Distance to the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy: An Experiment for Intermediate-Level Students Using Research Data and Professional Analysis Tools
Abstract
The most recent data on stars orbiting Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, have been used in an experiment undertaken by second-year university students to determine the distance Rθ to the center of the galaxy. Students applied each of Kepler’s 17th-century laws, in turn, to 21st-century data. The experiment, pedagogic considerations, and student learning are described.
Date
23/07/2008
Citation
Fitzgerald, M. T., Feteris, S. M., Gillessen, S., & Eisenhauer, F. (2008). Distance to the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy: An Experiment for Intermediate-Level Students Using Research Data and Professional Analysis Tools. Astronomy Education Review, 7(1),
