Paper details
I. Choose your format.
a. Written report
i. 2-3 pages, typed and submitted as a Word document or PDF.
ii. Include a references section of all resources used for your work. Please use inline citations
for direct quotations. Any manual of style (MLA, APA, CMOS) will be accepted.
iii. It’s okay to use Wikipedia as a starting point, but please use primary sources to the best of
your ability. An easy way to do this is to look at the references at the bottom of the
Wikipedia page and follow the links to those sources to do your research.
b. In-class presentation – Spring 2021 will have to be delivered in a video format (pre-recorded,
or live via Discord or Zoom) due to social distancing.
i. 2-3 minutes at the end of a class meeting, scheduled with me in advance
ii. Cite your sources, especially direct quotes.
iii. It’s okay to use Wikipedia as a starting point, but please use primary sources to the best of
your ability. An easy way to do this is to look at the references at the bottom of the
Wikipedia page and follow the links to those sources to do your research.
II. Choose your topic.
a. Brief biography of an important astronomer or astrophysicist
i. Who is this and Why do they matter (e.g.: Jocelyn Bell observed the first pulsar)?
ii. When and Where was this happening? Specific dates and cities are not as important as eras
or sociopolitical climates (e.g.: The Space Race during the Cold War).
iii. What impact did they or their research have on contemporary science (e.g.: Ejnar
Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell create the H-R Diagram we still use)?
b. Current event, recent discovery, or important research in Astronomy/Astrophysics
i. What’s going on (e.g.: first black hole imaged in 2019)?
ii. What is/was the science goal?
iii. Why is this important?
iv. How was the discovery made, or how is the research being conducted?
v. What impact does this have on the future of Astronomy/Astrophysics?
c. Data collection or observation and analysis (If you are interested in this option, but not sure what
to do or where to start, let me know; I have a few simple “labs” in my pocket.)
i. Set a goal or hypothesis (e.g.: determine the Hubble Constant)
ii. What data/observations will you need and how will you get it (e.g.: recessional velocities
and distance to a number of galaxies)?
iii. How will you collect the data (e.g.: NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database)?
iv. How will you analyze your data (e.g.: Plot a graph of speed vs. distance)?
v. Report your process, results, and experimental error(s).
III. Submit your report or schedule your presentation
a. Written reports are due at the first class meeting of the last week of classes: 06/09/2021
i. Submit a Word or PDF document to the “Presentation/Paper” dropbox.
b. Presentations must be scheduled, as we will only do one or two per class meeting. The last date
to give a presentation is: N/A.
i. Spring 2021: Videos are due: 06/09/2021, 23:59 in the “Presentation/Paper” dropbox.
c. This assignment is worth 30 points, 5% of your grade, and cannot be dropped. If you have any
doubts or concerns about the assignment or your chosen topic, please contact me.Astronomy 20
Presentation/Paper Guideline