Astronomy Camp

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Astronomy Camp is a science summer camp run by astronomer Don McCarthy with the University of Arizona Alumni Association. Early camps were held at Mount Lemmon Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, where campers could use 12-, 20-, 40-, and 60-inch telescopes on Mount Lemmon and a 61-inch telescope at Mount Bigelow. More recently the camp has taken place at Kitt Peak National Observatory, giving students access to many telescopes, such as the 90-inch Bok Telescope and the ARO 12-meter Radio Telescope, plus smaller instruments. At both locations, campers learn by doing with hands-on activities and research, and they are encouraged to propose their own projects and collect data to answer questions. Don McCarthy won the American Astronomical Society Education Prize in 2012 partly for his work running Astronomy Camp.