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Local astronomer and public speaker Jeff Medkeff (left) gives an astronomy presentation at the Eagle River Nature Center while standing in front of the slide projector. (Above) Medkeff checks out The Clark Refractor, a 24-inch telescope, at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.
PHOTO BY DAVID HEALY
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The journey Eagle River resident Jeff Medkeff has taken from his childhood interest in planet viewing to his passion to connect with young minds through public speaking is, in a word, astronomical.
Medkeff is a popular science writer, astronomer and regular speaker at the Eagle River Nature Center's astronomy series, which takes place twice a month from mid-October through mid-April.
He calls the nature center the best thing Eagle River has going for it.
"I remember specific people who made a difference in my life when I was growing up in Ohio who did the same sorts of things, public outreach sorts of things, and I was the beneficiary of that," he said. "That's why I have a soft spot for that sort of institution."
Medkeff will be the presenter at the nature center's special event, "A Night With the Stars," Feb. 25. He said he'll present information about what astronomers and scientists are doing to keep track of asteroids and what would happen if an asteroid appeared likely to hit the earth or did hit the earth.
An energetic speaker, Medkeff placed peppermints on the floor to demonstrate how "hunks of rock" or "piles of rubble" or "ice balls" called asteroids orbit the sun just as the planets do.
"The last time I checked, we knew of 250,000 (asteroids), and there's no sign that we've even come close to discovering all of them. There's a zillion of them," he said.
Most asteroids continuously orbit between Jupiter and Mars, but some have been knocked off their orbit or exist in interactive orbits closer to earth, he said, adding that the latter are a minority.
"But with 250,000 asteroids, even 1 percent is a lot of things that are going to be near the Earth," Medkeff said.
In 2003, the 41450 Medkeff asteroid was named after him in recognition of the discovery and observation of thousands of asteroids via robotic software he developed in the late 1990s.
"The software I wrote takes the pictures, downloads them from the camera, it points the telescope, and when it gets pictures, it analyzes them and tries to find the asteroid and it does it with pretty good success," he said.
Medkeff said his was more adaptable than existing software.
"It wasn't customized for just one installation. So, by using a different telescope drive or a different camera drive, you could make it work on pretty much any telescope out there," he said.
He said the software made it easier than the old error prone, boring method of collecting data, which entailed long nights in an observatory taking pictures of the same spot in the sky every 30 minutes, sequencing the data on a computer and sending it off to be calculated.
"All of the programs are basically doing this in the new way," he said. "You let computer software do all of this for you, and it never gets tired. It never gets cold or irritated and makes far fewer mistakes."
Medkeff said his presentation will also touch upon his unplanned journey into the "astronomy fluke" he "just sort of fell into." His accomplishments were not prefaced by formal training in the field.
Medkeff was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1968. He became interested in science at an early age. To earn $250 to buy his first telescope, " a pedestrian one ... with mirrors rather than lenses," at age 11, he estimates he mowed 150 acres of lawn over a couple of summers.
As a teenager, he wrote articles for the local astronomy club newsletter. He published his first article about Stellafane, a telescope-making conference, in "Sky & Telescope" magazine in November 1986. He became a frequent contributor writing about computers, technology and astronomy and still writes for the magazine today.
Medkeff studied political philosophy and communications in college, where he became involved in a work-study program for the computer department. Eventually, he worked repairing computers for a computer retailer. He never took a class in computer programming.
Years later, his lifelong interest in astronomy and computer knowledge proved a successful combination when he developed the asteroid software.
In 2004, he moved to Alaska where his focus is teaching rather than observation and discovery.
Medkeff speaks at area schools and said he is interested in education and communication.
"There's a certain amount of satisfaction you get from solving a computational problem or writing a piece of software to control a telescope, and it's nice to see scientific results coming from that, and it is very gratifying," he said. "But it's also something you can get out of your system and let other people do and not feel like you're missing out on anything."
He explained how working with students appeals to him on a different level.
"Kids at school don't see somebody who's been involved in research everyday. It's a different thing for them, and you can bring that perspective into the classroom, and you can make a difference in some kid's life," he said. "This could be something that could be really important to them in the future, or not, and it doesn't matter. You're out there doing it and giving that opportunity. I really enjoy the whole experience."
He gives high marks to standards in science education.
"Obviously, kids are getting a much better idea of how we know what we know and what the limits of our knowledge are too," he said. "The questions that I'm getting are outstandingly intelligent ones and receptive ones."
As for his next discovery, Medkeff is working on an automated aurora observation camera that would, in theory, take a picture of the sky, determine activity level and brightness, upload the images to a computer and two stations 25 to 50 miles apart could produce three-dimensional images.
"A Night With the Stars" will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Eagle River Nature Center. The evening will also include harpist Beth Backer, hors d'oeuvres, wine tasting and a silent auction featuring many items including original photos and art. Tickets are $50 per person, and seating is limited. For more information, call 694-2108.
Reach the reporter at kate.tracy@alaskastar.com.
