Famous Astronomers Project
For thousands of years humans have been gazing at the nights’ sky, wondering, and trying to make
sense of it. It has been from countless discoveries that humans know a great deal about what lies
beyond Earth...yet there is so much that remains unknown about the cosmos. In this project, you will
research a famous astronomer and explain his/her contribution(s) to the field of astronomy.
Project Requirements:
1. Research your astronomer and prepare a presentation for the class using any of the following:
Prezi
Due
Date:
PowerPoint
Google Docs
Poster
Wed.,
Jan. 13
Anything else that is teacher approved
2. In your presentation, you must account for at least the following (be specific):
● Name of your astronomer
● Date of birth and death (if no longer living)
● Where he/she was born and where he/she lived/lives while making discoveries
● Where he/she went to college and highest degree obtained
● What your astronomer is famous for (why does he/she deserve to make the list of
famous astronomers)
● Provide an explanation (teach the class) about his/her discovery
● Anything else that is interesting about your astronomer
3. You must include a variety of pictures/images (at least one picture must be of your
astronomer) in your presentation. You may want to include a short video clip as well to enhance your
presentation.
4. You must use at least three sources and they must be cited formally in a bibliography format.
Remember that you should think about what you read on the Internet; not all of the information out
there is accurate! You will need to add your bibliography to the last slide of your presentation. Do not
plagiarize – use your own words! This means no copying and pasting of text for your presentation.
Grading:
Addressed all questions: /20
Pictures and video clip: /10
Neatness and grammar: /10
Creativity: /5
Presentation: /10
Bibliography: /10
Astronomers:
1. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
2. Claudius Ptolemy (90-168)
3. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)
4. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)
5. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
6. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
7. Giovanni Cassini (1625-1712)
8. Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695)
9. Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
10. Edmond Halley (1656-1742)
11. Charles Messier (1730-1817)
12. William Herschel (1738-1822)
13. Caroline Herschel (1750-1848)
14. Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941)
15. Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921)
16. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
17. Edwin Hubble (1889-1953)
18. Satyendra Nath Bose (1894-1974)
19. Jan Oort (1900-1992)
20. Chushiro Hayashi (1920-2010)
21. Vera Rubin (1928- )
22. Arno Penzias (1933- ) and Robert Wilson (1941- )
23. Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
24. Arthur B. C. Walker (1936-2001)
25. Stephen Hawking (1942- )
26. Seth Shostak (1943- )
27. Jill Tarter (1944- )
28. Michio Kaku (1947- )
29. Sylvester James Gates (1950- )
30. Garrett Lisi (1968- )
31. – someone not on the list – requires teacher approval