Topic outline

  • Star spectrum

    Stellar Spectra
    Written by: Kathy Gustavson
    Grade (Age) level: High School (ages 14-18), University


    This course is to help students focus on their efforts in the task of learning about the spectra of stars.
    Topic areas: Spectrographs, Signal -to-noise ratios, and sorting spectra using the tools of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

    Have you completed the two prerequisites? They are: 1.) Spectroscopy and 2.) Using the Tools of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. 
    A project that is helpful is: Electromagnetic Waves - A Sea of Information (All these projects are in the EIS Academy)

    In Topic 1 below, you will be directed to the SDSS Voyages site for Stellar Spectra - Comparing Curves.
    Before going to the SDSS site, download the assignment given in Topic 1: "Comparing Curves Journal"
    After completing the assignment, go to the discussion forum in Topic 1 below and talk about how you decided to sort your curves - what criteria did you use? 

    As you go through the instructions for the activity, you can refer back here for a few clarifications.

  • 1. SDSS web page work

    This Voyages "Launch" activity allows you to gather 10 to 20 spectra of stars which were imaged by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. After accessing the data, you will be asked to look for some general patterns. The amount of information on each spectrum page is dense. Your task is to focus on a few things of your choosing to sort your chosen spectra into groups. The discussion forum should be used to give others an idea of your sorting criteria. 

    Tasks:
    1. Download assignment journal to answer questions as you go through the activity on the SDSS Web page
    2. Do the tasks on the webpage, referring back here for any suggestions if you get stuck.
          Use the "Constellations Notebook" instead of the "I Have a Starting Place"
          (A very useful help video is this link - it explains the constellation notebook, which is what you should use!)
         http://voyages.sdss.org/constellations-notebook-help/

    3. Use the discussion forum to share with others some of your answers to the questions from the assignment journal:
         - specifically put your answers to #5, 6, 7, 8 into the discussion forum. As more people share their sorting ideas and questions in the discussion          forum, the more helpful it should be to your project.
    4. Upload your assignment for comments

  • 2. Are you Proficient?

    The journal work and participation in the discussion forum will be reviewed before being awarded proficiency.

  • 3. Reflection and Course Feedback

    Please let us know your thoughts about this course by using the discussion forum below

    • What was your favorite activity? 
    • What was the most important part of the course for you? 
    • Are there any areas that need improvement? 
    • How was the length of the course? 
    • Any additional comments
    Please use complete sentences in your responses. 


    After you use the discussion forum, please answer the BRIEF survey questions in the link below.

    Thank You!!!