Conduct a research study looking at the detailed history of the stars.

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Mohini Yagnik

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‘TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU ARE’

THE HISTORY OF THE STARS IN THE SKY

TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR,

HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU ARE.

UP ABOVE THE WORLD SO HIGH,

LIKE A DIAMOND IN THE SKY.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR,

HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU ARE.

Aim: Conduct a research study looking at the detailed history of the stars.

Background Knowledge:

As we stare up into the sky, we see tranquil, bright lights twinkling gently at us. However, stars are actually exciting, dynamic objects in the Universe. Stars are great balls of burning gas – larger and hotter than one can ever imagine. During previous years of primary and secondary school, I have learnt a little about stars. For example, I know that the Sun is the Earth’s parent star. In the core of the Sun, nuclear reactions that involve hydrogen and helium take place. This creates huge amounts of energy, which is radiated as light and heat energy. The Sun sources almost all the light and heat energy on Earth – without it, the Earth would be a cold and desert place. I also know that stars give out light at all times. However, the intensity of the Sun’s light blocks out other stars during the day. This is not necessarily because the Sun is the most luminous star, but because it is closest to us. For example, a star called ‘Sirius’ is 26 times brighter than the Sun, but as it is so far away, it seems less bright. The stars make patterns known as constellations. These constellations all have names. For example, there is ‘Orion’s Belt’, ‘The Plough’, ‘Leo the Lion’, and many others. Interestingly enough, stars in the Northern Hemisphere seem to rotate anti-clockwise around ‘Polaris’ – more commonly known as the Pole or North Star. In the Southern Hemisphere, stars seem to rotate clockwise. The truth is that stars do not move at all. It is the Earth that rotates on its axis, which induces one to believe that the stars are moving. Stars are formed when the gases and dust in galaxies are pulled together by gravitational forces.  

Plan:

I hold a great interest in this topic of Physics – however, my knowledge of stars alone is very generalised. Hence, my aim is to increase my knowledge and learn details of all the major aspects related to a star. My preliminary research has included visiting museums such as the Science museum and Natural History museum in London, where exhibitions based on the universe include details about the stars and history of how they came around. I have also visited the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which features great information on astronomy. As well as this, I have researched textbooks, CD-ROMs, carried out a number of Internet searches and watched various different astronomy related programmes on television and videos. Further to this, I will continue researching throughout the duration of my work. I have a great many questions – and hope that by the end of this research piece, I will have found all the answers.

Join now!

‘Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder…’ what you are (the astrophysics and content of a star), how far you are (distance between Earth and stars), how you came about (the birth of a star), when you were (the life and death of a star), and where you are (the galaxies).  

Results:

Astrophysics is a sector part of astronomy. It combines chemistry and physics to find answers about extraterrestrial objects including stars. The content of stars is always determined by astrophysics. Content can vary from star to star. In some gases of stars, the air could be ...

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