NEON Program Guide

Students progress through these levels in sequential order, building foundational skills before advancing to hands-on research. The end goal is to for students to conduct independent asteroid occultation research and contribute real data to the astronomical community.

Level I: Introductory Remote Telescope Operation Course

  • Core operational skills, including optical and mechanical setup, understanding celestial coordinates, and using software for general object finding

  • 4 sessions, 2 hours each (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM)

  • $300/person + telescope rental fee ($100)

Level II: Intermediate Remote Telescope Operation Course

  • Transitioning from visual observation to astroimaging, teaching camera control, image acquisition techniques, and precise tracking of smaller, non-sidereal objects like asteroids

  • 4 sessions, 2 hours each (8:00 PM- 10:00 PM)

  • $300/person + telescope rental fee ($100)

Level III: Advanced Remote Telescope Operation — Asteroid Occultation Research

  • Master high-precision, time-sensitive observation techniques required to successfully record asteroid occultations

  • Contribute meaningful research to the astronomical community, with observations and analysis submitted to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Weekly sessions, 2 hours each

  • $300 initial fee + telescope rental fee ($80 monthly)

Lake with a mountain and the night sky full of stars in the background

  • "Learning how to use the telescopes was very useful and fun, especially looking for stars in the sky... I also got a better understanding of what occultations are, and the experience furthered my interest in learning more." ★★★★★

    — NEON Student

  • "I loved all of it. I think it was so much fun and I learned so much [from] everybody. Everyone there was so nice and such a welcoming community." ★★★★★

    — NEON Student