Astronomy has taken center stage at The Storm King School recently, igniting enthusiasm for the cosmos among students and faculty alike. From witnessing an awe-inspiring solar eclipse to immersive field trips, and the addition of a new introductory Astronomy course next year, the School is successfully fostering a deep appreciation for the wonders of the universe among its students.

On “Eclipse Day,” our AP Physics class embarked on a memorable journey to Port Henry, New York, where they experienced 100% totality against the backdrop of Lake Champlain’s horizon. With clear skies, students were treated to a breathtaking view, giving them an experience they will remember for years to come. Meanwhile, the rest of the SKS community gathered together on campus, donning viewing glasses to witness the celestial event together.

Enthusiasm for astronomy extends beyond just witnessing cosmic events. For this year’s 10^th grade field trip, students spent the day at SUNY New Paltz, where they explored the depths of space at the John R. Kirk Planetarium. The students also contemplated the intersection of art and science at the Dorsky Museum, leaving their mark on the exhibit wall with their creative contributions.

Daniel DeLuzio

In addition, science instructor Daniel DeLuzio will be teaching a new introductory Astronomy course next year. Mr. DeLuzio has a degree in Astrophysics and worked on astronomy research projects in Australia, New York, and Arizona before joining the faculty at SKS.  The course will delve into various topics including the Solar System, stellar life cycles, galaxies, observational techniques, historical perspectives, and contemporary cosmological discoveries, and will be ideal for students who may wish to take an alternative to physics to fulfill their science requirements. “Our goal is to have students learn the history of the field, practice some of the mathematics that lead to such mind-bending theories, and explore some hands-on creative projects,” explained Mr. DeLuzio.

The stars also aligned at the School’s recent Career Night when alumna Naunet Leonardes Barboza ’20 returned to campus to share her college and career plans with current SKS juniors and seniors. Naunet is currently a senior undergraduate majoring in Astrophysics at Wellesley College. Her journey in astronomy has taken her to prestigious research internships at institutions like UC Santa Barbara and the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics where she has used the Hubble Space Telescope to study nearby dwarf galaxies, contributed to the NASA TESS mission to discover new exoplanets the size of Jupiter, mined databases to learn about a peculiar binary star system, and is now writing a thesis searching through 220 million spectra from the Gaia spacecraft to find new carbon stars.

As The Storm King School looks ahead, Science Department Chair Dr. Paul Feffer and our science faculty are eager to nurture and graduate more students like Naunet, inspiring them to explore the mysteries of the cosmos. “With the introduction of the new Astronomy course, future upgrades to the School’s observatory, and our Science Department’s continued mentorship, SKS will be well-poised to prepare the next generation of upcoming astrophysicists and astronomers,” explained Dr. Feffer.