Peter Detterline

Peter is an avid astronomer whose interests cover a wide range of the astronomical spectrum.  For thirty-five years he was the Director of the Boyertown Planetarium, where he gave programs to over half a million people. This past year he won the Thomas Brennan award from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for exceptional achievement related to teaching high school astronomy. He currently teaches a hybrid astronomy course at Montgomery County Community College, and online courses at Moravian College and Montana State University.  In research he has coauthored numerous papers on eclipsing binaries and contributes data to various organizations. He is the Observatory Director for the Mars Society where he heads up an Astronomy Team providing a solar and a robotic telescope for their members at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. The robotic telescope is also used remotely by students around the world.

Peter was selected to be part of the “Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador Program”, where he visited the largest American observatories in that country.  As an amateur astronomer he has traveled the globe to view solar eclipses, built his own observatory, and has completed many observing programs including the Astronomical League’s “Master Observer”.

When he’s not staring at the heavens, Peter is preaching about them as a commissioned minister for the United Church of Christ, and fills in for various churches as needed.  Astronomy for him is a deeply enriching experience that connects the heavens to the Earth.