Category: Astronomy

Use the Burke Gaffney Observatory
(BGO) telescope to locate and sketch one of the brighter
deep space objects currently visible. The telescope
operator will have a list of suggestions. Download a few
images of this object from the Internet. Compare the two
images, and research more information about the type of
object you’ve captured. Write a short paper (800 words
or so) describing the experience. And answering such
questions as what is it, how did it form, how long will it
last, is it visibly changing in any way in an observable
time frame? Finally, describe for me what it might be like
to see this object from a very close distance. Try to be
scientifically accurate in your description

I’m going to give you a break from measurements, calculations, and death marching around the neighborhood: A paper.
Write a 1500-word paper on a topic in Observational Astronomy. Example topics are listed below. If you have a different topic than those on the list, just email it to me so I can OK it. No OK, NO POINTS.
Any common format is fine. I want a minimum of three sources, listed in a bibliography. I have generated ChatGPT papers for all these topics. I’ve seen everything on Chegg and the other cheat sites. If your paper does not look original, no credit.
WORD COUNT REQUIRED. This project cannot be resubmitted. So, get it right the first time.
Examples of topics:
Optical Astronomy
Infra-red Astronomy
Radio Astronomy
Sub Millimeter Wave Astronomy
Ultraviolet Astronomy
X-ray Astronomy
Gamma Ray Astronomy
Neutrino Astronomy
Gravity Wave Astronomy
Astronomical Photometry
Astronomical Spectroscopy
Interferometry
James Webb Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
Spitzer Space Telescope
Kepler Space Telescope
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
Very Large Array

astrobiology explores life beyond Earth, studying exoplanets, extreme environments, and Mars. SETI searches for extraterrestrial intelligence through radio signals.

For this project you are going to observe some light sources. You are going to observe the SPECTRA of at least SIX light sources. You will use a spectroscope. Recall that a spectroscope spreads out light into its component colors, or WAVELENGTHS. A laser pointer emits light at just one wavelength. A light bulb emits a mix of countless wavelengths. A spectroscope spreads them out so you can see the colors, or wavelengths, separately.
Let the light from the source shine in through the vertical slit in the spectroscope. Concentrate on seeing the light come through the vertical slit first, then move your eyes to the left or right to see the colorful spectrum. It takes some practice to produce a nice rainbow, or spectrum. For example, the Sun delivers way more light than you need, but the Moon’s spectrum is tough to see because the Moon is much fainter than the Sun and only a narrow slit allows the light through. You will be able to see rainbows on the left and right, and even on top of the wavelength scale, depending on how you hold the spectroscope.
Sources with a small angular size in your field of view (like a pen light, candle flame, the Sun,) produce the best spectra. Big sources like a TV screen or your roof on fire will be difficult: There will be fat, overlapping spectra.
Try observing the Sun, an incandescent light bulb, an LED light, a fluorescent light, a candle flame, gas flame from stove or propane torch, streetlight, red light from electric stove coil. When you observe the Sun, do not put the slit directly on the Sun. It is too bright. Protect your eyes by putting the slit near the Sun, but not directly on it. Keep the Sun just out of the slit. You will still get plenty of light and a bright spectrum. Pay attention to the dark absorption lines you see against the Sun’s spectrum (rainbow). Draw them in on your diagram.
Draw me a picture of your observations of six light sources. Make it look like a long bar, with sections showing the different colors. One bar for each spectrum/light source observed. Use colored pencils. Label the parts of the spectrum indicating colors and brightnesses. Send me a photo or scan of your picture.
Make comments on what you’ve seen. You will need them for your report in the next project. For example, “I was surprised how little yellow light I saw in the spectrum of a candle flame. There definitely wasn’t much blue, but there was a lot of RED.”
I expect you to draw me at least SIX SPECTRA (rainbows). Be a careful observer and recorder. Don’t just make a kindergarten mess with your crayons. I know what these spectra are supposed to look like, so pay attention. This is easy points if you follow instructions the first time. Many of your predecessors did not and brought great pain upon themselves.

Why are Mercury and the Moon so much more heavily cratered than the Earth? Explain how crater counts tell us the age of a surface. 2)Go to the home page for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, and look for the latest evidence concerning recent water flows on Mars. Write a few paragraphs describing the new evidence and what it tells us about the planet’s past.

Please reply to the below discussion in approximately 150 words and cite all work.
Amanda Kennedy
Nov 6, 2023Nov 6 at 10:50pm
The first resource I chose was the Star Gazers (https://www.stargazersonline.org/episodes/Links to an external site.). I chose to use this resource for two main reasons. The first reason I chose it was because I found it to be the easiest to understand. I’m very new to astronomy and the videos that I watched were very easy to understand. I also liked that the videos were short so when I was out looking at the night sky, I could easily rewatch them. The second reason I chose it was because the videos explained things in a way that my daughter (11) would understand also and keep her attention. She has always been into astronomy, so having the educational as well as entertaining videos allows her to increase her knowledge, as well as mine, and allows us to spend some time together enjoying something she likes.
The second resource I chose was the Stellarium. I picked this one because being able to see the map and being able to move it around to kind of match what I’m seeing. This is helpful to me because I’m a more visual learner. I like how it can use my location, and that it also has an app.
In Central Pennsylvania we had a few cloudy nights this week, though still beautiful, I couldn’t see much. I was able to go out on November 5 around 8:30 to a mostly clear sky. I was able to use the Star Gazer resource video “You Can See Two Star Custers Right Now” and spot the Pleiades star cluster, the Hyades star cluster, and the Aldebaran star. Being able to find theses I was also able to then see the Taurus constellation. The next night, it wasn’t as clear but I was able to see a few stars. I was able to spot the Aldebaran star again and, by using the Stellarium app I was able to then locate Jupiter.

A description of asteroids historical importance
Our modern day understanding of an asteroid
The history of the objects name

Find a cultural reference to the Moon (song, poem, work of art, etc.). Post it to the discussion. Discuss how the Moon is portrayed. Is it scientifically accurate? What do you like about what you chose?
For this sample, I’d like tutor chosen to answer 2 additional posts with responses. At completion, I would like to give 20% tip to tutor for seeing this assignment through in its entirety.

Instructions
Write a Research Question and Conduct Preliminary Research
Please develop a research question. You will use this research question throughout this course. Your paper should include a paragraph or two to provide some background about the topic and explain how your research would fit into existing literature on the topic. Also, explain your search method (APUS library, other university or scholarly databases, academic journals, or Google Scholar) to access the most relevant information about your topic.
If you are wondering what a search method is, it is a process or technique. It is “how” you go about researching a topic. Typically, you will have criteria (a way of measuring what you find to determine if it is relevant) and you will have search terms (which are specific references to dates, places, events, people, concepts, or authors, that can be used in a search engine). A search method might include examining a wide variety of databases; it might include using the references in books and articles to find more sources. It might include restricting yourself to peer reviewed journal articles and government publications. No matter what paper or what topic, you will always be using some method for searching for the information you need.
Then go to the APUS online library and conduct a search for articles in peer-reviewed, academic journals or books about your topic. You can access the Library from the Classroom by selecting Library on the left vertical toolbar. Navigate the online databases and conduct a search based on keywords relating to your topic. Remember when you use the APUS library site, you must sign-in with your student account information.
Choose two (2) scholarly articles pertinent to your topic and provide a citation for these articles using APA format. Technical Requirements
Your paper must be at a minimum of 1-1 ½ pages (the Title and Reference pages do not count towards the minimum limit).
Scholarly and credible references should be used. A good rule of thumb is at least 2 scholarly sources per page of content.
Type in Times New Roman, 12 point and double space.
Students will follow the current APA Style as the sole citation and reference style used in written work submitted as part of coursework. Points will be deducted for the use of Wikipedia or encyclopedic type sources. It is highly advised to utilize books, peer-reviewed journals, articles, archived documents, etc.
All submissions will be graded using the assignment rubric.

Assuming you reside in northern hemisphere, download and print free Uncle Al’s Star WheelLinks to an external site. for northern hemisphere:
Follow the instructions in Demonstration 2 and make this planisphere.
Write your full name along with your BCC number on it. Now take a picture that shows you made it and your name is on it.
Upload this picture here. (10 pts).
Using the planisphere you made, set the date and time to midnight this week and answer these three questions:
(Use only the constellations wheel which has no grid on it).
What is the name of the closest constellation to the western horizon? (3 pts)
What is the name of the closest constellation to the northern horizon? (4 pts)
What is the name of the closest constellation to the eastern horizon? (3 pts)