to join the Peace Corps, and then go back to school for her Masters in Teaching once she is back in the U.S. Amy's dream job is to teach physics and astronomy and high school because she feels "that a strong background and passion for science can be transmitted to students there."

Rosalie McGurk will be attending graduate school in the fall for her PhD in Astronomy. She is the recipient of a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for her graduate studies and is still deciding between several top graduate programs. Rosalie intends to become a researcher/teacher at a university or national laboratory.

Pre-MAP Research Projects

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has imaged the same patches of sky multiple times to search for supernovae. These images are also very useful to detect inner solar system objects: since they are so close to us and moving, they appear in different locations in each image. The red, green, and blue tracks in this image show the motion of an asteroid. Image courtesy the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Pre-MAP students Amy, Amber, Kenza, Katryn and A.J. used the SDSS Supernova Survey difference imaging database to search for inner solar system objects. They examined objects automatically and manually to classify them as moving objects. Their research plan had three primary goals : search for comets in the data; accurately measure the colors and extend the orbits of known asteroids in the data; and extend the orbital completeness by nearly 2 magnitudes by "linking" multiple instances of unknown objects into new orbits.

Read about more Pre-MAP research projects....

Pre-MAP Field Trips

Pre-MAP students observing at MRO

Manastash Ridge Observatory, May 2008 Pre-MAP students and staff went to Eastern Washington just outside of Ellensburg on our trip to the Manastash Ridge Observatory (MRO), a 30" telescope managed by UW. MRO has a 30-year history of training the next observational astronomers and enabling their research. On the way up to MRO, the group stopped for a short hike to Uptanum Falls where we got our feet wet and explored the rocky terrain. As we waited for night to observe, we used the new outside observing deck to enjoy the sunset. At night, students learned how to prepare the telescope and dome for viewing and practiced taking observations.

Additional Information

Program Contact General Pre-MAP information: premap@astro.washington.edu