Record yourself giving this presentation and upload either the full video with images and audio or just audio to accompany the submitted power point.

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Astronomy powerpoint

The PowerPoint portion of this project should be a “presentation” of your Paper. Let’s say you are standing in front of the class and you have 20 minutes to explain your paper to them. The presentation should be 10-15 slides, with a detailed “script” in the notes section. The script should be detailed enough for me to give the presentation.

Be sure that each slide is visually engaging and the presentation captures the audiences attention.
Power point is a distinct way to convey information, so DO NOT simply paste text from your paper into the slides.
Creativity, as well as clear explanations of the topic are expected.
Your first slide is a title slide and your final slide(s) needs to be the references used to create the presentation.
You must also include a detailed script to accompany the slides, this could be a separate final with distinct marks identifying which slide is displayed or in the “Notes” section of each slide.
This script should reflect your full presentation and be detailed enough for me to give the presentation.

Optional: You are encouraged to record yourself giving this presentation and upload either the full video with images and audio or just audio to accompany the submitted power point. If you need help setting up this option please let the instructor know.
Resources for creating an effective Power Point presentation are available through the Trefry Library, some are linked here – https://apus.libanswers.com/study/faq/2400

Explain the basics of how a launch vehicle lifts off from the launch pad and reaches outer space.

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Rocket forum

For many “rocket scientist” is a sign of intelligence and the ability to handle large challenges with excellent precision. By now, you should all know a little bit about rocket science from your readings. For this discussion, explain the basics of how a launch vehicle lifts off from the launch pad and reaches outer space. In addition to the basic principles, include equations in your response.

Define the term “supernova” and what is thought to occur in order to produce one. Of the major mass extinctions, which one could have been caused by a single supernova or multiple supernovae? How would these events have affected the Earth to produce that mass extinction?

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Celestial Sources of Terrestrial Mass Extinctions

• The title of the paper is Celestial Sources of Terrestrial Mass Extinctions (See below.)
• All Term Papers must be checked for spelling and grammar using a tool such as Microsoft Word Spelling and Grammar Checker.
• The paper must be FIVE paragraphs in length. Additional paragraphs will be disregarded.
• Email the completed file as an attachment to your instructor in the same format (.doc).
• The total word count, including the format instructions, must be between 2200 and 2800 words.
• The sources you must use are listed below. Do NOT quote or copy from them. Do NOT include them as references at the end of your paper. They are listed here in the instructions.

1) National Geographic: What are mass extinctions and what causes them?
2) American Museum of Natural History: Episode Twelve: Six Extinctions in Six Minutes
3) BBC: Gamma-ray burst “hit Earth in 8th Century”
4) Nature: Gamma-ray burst linked to mass extinction
5) Phys.org: Researchers learn more about the possible role of gamma ray bursts on life extinction in the universe
6) CNN Space Science: Multiple star explosions may have contributed to a mass extinction on Earth
7) Space.com: Did a supernova cause Earth’s mass extinction 360 million years ago?
8) Space.com: Did Supernova Explosion Contribute to Earth Mass Extinction?
9) Space.com: An asteroid and volcano ‘double punch’ doomed the dinosaurs, study suggests
10) National Geographic: This asteroid is one of the most likely to hit Earth. Here’s what it means for our future.
11) National Geographic: Why NASA’s high-stakes maneuver to redirect an asteroid surprised its own scientists
12) NASA SSERVI: The Asteroid Impact Hazard: Historical Perspective
13) Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) – NASA’s First Planetary Defense Mission
14) Relevant Wikipedia pages.

• Respond to the following items in your paper.

Paragraph 1: (Use Sources 1 & 2.)
• In your first sentence, define the term “mass extinction”.
• Describe briefly the known past major mass extinctions. For each one, include the name of each extinction, the time in millions of years since each one began, the percentage of species that became extinct and some examples of species that became extinct. (Focus on these items, not the possible causes. Address those in the paragraphs below.)

Paragraph 2: (Use Sources 3, 4, 5 and Wikipedia.)
• Define the term “GRB” and what astronomers think happens in order to produce one.
• Did the Earth experience one in the Eighth Century? Describe what some researchers suggest is evidence that one did strike the Earth at that century.
• Which major extinction event do some researchers think might have occurred due to a GRB? How would the GRB have affected the Earth to produce that mass extinction?

Paragraph 3: (Use Sources 6, 7, 8 and Wikipedia.)
• Define the term “supernova” and what is thought to occur in order to produce one.
• Of the major mass extinctions, which one could have been caused by a single supernova or multiple supernovae? How would these events have affected the Earth to produce that mass extinction?
• Some researchers suggest that there may have been a minor mass extinction about 2.6 million years ago. Outline their hypothesis and the effects it could have had on the Earth.

Paragraph 4: (Use Sources 2, 9,10 and Wikipedia.)
• Define the term “asteroid”. Include in your definition where most of them are found, what they are made of and how they were formed.
• There is one major mass extinction for which there is very good evidence that an asteroid impact was responsible. Describe what is thought to have happened during that event and the chief evidence that supports that hypothesis. How did this event affect the evolution of mammals?

Paragraph 5: (Use Sources 10, 11, 12, 13 and Wikipedia.)
• Define the term “NEA”.
• What is “Bennu”? Should we be concerned about it? Explain briefly.
• What was the aim of the DART mission? How do we know the mission was successful?
(Answer this item with reference to the concepts of inertial motion, gravity and centripetal force as it was discussed in the lecture videos. Which of these three things did the mission aim to modify?)
• Look at the graph in Slide Four of the Source 13 presentation. In total, about how many NEAs have been discovered as of 2020. List the FIVE points shown in white capital letters in Slide Five that should be part of a Planetary Defense program.

Write a 2 page essay on any astronomy topic of your interest. Pick something you may have wanted to know about; some ideas are: black holes, dark matter, the Big Bang, the search for life on other planets (see SETI Institute) etc.

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PH112 Lab 2 page Essay Assignment

Write a 2 page essay on any astronomy topic of your interest. You can pick something you may have wanted to know about; some ideas are: black holes, dark matter, the Big Bang, the search for life on other planets (see SETI Institute) etc.

At the end include the names of the two sources (i.e. books, webpages etc.) that you read to learn about your topic.

In your own words, describe the changes in temperature and density one would hypothetically encounter if they could travel through the Sun’s convection zone and radiative zone, ending up in the core.

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The Sun                                               Name________

Objectives:
• Comprehend many facets of the Sun’s makeup, chemistry, and behavior
• Study the interior and exterior layers of the Sun
• Gain an understanding of the nuclear reaction process in the core
• Learn about the solar wind and solar weather, and their impact on the Earth

Background information:
The Sun is an average, middle–aged star in the grand scheme of things; however, given its proximity to the Earth, it is very special to us. It is roughly 4.5 billion years old and will continue for approximately another 5 billion years, producing light through the nuclear fusion process. Although much is still unknown regarding the closest star, a great deal is understood. The Sun’s structure, its internal processes, and its affect on the Earth and its inhabitants will be explored in this activity.

Questions: Answer the following questions involving the Sun
1. The interior and exterior of the Sun have layers that vary in terms of temperature, pressure, and density. Additionally, the processes involved for the transference of energy/light differ amongst
them. Below, you see several statements describing different layers. In each of the blanks next to them, put one letter that identifies the name of the layer being described from this list: A) core, B) radiative zone, C) convection zone, D) photosphere, E) chromosphere, and F) corona

  • This layer is often referred to as the Sun’s visible surface______
  • This is the region from which most of the emitted x–rays radiate into space______
  • Energy is transported outward when hot gas rises and cooler gas falls in this layer______
  • It is in this area of the Sun that nuclear fusion occurs______
  • This portion of the Sun has energy conveyed through it via photons______

2. In the core of the Sun, hydrogen atoms slam together at high speed and are converted into helium nuclei. As a result, some of the original mass of the hydrogen atoms is lost. What happened to it?

3. In your own words, describe the changes in temperature and density one would hypothetically encounter if they could travel through the Sun’s convection zone and radiative zone, ending up
in the core. Be specific in your statements.

4. Starting at the photosphere, then moving through the chromosphere into the corona, describe the changes in temperature and density one would encounter if that hypothetical trip could be traversed. Be specific in your statements.

5. The phrases “solar weather”, “solar storms”, and “solar activity” are used interchangeably to refer to the collection of events that happen in the outer layers of the Sun. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) are two examples of the events. When these occur, they often have no impact on human activity. However, if the timing is right, and the intensity of these events are great enough, they can affect activity on Earth on both a small and a large scale. Discuss (Don’t just “list”) two ways society can be affected when these events encounter the Earth.

6. RESEARCH: People within the magnetic field of the Earth are protected by the harmful radiation and particles emitted by the Sun’s solar wind and solar storms. In the future, humans will likely attempt to travel outside of this zone of safety to places such as the Moon and Mars. Do some research and report (200 words minimum) on the proposed ways people can be shielded from the harmful effects of the Sun during space travel.

What is a heat shield and why is it necessary for any space vehicle to return to Earth? What animals were launched into space and by what countries? Do you agree withthe ethics of those decisions?

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What is a heat shield and why is it necessary for any space vehicle to return to Earth?

What animals were launched into space and by what countries? Do you agree with the ethics of those decisions? (There’s no right answer to this part!)

What is a launch escape system and how does it function?

Describe the significance of the following missions:(a) Mercury-Redstone 3 (b) Gemini 4(c) Gemini 6/7 (d) Gemini 8(e) Apollo 8 (f) Apollo 11

Describe what happened to Apollo 1 and how it occurred.

Identify the function of the following components of the Apollo spacecraft:

  • (a) The lunar module (LM)
  • (b) The command service module (CSM)
  • (c) The command module (CM)

What happened to Apollo 13 and how did it return to Earth?

 

Describe the trend you see in orbital periods and explain the trend in terms of Kepler’s third law. 4. Which column of data would you use to find out which planet has the shortest days? Do you see any notable differences in the length of a day for the different types of planets? Explain.

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Planet Patterns

The purpose of this assignment is to identify unifying principles and repeatable patterns amongst the planets of our solar system. You are to answer the following questions using Table 6.1 The
Planetary Data which can be found on page 150 of your textbook. Make your answers clear and complete (do not be too brief!).

1. Notice the relationship between distance from the Sun and surface temperature. Describe the trend, explain why it exists, and explain any notable exceptions to the trend.

2. The text says that planets can be classified as either terrestrial or Jovian. Describe in general how the columns for density, composition, and distance from the Sun support this classification.

3. Describe the trend you see in orbital periods and explain the trend in terms of Kepler’s third law.

4. Which column of data would you use to find out which planet has the shortest days? Do you see any notable differences in the length of a day for the different types of planets? Explain.

5. Which planets would you expect not to have seasons? Why?

What is the RA and Dec {RA/Dec (on date)} of the Moon at this time on this date and time? What percentage of the face of the Moon is lit tonight? What phase does this represent?

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Moon Observations Using Stellarium

Open Stellarium.  Go to the “Sky and Viewing Options” window (the third icon down in the vertical row) and turn on the Ecliptic (of date) under the “Markings” tab.  Find the Moon.  You can look yourself or click the magnifying glass and type “moon” and Stellarium will take you to the right location in the sky.  Click the triangular play button at the bottom to pause the view.  You can zoom in and out with the scroll wheel on the mouse or by using the “page up” and “page down” keys.

1)  What is the RA and Dec {RA/Dec (on date)} of the Moon at this time on this date and time?

2)  What percentage of the face of the Moon is lit tonight?

3)  What phase does this represent?

4)  Is the Moon waxing or waning?

Zoom in to a field of view of about 7° for the next set of questions.

5)  Sketch the moon as it appears.  Label the visible maria, the terminator (the day/night line), and the closest cardinal direction (N, S, E, W).

6)  Advance the clock and determine about what time (and date) the Moon sets.

7)  Now set the date to October 3, 2018 at 8:30 AM (0830 hours) and sketch the Moon as it appears.  Label the visible maria, the terminator (the day/night line), and the closest cardinal direction (N, S, E, W).  8)  What percent of the Moon is illuminated, what is the phase, and is it waxing or waning?

 

 

 

 

 

How many degrees does the Moon move per day relative to the fixed stars? How many days does it take for the Moon to return to its original location relative to the fixed stars?

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Suppose Eratosthenes had found that, in Alexandria, at noon on the first day of summer, the line to the Sun makes an angle 30° with the vertical. What, then, would he have found for Earth’s circumference?

Suppose you are on a strange planet and observe, at night, that the stars do not rise and set, but circle parallel to the horizon. Next, you walk in a constant direction for 8000 miles, and at your new location on the planet, you find that all stars rise straight up in the east and set straight down in the west, perpendicular to the horizon. How could you determine the circumference of the planet without any further observations? What is the circumference, in miles, of the planet?

Ursa Minor contains the pole star, Polaris, and the asterism known as the Little Dipper. From most locations in the Northern Hemisphere, all of the stars in Ursa Minor are circumpolar. Does that mean these stars are also above the horizon during the day? Explain.

How many degrees does the Moon move per day relative to the fixed stars? How many days does it take for the Moon to return to its original location relative to the fixed stars?

If a star rises at 8:30 p.m. tonight, approximately what time will it rise two months from now

 

Go to the “Astronomy Picture of the Day” archive site, which is hosted by NASA, and select any image which you find fascinating. Provide, in your own words, a synopsis of the information posted with the picture, and provide your own “impressions.”

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Go to the “Astronomy Picture of the Day” archive site, which is hosted by NASA, and select any image which you find fascinating. Either copy and paste the image in this forum, or insert a link to it. Provide, in your own words, a synopsis of the information posted with the picture, and provide your own “impressions.”

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html