NAT 161 – 2021 Fall‘Astronomy: Explore the Night Sky’Dr. Ian Shelton Research Report: Exploring the Messier Catalog The French astronomer Charles Messier XXXXXXXXXXcompiled a catalogue to guide...

This assignment is a research-based paper about Messier 82. The word count must be 1500 words with a reference page included.


NAT 161 – 2021 Fall‘Astronomy: Explore the Night Sky’Dr. Ian Shelton Research Report: Exploring the Messier Catalog The French astronomer Charles Messier (1730 - 1817) compiled a catalogue to guide comet hunters so they wouldn’t be confused by objects that he thought looked like comets. After revisions by later astronomers, his catalog now contains a total of 110 celestial objects. The catalogue contains galaxies, emission nebulae, a supernova remnant, globular star clusters, open star clusters, a star cloud, and planetary nebulae. This catalog is now considered to be a list of the sky’s brightest and often best examples for most of these types of objects. Your objective is to research & write a Report about Messier object M82 Cigar Galaxy. [When answering the following questions, assume the sky is always clear and no light pollution.] (i) Use Stellarium website to explore the object’s visibility from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and specifically answer: (i-a) What is the highest (in degrees) it ever gets in the sky from Toronto, Ontario, Canada? (i-b) What month is best to see it if you are looking an hour after sunset? (i-c) Can it be seen all night long from where you live? (ii) Describe the object’s appearance when viewed by (ii-a) unaided eye; (ii-b) through ~7x binoculars; and (ii-c) using a small (50x) telescope. (iii) Give details about the object’s true physical structure, size, composition, distance and scientific significance. You are expected to consult websites and resources provided by experts and authorities to create your Report. You MUST write the Report using your own words, not “cut-and-pasting” the words and thoughts of others. Submission Guidelines for the Research Report: · A minimum of 1200 words (maximum 1500 words) is REQUIRED, either double-spaced or 1.5 spaced. The submission MUST be in PDF format. Photos, illustrations, etc. can be added to your Report and do not count as part of the word count. · Citations are REQUIRED for all sources using APA (American Psychological Association) Style (see: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/intext”). This should consist of in-text citations and a full reference list at the end of your Report. There may be a 2-mark deduction if a non-APA referencing system is used. · Resources can be used from https://library.senecacollege.ca/ to be sourced/cited on the report.