Tiger Tales: Madeline Clyburn

If you get the chance to spend some time in Kinard Hall, home to the Physics and Astronomy department, you could learn something about our galaxy that you never knew before. From stargazing to glancing at the moon, we can sometimes feel small in this momentous universe. Madeline Clyburn, a Ph.D. student studying astrophysics, uses her knowledge about the solar system to spark inspiration and fascination in those of all ages.

After stumbling upon the group of scientists setting up a telescope on campus one day, Clyburn and her team explained an event going on for local Girl Scouts. On behalf of the Physics and Astronomy department, the Girl Scout troop had the opportunity to spend time in the planetarium, learning about planets and the solar system. After viewing the images in the planetarium, the girls then made their way outside to get a real-life gaze at the planets they had studied in the observatory. 

Setting up telescopes on campus during the new moon, Clyburn worked to get the perfect view of the planets up above. “It was so much fun to see their faces light up with joy when they looked through the telescope and actually saw Jupiter and its moons with their own two eyes,” says Clyburn.