Overview
Phys 1403 – Stars and Galaxies - Research paper
Please take a few minutes to read over the instructions for your research paper.
Your paper must be submitted to the Phys 1403 - Research paper
The use of generative AI tools like (but not limited to) Chat GPT is not permitted for
this research paper. For research and writing assistance please work with our writing
tutors and the library.
1. Please pick one from the following topics:
• Galactic collisions
• Hubble Space telescope
• Chandra X-ray Observatory
• The age of the universe
2. Your paper must be at least four full pages. You will be penalized if your paper is
shorter than four full pages (not including your title, header and works cited page).
Please use 12 pt Times New Roman font and double-space your text.
3. You will be writing a brief paper about one of the topics given above. A good paper
will focus on the following:
• Some context - Why is this object or topic important and interesting to the
field of astronomy?
• What is the most current knowledge in the field (if applicable)? (You will not
be able to write about everything, so choose a few important discoveries. Please
note the word "current" - you should report on the most recent information you
can find, not information from a few decades ago.)
• What unanswered questions remain?
When creating your paper, start with an introduction paragraph. The last sentence of
this paragraph should be your thesis statement, which lays out your argument for the
paper. The body paragraphs of your paper should be arranged logically so that your
writing flows from one topic to another. Your paper should also end with a conclusion
paragraph.