TD, Maupin selected for citizen science project

Funded by the National Science Foundation, RECON is led by planetary scientists John Keller from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif. and Marc Buie of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo.

“The goal of RECON is to determine the sizes, densities and other characteristics of newly discovered Kuiper Belt Objects orbiting the sun beyond Neptune,” Buie said.

“Because these objects have been relatively undisturbed since their formation, they hold important clues about the origins of our solar system.”

During the fall, Keller and Buie traveled more than 3,000 miles through Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and California.

This week, the two scientists announced the communities that will receive telescopes, cameras and training to join this five-year research effort.

Starting in The Dalles and Maupin, the RECON network in Oregon will stretch along Highway 97 from Madras and Culver down through Redmond, Sisters, Bend, La Pine, and Gilchrist down to Chiloquin and Klamath Falls.

Three additional RECON sites will also be located along Highway 31 in Christmas Valley, Paisley and Lakeview.

“The project design requires telescopes spaced every 30 miles stretching from the Canadian border down to the Mexican border,” Keller said.

“We’ve been thrilled by the extremely positive responses from all of the students, teachers and community members we’ve met.”

Madras teacher Scott Coles said of involvement in the endeavor: “The students and adults from Madras and Culver are looking forward to helping improve our knowledge of the outer solar system from our own backyard.”

“What is most exciting about RECON is the opportunity for students to participate in cutting-edge science,” said Lakeview teacher Dustin Counts.

“In 50 years, when space science textbooks discuss the Kuiper Belt, our students can say that they were part of a project that helped obtain new knowledge and understanding of the universe.”

Telescopes and cameras will be delivered to these communities over the next month.

During the spring, representatives from each community will receive training at workshops held in Kingman, Ariz., and Pasco, Wash.

By early May, the network will be fully prepared to conduct up to eight coordinated observation campaigns of Kuiper Belt Objects each year through 2019.

For more information, visit the RECON website at www.tnorecon.net.

Community members interested in joining local teams on this project are encouraged to contact recon@calpoly.edu.

RECON is involves teachers, students, amateur astronomers, and community members from across the Western United States in coordinated telescope observations to measure the sizes of objects from a region called the Kuiper Belt.

Oregon RECON Communities include The Dalles, Maupin, Madras/Culver, Redmond, Sisters, Bend, La Pine/Gilchrist, Chiloquin, Klamath Falls, Christmas Valley, Paisley and Lakeview.