Ever since the end of ninth grade, I have been infatuated with the obscure physics that defines our universe: relativity, black holes, time dilation, etc. I came into Capstone knowing I wanted to apply this passion to create something tangible with which to conduct research. Thus, I turned to Radio Jove. Radio Jove is an effort by NASA to foster citizen science in astronomy all over the world. Through Radio Jove, I constructed my own ten foot tall dual dipole radio telescope at the Butler Campus.

I spent tenth grade researching and learning about radio telescopes—what you can use them for, as well as how they work. I constructed my dual dipole antenna the summer before my junior year. Throughout junior year, I worked on refining and troubleshooting my telescope: fixing broken receivers, learning how to operate the software for taking radio spectrograms, and learning how to interpret them. 

I completed two original research projects using my radio telescope. The first surrounded Io, a Jovian moon. I researched the nature of Io storms, how they occur, and what on Earth and in space can influence one’s ability to gather Io storm data on a radio telescope. My second project surrounded the solar eclipse, as I wondered how being in the path of totality could impact the solar and non solar radio emission. My results from this project are intriguing, and I am researching and working closely with the Radio Jove community to gather answers about the strange vertical band interference I saw correlating with totality. 

I compiled my research, data, conclusions, and tips and tricks onto an originally coded website, which is now published. 

Overall, Capstone gave me the freedom to try something new, fail at it, learn from it, change my path and goals, and eventually succeed. It has allowed me to learn more about the scientific processes and ignorance as it pertains to science. I enjoyed conducting original research and becoming an expert in the field of radio astronomy.