Jennifer Jones makes her living teaching astronomy, something few Denver Astronomical Society members can say. As the Astronomy Program Chair at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), she spends her days exploring the mysteries of the cosmos with her students. It’s the culmination of a lifelong love of science and discovery.
I always wanted to do science. According to my mother, when I was three, I wanted to be an archeologist, though I did have some trouble saying the word. I switched to paleontology due to a love of dinosaurs. At age eight, I “realized” that eventually we would find all the dinosaur bones.
Think about it, this is an 8-year-old’s logic: the last bone will be unearthed so will be all the answers. Since bones are a finite resource, there is an end point.
Space was infinite and there will be more questions. I can never stop studying. There is no end point. So I wanted to be a scientist without limits, and I switched to Astronomy. As I said, 8-year-old logic may not be the best.
I threw myself into it reading everything I could on the topic. I checked out lots of library books, STEM focused reading.
There was a brief window when I thought about being a librarian or writer.
I dropped wanting to be a librarian after elementary school.
Yet, I kept the other profession of writer in mind because I enjoyed writing, and still do today. My poetry and short stories were science fiction based. When I have time, I write. I still do STEM poetry. Sort of took the Carl Sagan route when it comes to writing.
There are many different forms of inspiration and it can ignite action and passion. There is not a stargazer among us who cannot recall their absolute best stargazing experience: that moment, that object, that time, that place that is the reason we look up.
The best moment I remember clearly is when I was in high school in Michigan. I had to go on a Girl Scout trip leaving at 3am. It was the peak night of a meteor shower, so I was watching that from a car window, when I noticed a pale green aurora. Like I had heard described by others, it did look like the sky was alive. I watched for a long time; arcs of meteors shooting through the aurora sky.
It was just beautiful. I felt connected to the numinous, a divine presence of the innumerable. It was just me and the infinite.
During a major aurora event, the sky seems to come alive, something already on almost every stargazers bucket list. On top of that, a meteor shower is happening at the same time, what a gift. What a once in a lifetime experience.
It wasn’t even her first encounter with the aurora.
The other “best” occurred when I was 4 years old and I saw an aurora in Michigan that was so colorful that I would mix up it up with 4th of July with fireworks in my memory.
These kinds of amazing experiences helped shape the person Jennifer would become. They would help further her pursuit of astronomy and put her on a path to become a scientist.
It was early high school. I was a freshman, or in my sophomore year. I knew I was heading to college and that I’d study astronomy and pursue a PhD in astronomy. At that point, I knew what I was going to do.
In college my focus was on getting the core science requirements out of the way first, and in the process found myself drawn to theoretical work. I am trained as a theoretical computational astrophysicist. I built theory through computer simulations. I spent a lot of time looking at archival Hubble Data Coding. Lots of spectrographs, with little time in the observatory.
When she does get a chance to look through optics, she loves to train her sights on an object that’s both stunning and instructional.
I love observing the Wild Duck Cluster because it has never failed me during an ACC Star Party. If I need something to show students (in the right season), Wild Duck always delivers. I enjoy M42 for astrophotography purposes, but I am still quite bad at astrophotography. These two have a tender spot in my heart.
Let me explain, that these objects are my “teacher” tender spot. I can consistently show students the Wild Duck. It is my “go to” deep sky object. M42 is a teaching tool. First, I show it to them in the sky, naked eye. Then looking through a pair of binoculars. Finally, a telescope. The students can vividly see the difference you get with each step up. ACC uses M42 for astronomy club members to practice imaging. This image here of M42 is from the club.
As Chair of the Astronomy Program at Arapahoe Community College, Jennifer is central do developing the program that helps shape the mind and motivation of students studying astronomy.
ACC offers four astronomy courses. What is important here is that the majority of students in these courses are not science majors. The courses are geared for students who love astronomy, but are afraid of science. Terrified, actually. I see my job as one of building a love for astronomy, and just as important, have astronomy serve as a vehicle for building scientific literacy. Can students differentiate, review, and analyze where the information is coming from (the source) and what does it mean, this subject matter and from this source?
The ACC astronomy department hosts Star Parties because we want the public to enjoy looking at the sky.
I was one of four kids in my family. My parent could not afford a telescope. They didn’t have the time to explain astronomy or observing to us. So, in my youth, a program like a star party would have been game changing. It would have been a thrill to have an expert show me the sky.
This is why I love the Star Parties now. I get to be the expert and not the teacher.
Jennifer is a frequent attendant at DAS star parties and open houses as well, someone whose astro-expertise is worth seeking out. It’s quickly apparent also that her continued love of science and the arts shines through.
I’m a hard-core nerd. The typical scientist, nerd, geek. I read and watch science fiction. However, while I’m watching science fiction I’m also cross-stitching. And, I’m a big role-play gamer, like Elder Scrolls Online, a typical MMORPG. (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games).
In every “Meeting You Fellow DAS Member” interview, it’s key to learn what is important to that person, the subject of the interview. What is important to Jennifer that she wants the DAS community to know is important her. Without hesitation, Jennifer’s reply was honest, revealing, and ultimately her truth.
I love my husband and my daughter. They are a big part of my world. I very much love and protect my family time.
One can’t help but admire someone who possesses this type of rarified clarity. So, it was a true pleasure getting to know Jennifer and her story.
At the next DAS event at the Chamberlin Observatory, or monthly meeting at Arapahoe Community College format, look for that college professor enjoying a rousing conversation with other online gamers. It’s a good bet that is Jennifer Jones, so walk up and introduce yourself. She is a fellow DAS member you’ll enjoy getting to know.
