Chandler Beasley, a senior physics major and secondary education minor at Boise State University, has been leading astronomy education sessions for students and communities across Idaho, according to an April 16 announcement.
Beasley’s involvement is part of the Astronomers-in-Training Assisting the Community (AstroTAC) program. The initiative aims to bring astronomy learning opportunities to K-12 schools throughout Idaho, especially in rural areas that may have limited access to science resources.
Beasley said her interest in astronomy began during her freshman year when she attended a Friday night observing session hosted by AstroTAC. “The first thing I ever saw through a telescope was the moon,” Beasley said. Inspired by that experience, she joined AstroTAC and learned how to use telescopes and other equipment purchased with funding from a NASA Science Activation Grant.
Now in her senior year, Beasley leads observing sessions on campus and travels with AstroTAC educators statewide. The group offers classroom science activities as well as outdoor viewing experiences using telescopes and a mobile planetarium. “We get a lot of oohs and aahs,” Beasley said about students’ reactions. “The kids really like it. They really like what they’re learning, too.”
Beasley described how students respond when seeing celestial objects: “Once we pull up a nebula or a galaxy, they kind of lose their minds a little bit,” she said. “They don’t even know that’s an option to look at. So when we pull those up, it’s very colorful and very bright.”
For Beasley, working with AstroTAC has provided valuable career experience in science education as she prepares for graduation in May 2026. She plans to continue working in science outreach after earning her degree. “I remember we had an event where we were at an Earth Day festival in Haley and just being in that community and being there and educating people,” Beasley said. “That helped me decide that this is what I want to do long term.”
She will be the first woman to graduate from Boise State’s physics department with a specialization in physics education.
