In a dimly lit room at the Planetary Environmental and Astrobiological Research Laboratory (PEARL) of Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, Jasmine held a small black box in her left hand while carefully adjusting a tiny camera inside it with her right. The camera was connected to a computer via USB. Beside her, Jeff placed a lit LED light in front of the box, allowing the beam to shine through a narrow slit. A faint rainbow appeared on the computer screen. As Jasmine fine-tuned the camera's angle, the rainbow became clearer.

"Yes, that's it!" After hearing Professor Wu Xiaoshu's words, Jasmine let out a sigh of relief and quickly secured the position of the camera with tape. 

"Diffraction spectrum" is the technical term for the rainbow in the slit, and the black box was a spectrometer—a scientific instrument used to measure spectral composition—that Jasmine had made by herself. 

Jasmine and Jeff are secondary school students from YWIES Guangzhou. From 8 to 12 February, they and their peers from YCIS Chongqing and YWIES Shanghai Lingang explored planetary science under the guidance of Professor Wu and other professors.

This five-day workshop was a key part of the Space Science Advanced Research Programme of the YCYW EdFutures Division. The project kicked off last November with a lecture, "Planetary Science in Its Golden Age," delivered by Professor Dmitrij Titov, a distinguished planetary scientist who contributed to the former Soviet Union's Venera programme, which studied Venus and its environment, and other international space projects. Since then, professors from Sun Yat-sen University's planetary laboratory have worked with EdFutures Division to conduct three online lectures and workshops for YCYW students.

Professor Wu Xiaoshu, whose research has focused on Martian ionospheric photoelectrons, guided the YCYW students as they learned about the theory of optics and made spectrometers. 

For Professor Wu, the value of such a programme for secondary school students extends beyond supplementing classroom knowledge. It helps students to develop problem-solving, collaboration, and research skills, which will be essential when they study at the university.

She was particularly impressed by the students' tenacity and teamwork. For example, the calibration of the spectrometer mentioned at the beginning of the article required extraordinary patience and coordination. 

"The angle had to be exactly precise to capture the spectrum. A movement of even half a millimetre could make it vanish," she explained. Some students spent 15 minutes adjusting the device to find the right position.

Immersing students in real-world challenges is a cornerstone of YCYW's off-campus learning programmes. The planetary science workshops were no exception. 

On the fourth day of the programme, after learning how the spectrometer works and building their own devices, the students began a new task: measuring plasma using fibre-optic spectrometers. 

Professor Cao Yutian, who supervised the experiment, compared the plasma tests to "peering at the cosmos through a tube"—a way to simulate extreme environments, decode unknown phenomena, and verify detection data to deepen understanding of planetary atmospheres. 

Working in pairs, the students followed a meticulous process. Professor Cao introduced test gas to be measured into a sealed chamber and caused it to break down and give off an electrical discharge. One student then positioned a fibre-optic probe to capture the light emissions, while the other recorded the spectral data on a computer.

"We hoped that the students would grasp the logic of scientific analysis through these projects. This problem-solving approach applies not only to physics and mathematics but also to engineering, medicine, science and even humanities, Indeed, all disciplines share this issue of solving problems," Professor Cao remarked. 

For Ray from YWIES Shanghai Lingang, the experience was a revelation. She had assumed that astrophysics would be dry number-crunching, devoid of any romance. Nevertheless, after participating, she discovered that debugging the equipment and deciphering data turned out to be "surprisingly fun." Moreover, the project restored her confidence in STEM, and motivated her to pursue physics with a new passion.

Professor Cao offered an apt analogy. "Data becomes tangible with time. Some researchers tighten physical screws to do experiments; I process data, tightening virtual screws on a computer. The essence is the same."

Ms Trill Zhang, an EdFutures' educator who was involved in designing and implementing the programme, emphasised its authenticity: "These five days gave students a taste of real scientific research—rigorous yet far from dull. Here, they could bond with like-minded peers, and treat lab partners like family members."

Jasmine even gave her spectrometer a nickname: The Chromatic Alms Box. When leaving Sun Yat-sen University, she packed it separately in a padded pouch to prevent it from being damaged.

Professor Wu offer some reflections: "When students tackle real problems, they often discover confidence and motivation. Such experiences spark intrinsic interest. Passion is vital—knowing what is possible can ignite the effort to get there."