Astronomy Research Project
You will conduct a research project in one of these areas:
Sunspots
In this project you will investigate the nature of sunspots. Possible research topics include
investigating the rate of growth or decay of sunspots, the effects of location on sunspot
development, the relationship between sunspot formation and other types of radiation emitted by
the sun, or the connection between sunspots and various factors on earth.
Nova Search
In this project, you will search for novae in the Andromeda Galaxy by examining images of
portions of Andromeda taken at different times. You will be measuring apparent magnitudes of
suspected novae over time. Possible research topics include investigating whether novae vary in
different types of stellar populations, whether there is a relationship between location and the
magnitude or rate of decay in novae.
By the end of this project, you should be able to:
• use spectroscopic principles to describe and explain how scientists study the chemical
and physical nature of the sun, the stars, and galaxies.
• discuss current models for the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies
Requirements:
• Research paper
• Power point presentation
Research Paper Format Instructions:
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Page Setup: 1” top/bottom/both sides margins
Gutter: 0.5”
At the end of each section paragraph, insert two returns.
Headings: Times Roman, 12pt, left-justified, small caps, bold, no space after the
heading and the body of the section.
Body: Times Roman, 12pt, left-justified, single spaced
Images: Save all images separately onto a disk or CD and name them as Image 1, Image
2, etc. The names should correspond with the order the images are included within your
research paper. Images should be centered on the page. Label each one using Times
Roman, 12pt, centered, ex. – Figure 1 [title]. Don’t use any spaces between the image
and text; the text should go underneath the graphic.
The body of the paper should include these sections:
1. Header—containing the Title of the paper on the first line (Times Roman, 14 pt, bold,
center), the Authors names (last name, first and middle initial) on the second line (Times
Roman, 12pt, center).
1
2. Abstract
This section is a brief (one – two paragraph) summary of the study providing an overview of the
study from the purpose to the conclusions. This section should be able to stand alone as a concise
description of the study to those who do not have access to the full paper.
3. Introduction
This section provides historical background information and states the purpose for the study.
You should describe why the scientific community is interested in this area of research. In
addition, describe what previous research has been done and present the results of these studies.
You should state the hypothesis you will be testing. The last sentence should summarize the
“purpose of the study”.
4. Methods
This section provides a detailed description of how you conducted the research. Sources of
software and data sets used are identified. It is important that this section provide enough
information so that someone could replicate the experiment in their own lab or school.
5. Data
This section presents the data collected during the study in “Tables” or “Figures”. Each table or
figure should include enough information in the legend to make it understandable without
referring to the body of the paper. “Center” tables on the page. Label each using Times Roman,
12pt, centered, ex. – Table 1 [title]. Don’t use any spaces between the table and text; the text
should go underneath the graphic.
6. Results
This section should include any graphs you generated and a brief statement of your results. Do
not use color on the graphs; use different line styles or symbols. Graphs should be centered on
the page. Label using Times Roman, 12pt, centered, ex. – Figure 1 [title]. Don’t use any spaces
between graph and text; the text should go underneath the graphic.
7. Discussion
This section allows you to interpret your data and explain how the findings relate to the
hypothesis you set out to test. Identify sources of error and discuss the strengths and weaknesses
of the study/data. Offer suggestions for follow up research.
8. Summary and Acknowledgements
The last paragraph(s) should conclude with a brief summary statement and/or list of conclusions.
Recognize and thank anyone who helped you in completion of this project.
9. References
This section provides a listing of the relevant literature used in planning the study, conducting
the experiment (methods) and analyzing and interpreting the data. References should be in MLA
format. You must have at least 6 references, 3 of these must be research articles. All references
must be cited in the report. Times Roman, 12pt, left-justified, header small caps, bold, no space
after the heading and the body of the section, paragraph spacing after each entry.
2
Name ___________________________________________ Per. ________
Research Paper Evaluation
Section/ Description
Points
Points
Possible Earned
Title- related to the research question.
1
Authors- listed in alphabetical order by last name.
2
Abstract- brief overview of project, including research question, brief
discussion of results, and conclusion.
10
Introduction- thorough discussion of historical perspectives of the study,
description of why the scientific community conducts research in this
field, discussion of previous research and results of these studies.
15
Research Question- a simple statement of the question investigated and
the hypothesis.
2
Methods- detailed description of how the research was carried out.
Materials, software, and data sets are identified.
15
Data- tables or charts of any and all data or images analyzed are
included.
10
Results- all graphs generated from the data and a brief discussion of
what these graphs show.
10
Discussion- a comprehensive discussion of what the results indicate
about the original research question. Discuss sources of error and the
strengths & weaknesses of your study. Suggestions for further study are
included.
15
Summary and Acknowledgements- includes a brief conclusion and
recognizes people who have provided support.
10
References- All references (minimum of 6) used in the completion of
the project are cited in the introduction or the methods section of the
paper. All references are cited using MLA format.
10
Total
100
3
Name _____________________________________________ Per. _______
Research Project PowerPoint Evaluation
Section/Description
Title Slide - Includes the title of the project (reflects the research question) and
the author(s) names listed as per the research paper.
Introduction - Same thorough explanation given in the paper, except
summarize your introduction on the slides and discuss verbally your
background research.
Research Question - Discuss what you investigated, what you hoped to find,
and how your background research led you to this question.
Methods - Brief explanation is given for how your research was carried out.
Identify materials, software, or data sets used in your research. Explain how
you obtained these.
Results - present only the graphical representations of the data. Verbally
discuss what the graphs demonstrate, and what relationship (if any) they show.
Conclusion - based upon the results, discuss what your group concluded about
your original research question. In addition, discuss any problems you
encountered that may have affected your results.
Further Study - suggest further studies that may need to be done in order to
fully answer this question or other questions raised by your research.
Acknowledgements – recognize individuals who provided help or support for
your project.
References - these will not need to be discussed in the presentation, but they
will need to be listed here. All references should be listed in alphabetical order
by last name of the first author listed.
Visuals - include a variety of relevant images, video segments, QuickTime
movies and computer animations to enhance and clarify your presentation.
Points
Points
Possible Earned
5
10
5
10
10
10
5
5
10
10
Presentation – graded on thoroughness and delivery. All group members
demonstrate knowledge of the topic. (Do not just read from the slides.)
20
Total
100
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