PHY103 Papers

Dr. Nidhal Guessoum

Spring 2019
Due: Saturday May 11, 2019 @ 11:59 pm.

The Assignment:
Choose 1 topic from the following list (on a “first come, first served” basis: you’ll need to
come to my office to register the topic and confirm that it has not been taken by someone else).
Find at least 1 book and 1 magazine article, and no more than 2 websites, to use as
sources and references for your paper; make sure you cite your references fully (including
page numbers). Ask the librarians to assist you in finding relevant references, including from
online resources.
The paper, to be submitted through SafeAssign on or before the deadline, must be 1500-2000
words long; please use 1.5-line spacing. The paper should contain the following sections: cover
page, table of contents, introduction, main sections, summary and conclusions,
references/bibliography.
This will count as 10 % of your total grade.

The Topics:
1. Amateur Telescopes 2. Ancient Calendars
3. Ancient, non-Arab Astronomy 4. Arab/Islamic Astronomy
5. Visibility of the Crescent: theory and 6. Astrolabes
observation
7. Best Observatory Locations in the World 8. Astrology
9. Astronomical Misconceptions 10. Astronomy and Architecture
12. What celestial objects can be seen
11. Astronomical Disasters during the day?
13. Astronomy and Space Travel 14. Astronomy and Science Fiction
15. Astronomy in Movies 16. Astronomy Documentaries
17. Astronomy & Art 18. Women Astronomers
19. Pre-telescope observatories 20. Astrophotography
21. Light Pollution 22. Auroras
23. Constellations 24. Dwarf Planets
25. Tides 26. Eclipses
27. Recent and Upcoming Total Solar Eclipses 28. Asteroids
29. Meteorites 30. Extra-Solar Planets
31. Earth-like planets 32. If the Earth did not have a moon
33. Future Big Telescopes 34. The Kepler Telescope
35. The TESS satellite (search for exoplanets) 36. Future Giant Telescopes
37. Life on Mars 38. Life in the Solar System
40. The Fermi Paradox: why have we not
39. Life Outside the Solar System seen any aliens?
41. Past Missions to the Moon 42. Future Missions to the Moon
43. Water on the Moon 44. The UAE’s Hope Mission to Mars
45. Water on Mars 46. Water in the Universe
47. Meteor Showers 48. Radio Telescopes
49. Near-Earth Objects 50. Recent Comets
51. Solar Flares 52. Zodiacal Light (False Dawn)
53. Supernovae 54. The Milky Way Galaxy
55. Big Bang 56. Black Holes
57. Radiation in Space 58. Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
59. The Parker Sun Probe 60. Stars’ Colors (Intrinsic and Apparent)
61. Variable Stars 62. Binary Stars
63. Pulsars 64. Spiral Galaxies
65. Quasars 66. Acceleration of the Universe