The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to highlight RMHS activities and clubs. From assemblies for each grade to the activities fair, everyone gets a seat at the table. This time, a starry club looks to soar, deep into the sky. Let’s dive into the RMHS Astronomy Club, founded early this school year by the president of the club, Jacob Schneider (‘27).
What is the Astronomy Club?
The Astronomy Club is a club dedicated to making different scientific and astronomical discoveries. It was founded to gain more interest in the STEM field, specifically different astronomy concepts. The club is tailored towards each individual member and their unique set of astronomical interests. To that end, the Astronomy Club hopes to find speakers from the field.
Most importantly, the club fosters hands-on experiences for potential astronomers. Once a month, the club will hold stargazing parties for those interested in finding something new in the night sky. Members would observe different constellations every month in the night sky using a telescope. Jacob sees this as a potential way to find what works best for each person: “So it’s good for people to be able to see different things, see what actually interests them, because there are different clubs that may interest certain people. And people can get an idea of if they’re interested in the field.”
What inspired the foundation of the club?
Jacob Schneider’s evolving passion for astronomy inspired him to share his experiences with the RMHS community. Starting in his freshman year, he watched YouTube videos on physics and space late at night. Because of his consistent interest in space, his grandparents bought him his first telescope in Maryland. From that point on, he has used the telescope pretty much every night.
At first, he believed astronomy was a passion only he had within the community, a key reason to create the club: “ I realized that not a lot of people at the school are into it, but, like, the same way. So I wanted to increase the amount of people that are interested in this kind of deal, because it is growing.” Growth in the STEM and astronomy fields have stayed mighty popular in recent times. The Tiktok app added a section on the main page dedicated to only STEM content, hoping to gain interest from young viewers. In addition, YouTube channels like Veritasium have 18.8 million subscribers and produce videos on various STEM concepts that inspired students like Jacob. Nevertheless, the RMHS community has a space for students to learn about outer space outside of school.
When and Where?
The club held their first meeting last Tuesday, September 9th, where participants learned from the president how to use the telescope. Jacob Schneider is hopeful in sparking interest in the club through these discussions and events, further bringing a unique understanding in astronomy for every participant.
The club meets on the second Tuesday of every month in Mr. Buono’s room. There may be events at Memorial Park on the weekends for interested students.
