Project template for Astronomy Projects & Project Ideas
In order to document your research on your portfolio
pages, consider the following
outline as a template you might use to report your efforts. A well
presented web-based report can also serve as a term paper.
1. PURPOSE AND GOAL STATEMENT
What I am / we are trying to accomplish, prove, investigate, discover...
2. SELECTION OF OBSERVING TARGETS TO MEET THIS GOAL
Indicate which astronomical objects are included in your observing plan, and
why they have been selected. Give RA & Dec coordinates and short descriptor
for each object. Need
ideas? Try a search or index look at site http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
3. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Here you describe your observing efforts and details of date, time, telescope, camera,
settings (exposure, filter, flatfields and dark frames obtained, etc).
Describe how you examined your data, software used, what works best, etc.
4. ANCILLARY DATA
Here you can add information obtained from catalogs or other library or web
sources that provide information about your targets, theory, etc.
5. RESULTS
Clearly state what you conclude, in the context of your goals and data.
Compare with text or web published results.
Also, discuss HOW YOU COULD DO THIS PROJECT BETTER, e.g. more flatfields or
whatever.
6. REFERENCES
Bibliography of sources, text and web in origin. CITE YOUR SOURCES!
Let me know any ideas you'd like to share on this outline. I'll be looking
at your portfolio.du.edu pages with great expectations. --Dr.Bob