Astronomy instructor inspires students to look up and observe the universe

In this age of students staring down at their cellphones, McHenry County College astronomy instructor Paul Hamill inspires his college students to look up - far up - farther than the human eye can see, in fact.

In his Introduction to Astronomy class - a popular class that fills every time it's offered - students are not only learning about the wonders of the universe, they get to see it with their own eyes.

Hamill's astronomy class, offered in the evening during spring and summer semesters, includes lectures, discussions and lab work that includes a study of the constellations and some telescopic observations.

Every class starts with a current event, such as the Juno spacecraft hovering above Jupiter this month. Students also get an overview of related topics, including historical astronomy, planets, solar system, stars and galaxies, the universe, cosmology and extra-terrestrial life.

In the 19 years that Hamill has been teaching astronomy at McHenry County College, this past July was his best summer yet, as far as observing the night sky with this students.

He and his 17 students peered through two separate solar telescopes set up in the campus parking lot and experienced a rare sight - the first quarter moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars - all in one night.

Normally, the most he and students see is one or two planets at a time due to cloud cover, haze and/or light pollution, Hamill explained. However, this past July 18 was different.

"It was really clear with light winds and low humidity," Hamill said. "We had all that at one time."

"My students were so excited, they put their iPhones up to the telescope eyepiece and posted their photos," Hamill said jubilantly. "We also saw a globular cluster. It was very vivid, he added."

Hamill, who earned a master's degree in atmospheric science, also teaches meteorology and oversees a weather station at the college that provides weather conditions on 12 science hallway monitors. He became fascinated with astronomy after taking a class called Planetary Atmospheres. After that class, he took as many classes as possible in astronomy.

"What's fascinating about astronomy is the vastness of the universe," he said. "There's so many cool things to show students, many of whom have never seen the moon through a telescope before."

One thing that surprises Hamill about his students is they choose to come to class twice a week from 6 p.m. to almost midnight for eight weeks, while many other students opt to enroll in online classes in the summer.

For Jeremy Coffman of Harvard, a third-semester MCC student, the six hours of class time is worth it.

"I like everything about this class; the way it's taught, the way it's laid out. I especially liked looking through the telescope - seeing the planets is not something you can do every day."

First-year student Megan Bednaroski of Crystal Lake agreed. She said Hamill's lessons are "very visual" and he includes the students in his lectures.

"I enjoy coming to class. When we're working on projects, time just flies by," she said. "Astronomy has always been a hobby of mine. The universe is expansive. It's jaw-dropping to comprehend how far away everything is."

"Most students need a life and a physical science; astronomy is a great way to earn science credits and students can get outside and look through a telescope," Hamill said. "We have also seen a solar prominence using our solar telescope along with a few meteors as well. Every year, something cool is going on."

One final lesson he wants for his students is to take time to look at their surroundings outside.

"Look up and be observant," he said.