Since the beginning of my freshman year, I have always been looking for opportunities to explore various aspect of astronomy. I enjoyed taking several introductory astronomy and planetary classes during my first year. These classes have given me a broad general background in astronomy and related planetary science. I started doing astronomy research in my sophomore year by joining Prof.Frebel’s group at the MIT Kavli Institute and at the same time as taking an astronomy observation class. That is when I discovered that I really like observational-related projects. I decided at the time that I want to continue doing research in observational astronomy and that I want to go to graduate school. After finishing my Ph.D., I would like to stay in …show more content…
Specifically I had been working with Professor Frebel on analysis of metal-poor stars since my sophomore year until now. Using this technique, I have done one project involving chemical evolution of Phosphorus. I was responsible for analyzing high-resolution UV spectra of several metal-poor stars from Hubble archive to determine properties of the stars such as metallicity, temperature, and surface gravity by measuring equivalent width of Fe I and Fe II lines. I was also responsible for measuring phosphorus abundance of the stars using its UV doublet using spectral synthesis method. The result shows how phosphorus abundance in the universe evolves with time and the project results in two publications. As of now, I am in a process of preparing and writing a paper that involves using this same technique to measure the abundances of neutron-captured elements in an r-process star. The preliminary result suggests that the star exhibits r-process signature. The result from this project will add more data into the forming process of these little-known stars. From my broad experience in astronomy research, I believe that the skills I obtained during college will help me succeed in astronomy. I am confident that going to graduate school and pursuing an Astronomy Ph.D. is a right path for me since I enjoy observing, doing astronomy research, and teaching in
Nemiroff, Robert and Jerry Bonnell. "apod.nasa.gov." n.d 1995. Astronomy Picture of the Day. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Since elementary school, I have been fascinated with the field of astronomy and have enjoyed learning, researching, and reading about this topic, purely to satisfy my own intellectual curiosity. I began visiting our school planterium and eventually found myself venturing into research on complicated celestial bodies such as black holes, quasars, and pulsars. Though my school does not offer courses on astronomy, I pursued topics of relevance such as calculus and physics, thus enabling me to delve deeper into topics at a collegiate level which are interrelated to astronomy.
Since I have been involved in Skyline High Schools STEM academy, my thirst for knowledge regarding spacecraft and spaceflight has fascinated me. The study of objects in deep space or within our own solar system is one of my greatest interests. I constantly find myself tuning in to NASA’s website, or stopping on any SpaceX news items to learn about any new advancements or achievements that have been made in space exploration. Anytime I have been home sick from school, or having free time, I always watch the science channel and learn about the different astronomical phenomena in space. From planetary nebula to neutron stars and black holes, nothing in space has ever been lackluster to me. What intrigues me the most is that behind any important discoveries in space, there is an instrument or spacecraft that has been created with the sole purpose of learning about these extraordinary objects. Spacecrafts, instruments, and devices of discovery are so intriguing to me. I want to delve into a more advanced understanding of these concepts. I
Goodrich, LJ, Mitchell, NL, Walker, R, Shaffrey MM and Dillin, K 2010, Exploring Space: The High Frontier, Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, USA
Waller, William H. The Milky Way: An Insider's Guide. Princeton, N.J: Princeton UP, 2013. 42+. Print.
Research News Planetary Scientists are Seeing the Unseeable Richard A. Kerr Science, New Series, Vol. 235, No. 2 -. 4784. The. Jan. 2, 1987, pp. 113-117. 29-31. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Stable URL:
Sophia Brahe then began to assist her brother with many observations and projects some of which included tracking comets, watching lunar eclipses and timing them and predictions of planetary movements and orbits. Although Tychro specifically told Sophia not to study astronomy, she continued doing so anyway by increasing her knowledge in astronomy by reading and studying German books and paying a great deal of money so that old Latin books could be translated (Christianson, Page 112). Sophia was determined to become more knowledgeable in her field that she would do so at any cost even ...
Astronomy is a field where one looks into the great expanse of space and tries to find something that will bring the world a little closer to fully understanding the universe. The road to becoming an astronomer is not easy, as one must get an excellent education, hope that there are actual job openings, and then obtain a steady position. In order to be an astronomer, it is required to have a doctorate’s degree in either astronomy or physics (“Physicists and Astronomers”). After finishing their studies, an astronomer can really only hope to be lucky and secure a position working for the government, a university, or a college (“Astronomer Job Description”). If they somehow find a job, an astronomer’s job varies heavily depending on where they are employed (“Careers in Astronomy”). The first step with nearly every career is experiencing an education that will help them succeed through life.
Historians have distinguished three great ages of exploration, the age of discover in the 15th and 16th centuries, which are associated with Prince Henry, Columbus, and Magellan. The second age taking place in the 18th and 19th centuries characterized by further geographical discoveries and driven by the scientific revolution. Now the third age taking place now, with the beginning of the International Geophysical Year and Sputnik to carry on into our exploration of space. With time we as a culture have turned our eyes up towards the sky and have decided that we need to explore beyond our grasp. With society having turned its mind towards the stars it is time for others to join, with the vast majority of enterprises considering turning to the stars it would usher in a new great age.
Physics or Computer Science? That was the dilemma I faced four years ago when I had to choose a major. Although I enjoyed programming, and was often told that I had a natural flair for it by my school teachers, it was physics that had always captured my imagination and aroused my curiosity. Nothing equaled my euphoria at gaining an additional insight into the universe. Consequently, I decided to abandon programming and pursue a career in theoretical physics. I now know that I made the right choice, as my love for physics has grown much stronger; I was particularly fascinated by topics in gravitation and cosmology. However, I also came to realize that it was possible to apply my aptitude for programming to further our knowledge of physics. Thus the field of computational astrophysics offered me the best of both worlds. Numerical simulations are the sole means to explore systems that are too distant in space and time to be observed directly and too complex to be solved analytically. The prospect of harnessing the ever increasing power of state-of-the art computing machines to unravel the mysteries of the
Space exploration can be dated back to the age of European Renaissance, a historic age when arts and cultural transformation began. It was the same era when there gradual but widespread transition in educational reforms. Since then the flourishing art and science of stars and planets transformed in to the minute details of comets and meteors. The study, which started as the fundamental physical laws, governing the motions of planets around the sun, gave a great insight of not just our planet earth but also of millions of galaxies, which exist, in the world beyond us.
My interest in science dates back to my years in high school, where I excelled in physics, chemistry, and math. When I was a senior, I took a first-year calculus course at a local college (such an advanced-level class was not available in high school) and earned an A. It seemed only logical that I pursue a career in electrical engineering.
As aforementioned I am pursuing engineering after high school. Truly though my dream job would be theoretical physics as I have always looked up to minds such as Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein as the most brilliant of recent times. I do not feel that theoretical physics is a safe job outlet for me after high school as there are not as many job openings for it as engineering. The part of theoretical physics that really sparks my interest is the astronomical level of it, as stated earlier I look up to stephen hawking and would one day I would hope that I may have the opportunity to do what he does. I feel that engineering is a nice prerequisite and that the knowledge i could gain from the
Space has always been a pivotal and utmost important subject for many years. In the past, scientists have made monumental advances in this field such as sending people into orbit and landing a man on the moon. Of course, this has only barely been explored and we still have a lot more to see of the ever-vast outer space. One of the most significant topics of all of science has only been touched and there’s still more to come.
The scientific method is important to science because it is the foundation of scientific inquiry and without the contributions of many early scientists, there would not be a standardized method that helps to solve scientific problems or questions and there would not be a series of steps that can ultimately be used for more than just science. The scientific method is a process of experimentation. It is meant to explore scientific observations and data to reach a conclusion. In many ways it is the basis to reach a conclusion that is certain.