Sophomore Spencer Martin strides miles with his passion for astronomy. He took this to the next level on Feb. 9 when he presented the theory of alternate worlds and life to guests at the Union County College Observatory. Martin took his audience on a journey beyond the world and into outer space. He questioned the idea of extraterrestrial life living among us in the universe.
“This was my first presentation that I gave and I plan to do more in the future,” Martin told The Fanscotian. “I have been interested in the idea of aliens because it is so crazy how the universe is so big; I feel like it is too big for us to be the only life.”
The sophomore introduced many facts to his audience of 60 and the majority were older than him. In his presentation, Martin spoke about ancient philosophers, their ideas of atomism and the possibility of infinite worlds other than Earth. He also discussed the chance of life on Exoplanets such as Mars, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
Martin spends a lot of his time at the Union College observatory where he manages its Instagram page, helps plan Astronomy Day on May 4 and shares his passion for space with others. Martin is a trained Qualified Observer through the operating company of the observatory, Amateur Astronomers Incorporated. With this qualification, Martin can operate the telescopes and teach other amateur astronomers.
Martin discovered his interest in astronomy in 5th-grade during the activities offered by the QUEST program in his middle school. With his passion, Martin has made an impact on the people around him, promoted perseverance to the SPFHS community and contributed ideas to the world of astronomy.
“I also learned that most discoveries made in the field are made by amateur astronomers, like myself,” Martin said.
This past spring had been seen as accomplishing for Martin as he saved up for his first advanced telescope, a Celestron NexStar 8se. From taking photos of his viewed planets, galaxies and nebulae, his love for astronomy expanded.
“Getting involved in astronomy has definitely added to [my perspectives of space and life beyond Earth], and it has helped me try to understand our universe more,” Martin said. “I have also learned about telescope optics and software which is a huge part of astronomy!”
