The Final Countdown

I had to wake up rather early today, as I wanted to arrive at breakfast right as it opened at 7:45. The plan was to eat breakfast until 8 and then head up to the observatory with my two other project partners to rehearse our presentation. In reality, it took another half an hour for the two of them to finish breakfast, which still left us a good half an hour to practice before class started. We had to start at nine, an hour earlier than usual, so we would have time to listen to all of the presentations before we left.

My project partners.

Our presentation went rather well. I think we divided up the speaking well into distinct sections while also being clear and concise. The latter was important, as questions at the end of each presentation often cause people to go over the time limit. Collectively, we went over an hour past the time we were meant to be done by. It would be impossible to cover each and every topic in this blog, especially because I don't understand most of them. Some examples of what people did projects on are: coronal mass ejection, calculating the Hubble Constant, taking and developing pictures of the moon using the 40-inch refracting telescope, and creating HR diagrams of different star clusters. These are all very interesting subjects, and I highly recommend looking them up and perhaps even doing some research of your own.

The library.

Once the presentations were all finished, we went down to the dorm to pack up, put our bags on the bus, and return our room keys. We were given just a few minutes to wolf down lunch, and then we were off. I feel like it might have been better to start presentations earlier, as we knew from previous presentations that we tended to go overtime. However, this bit of feedback might not matter anyways, as the Yerkes Observatory is likely to close down by this time next year. I'm very sad about this, as it is a magical place with an amazing atmosphere. On the other hand, I can see why the University of Chicago would want to do so. It must be expensive to upkeep, and all of their telescopes have been obsolete in terms of resolution for decades now. The program might be missing an important piece next year, but I am confident that the teachers will find an appropriate replacement.

The view from the steps of the Yerkes Observatory.

We arrived at Campus North by 4 o'clock, and I brought my stuff in and rested in my room for a short while. I was starving from our short lunch, so I went down to dinner in the Baker Dining Commons as it began. This has to be one of the significant downsides of being here. I get hungry at odd times, and sometimes the meal schedule does not line up with my needs. 

After dinner, I began on the blog while my friends napped, and we went out at 8 to explore more of the campus. We made our way into a surprising number of buildings for the time of the evening, and I found some amazing spots that looked like they were barely used. I especially like the buildings that combined an old structural style with modern windows, doors, and furniture.

That was about it for the day. The trip to the Yerkes Observatory was far more intense and useful than I had expected, and despite my initial misgivings about leaving the friends I had made for the last week, I am really happy that I was able to go. It is really sad to leave everything here behind, but seeing my family and home again I'm sure will make up for it. Good night!