A&B's Astronomy Lab, Spring 2002, No. 10

Student Presentations

Bring any favorite subjects
in astronomy to share with your classmates.
You may want to bring several pages of viewgraphs
or a single poster for presentations.

Titles and Abstracts

1. Christina Djordjevich Search for Extraterrestrial Life
For my presentation, I am planning to research documented accounts of observed extraterrestrial life and discuss possible explanations theorists have used to explain sightings.

2. Eve Klein Life on Mars
The continuing search for, and recent evidence of, life on Mars.

3. Greer Karlis Study Radio Astronomy by comparing with Optical astronomy
I am going to look at the differences between radio astronomy and optical astronomy. In particular, radio and optical telescopes both observe the universe while radio telescopes "see" images at lower frequencies. "Seeing" these normally unobservable lower frequencies allows astronomers to examine and learn more about the universe than they can with optical telescopes.

4. Irina Feygina Gamma-ray Bursts
Gamma ray bursts were discovered in the late sixties, and attributed to clandestine USSR missile testing in outer space. However, these powerful bursts were soon seen to be originating in distant parts of the universe, and were postulated to be coming from black holes, supernovae, or neutron stars. However, the bursts were distributed isotropically, suggesting they are at cosmological distances, making the energy of the bursts 1051 ergs, more than the amount of energy the sun will emit in is 10 billion year life. Scientists developed a number of theories, among them collision of two stars and merging into a black hole. Recent observation of the bursts and the X-ray and visible radiation that follows, especially on the Beppo-SAX satellite, are giving hope for solutions.

5. Jacqueline Yunits Starburst Galaxies
In my presentation I will explain what starburst galaxies are, what they look like and what causes them to form. I will also explain how starburst galaxies differ from galaxies like ours, the Milky Way galaxy.

6. Jessie Kindig Space Food
It will be about the different ways food can be processed for consumption in space, as well as different ways of sustaining plants in space. Hopefully, there will also be astronaut ice cream.

7. Katana Makuku Galileo's Daughter
I am going to emphasize on his daughter's contribution to his life and hence, his work, I would have to spin his discoveries and persecution off of their exchange of letters.

8. Kate Wollesen Incorrect Facts in Space Movies
I plan to do my presentation on bad and incorrect astronomy in the movies. I will use semi-recent movies like Armageddon, Contact, Austin Powers, Red Planet, etc.

9. Katya Kumkove Medieval Astronomy and Medieval Cosmology

10. Lia Wong The Moon, the Earth's Companion
My presentation shows that the moon isn't really made of cheese! But, in fact, undergoes phases that produce different effects on Earth. I will also explain the origin of the moon and will also include many fun moon facts!

11. Malia Kulp Myths of Stars

12. Mary Olsen Black Holes

13. Rebeccah Wells Celestial Nevigation

14. Sage Cole Auroras
What makes the occur--the Earth's magnetic field, the Sun's magnetic field, solar wind. Energy build up in the magnetotail which then travels along the Earth's filed lines towards the poles until the electrons reach the gases in the ionosphere where they interact with the gases and give off light: The different colors of the auroras--the different gases that the electrons are interacting with and the different parts of the ionosphere that each gas is in: Where auroras can be seen--the magnetic poles: Their distance from earth and what they look like from space--they're only 60 miles up and they from a ring around the pole: Connection between sun spots and solar wind and auroras-- as yet to investigate...

Titles and Abstracts
1. Christina Djordjevich	Search for Extraterrestrial Life For my presentation, I am planning to research documented accounts of observed extraterrestrial life and discuss possible explanations theorists have used to explain sightings.
2. Eve Klein	Life on Mars The continuing search for, and recent evidence of, life on Mars.
3. Greer Karlis	Study Radio Astronomy by comparing with Optical astronomy I am going to look at the differences between radio astronomy and optical astronomy. In particular, radio and optical telescopes both observe the universe while radio telescopes "see" images at lower frequencies. "Seeing" these normally unobservable lower frequencies allows astronomers to examine and learn more about the universe than they can with optical telescopes.
4. Irina Feygina	Gamma-ray Bursts Gamma ray bursts were discovered in the late sixties, and attributed to clandestine USSR missile testing in outer space. However, these powerful bursts were soon seen to be originating in distant parts of the universe, and were postulated to be coming from black holes, supernovae, or neutron stars. However, the bursts were distributed isotropically, suggesting they are at cosmological distances, making the energy of the bursts 1051 ergs, more than the amount of energy the sun will emit in is 10 billion year life. Scientists developed a number of theories, among them collision of two stars and merging into a black hole. Recent observation of the bursts and the X-ray and visible radiation that follows, especially on the Beppo-SAX satellite, are giving hope for solutions.
5. Jacqueline Yunits	Starburst Galaxies In my presentation I will explain what starburst galaxies are, what they look like and what causes them to form. I will also explain how starburst galaxies differ from galaxies like ours, the Milky Way galaxy.
6. Jessie Kindig	Space Food It will be about the different ways food can be processed for consumption in space, as well as different ways of sustaining plants in space. Hopefully, there will also be astronaut ice cream.
7. Katana Makuku	Galileo's Daughter I am going to emphasize on his daughter's contribution to his life and hence, his work, I would have to spin his discoveries and persecution off of their exchange of letters.
8. Kate Wollesen	Incorrect Facts in Space Movies I plan to do my presentation on bad and incorrect astronomy in the movies. I will use semi-recent movies like Armageddon, Contact, Austin Powers, Red Planet, etc.
9. Katya Kumkove	Medieval Astronomy and Medieval Cosmology
10. Lia Wong	The Moon, the Earth's Companion My presentation shows that the moon isn't really made of cheese! But, in fact, undergoes phases that produce different effects on Earth. I will also explain the origin of the moon and will also include many fun moon facts!
11. Malia Kulp	Myths of Stars
12. Mary Olsen	Black Holes
13. Rebeccah Wells	Celestial Nevigation
14. Sage Cole	Auroras What makes the occur--the Earth's magnetic field, the Sun's magnetic field, solar wind. Energy build up in the magnetotail which then travels along the Earth's filed lines towards the poles until the electrons reach the gases in the ionosphere where they interact with the gases and give off light: The different colors of the auroras--the different gases that the electrons are interacting with and the different parts of the ionosphere that each gas is in: Where auroras can be seen--the magnetic poles: Their distance from earth and what they look like from space--they're only 60 miles up and they from a ring around the pole: Connection between sun spots and solar wind and auroras-- as yet to investigate...