Astronomy 122                Birth and Death of Stars

An Astronomy course project is required of each student. The project is a written report on a topic of interest, a report of an observational exercise, or the design of an astronomical instrument, to name a few possibilities. The report must be prepared as an electronic document, with a length of 1000-1300 words (about 4-6 pages). References must be reported. Submit through the SafeAssign link on Blackboard. If you need assistance with submitting you report to SafeAssign refer to this help.

Reports might cover the science of a topic, its history, key figures, the role of space exploration, or other subjects of relevance to our understanding of the planets, stars, galaxies, or the universe. It might discuss the debate over an unsettled issue or issues regarding an important observation. There are many possibilities, and the student's imagination and interest should be the guide.

The project will contribute 10% to the total grade. Projects are due, without exception, no later than March 9. All material will be submitted through SafeAssign on Blackboard.

Academic honesty is expected of every student. Refer to the policy on academic dishonesty at the bottom of this page.

Some possible projects

These suggestions are given as examples of what you might do. You are free to design any project related to Astronomy.

1. Write a report on a topic of interest, such as the Big Bang, the origin of stars, the death of stars, the birth of planetary systems, the possibilities of life elsewhere, or the known and unknown limits of space and time.
2. Conduct evening or early morning sky observations. Using a star chart as a reference, try using a pair of binoculars to observe and locate the following (suggested) celestial objects:
   • Planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars & Venus
   • M42 - Orion Nebula (emission nebula)
   • M45 - Pleiades (galactic cluster)
   • M15 - (globular cluster) in Pegasus
   • M36,M37,M38 (globular clusters) in Auriga
   • M31 - Andromeda Galaxy
   • Milky Way
   You may want to include other objects of the night sky. Report your observations. How does the observation change from week to week? What do recent issues of Sky and Telescope indicate are the interesting current observing targets?
3. Attend a planetarium program and submit a written description focusing on the content themes. Report what you have learned, what you find agreeable or disagreeable, etc. Back up your report of the planetarium program with related references.
4. Develop a report on topics in the Review and Discussion sections at the end of each chapter in the textbook.
5. These are some possibilities. Be creative.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. This includes any form of cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication. All work must be your own, produced exclusively for this course. For additional information on plagiarism, refer to the UO Library information.

Academic dishonesty can result in receipt of a failing grade on the specific assignment or even receiving an F in the course. Additional information on academic conduct is available from Student Life.

Every violation will be dealt with seriously and noted on student disciplinary records.