Humans of MHS: Astronomer Shreya Nakum

What grade are you in?

“I’m currently a sophomore.”

What inspired you to start an astronomy club at MHS?

“I’ve always been really interested in astronomy and decided to create an astronomy club to provide a place where all students who are interested in astronomy or want to learn more about astronomy could learn about it and share their interests and what they’re really passionate about. I had an astronomy club when I was in middle school as well, so I said that it’d be fun to continue that into high school as well.”

What’s the most exciting part about running the astronomy club?

“The most exciting thing about running a club is that we’re able to help other students who are just beginning to learn about astronomy become more passionate about it. They get to learn more, and it’s really fun to watch that growth happen. It’s also really exciting to organize and talk with other people who are in the field of astronomy and bring them into MHS to have them speak about their research.”

Could you elaborate on the people you’ve had present?

“Most recently, in November, [we’ve had] a former mentor of mine, who is currently working on her PhD in astronomy, speak. I invited her to come and do a talk about her current research, which is about certain galactic mediums, like the gas extract galaxies, and how they’re able to accrete gas and fuel stars.”

In your Instagram biography, you said you became interested in stargazing through “Star Wars.” Was there a specific episode or scene that really captivated you?

“Probably when they start talking about how large the galaxy is, and how there are several worlds that have life on it. I found that really interesting and it also led me to start reading more about exoplanets in middle school.”

When did you get your first telescope?

“I got my first telescope in eighth grade as a birthday present that I had been really, really wanting for a while. And after I got it, I had one lens. And then after that, I was able to purchase a second one too, so that I could zoom in on certain things. In some of the pictures, there’s a smaller version that is just like a dot, and then when you zoom in, especially on Saturn, you can see a big difference. Initially, it’s just like a dot, and when you put in the secondary six millimeter lens, you can actually see the rings a little bit more.”

For the upcoming year, is there anything you want to accomplish in regards to astronomy?

“One of [my] main goals is to purchase a solar filter and try to see the sun or see an eclipse also using a filter so I could see the corona of the sun for example, or read up more and do more of my research.”

Was there a specific stargazing experience you really enjoyed?

“Yeah, probably the Great Convergence. That one was just one of my one of my favorites. Being able to see Jupiter and Saturn both together in one area was really fun. It was the perfect setup. It was dark, [and] we went up to the hills to see it.”

What advice would you give someone who is trying to start stargazing?

“Just start broad and start looking into all different fields within astronomy and choose whatever you’re most interested in. For example, if you’re interested in stars, planets, or interstellar objects, read up about [them] because there are a lot of interesting things within each of those fields. If you’re interested in stargazing, start by going to an area that has little light pollution and then look at the stars. If you enjoyed that experience, you should purchase a telescope of some kind, to just look at stars or planets better.”