What Are Innovative Astronomy Research Topics for Freshman Students?

[EllaM]

I'm a freshman taking an intro to astronomy course. I was assigned a research paper on a topic in astronomy. I have to analyze a data set. Can i please have some ideas for topics? These are some examples:  What is the relationship between the mass of a black hole’s singularity and the distance of the event horizon?
 How does Pluto’s size, composition, and orbit compare to that of other dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt?
 What is the relationship between a planet’s orbital velocity and its ability to alter the directional path and speed of “flybys” (gravitational slingshot)?
 What is the relationship between axial tilt, diameter, and rotational period of a planet and the variance of its average annual surface temperature?
 How does solar activity affect Earth’s temperature patterns?
 How do changing seasons during a Jovian planet’s orbit affect its visible cloud bands?
 What is the relationship between the change in intensity of coronal mass injections and the amount of times that visible aurora borealis occur?
 What is the relationship between the change in global temperature and the consumption and flaring of fossil fuels?
 Using a planetary data set and a computer model that calculates aphelion and perihelion of Earth at various degrees of eccentricity, what is the relationship between the eccentricity of a planet’s orbit and the angular size of the star in that planet’s sky over the course of the planet’s orbital period?

I cannot use those because they have been done in the previous semester

 

[AndyW]

I would recommend looking into the following topics for your research paper:

1. The impact of space weather on Earth's atmosphere: You can analyze data sets from different satellites and ground-based observations to understand how solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other space weather events affect Earth's atmosphere and climate.

2. The search for exoplanets: With the recent advancements in exoplanet detection methods, there is a wealth of data available to study the characteristics of these distant worlds. You can choose to focus on a specific type of exoplanet (e.g. super-Earths, hot Jupiters) or compare the data from different exoplanets to understand their formation and evolution.

3. The role of dark matter in galaxy formation: Dark matter is a mysterious substance that makes up a significant portion of our universe. You can analyze data from galaxy surveys and simulations to investigate the role of dark matter in the formation and evolution of galaxies.

4. The effects of gravitational lensing on distant objects: Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon where the gravitational field of a massive object bends the path of light from a distant object. You can use data from gravitational lensing events to study the properties of the lensing object and the lensed object.

5. The relationship between the age of a star and the presence of exoplanets: By analyzing data from surveys like the Kepler mission, you can investigate whether there is a correlation between the age of a star and the likelihood of it having exoplanets.

Remember, these are just a few suggestions and you can always explore other topics in astronomy that interest you. Good luck with your research paper!