Now that I am done with my research, I can say that I have learned a lot about the research process. Of course I have learned tons about astrophysics, but more primarily, the process. Specifically, I have learned a lot about photometry. There are a lot of things that I needed to consider when it comes to accuracy including calibration, different colored stars, and more. Though professionals have used this process for a while, applying it to amateur astronomy has definitely needed changes. I have also learned a lot about my equipment and the things that need to come together for a good image. I look forward to taking higher quality "pretty" images this summer with what I've learned. But most importantly, I will carry into college the research skills that I have gained. Specifically, time management and the importance of planning is important. Without a pretrial, it is difficult to create accurate and relatively unbiased research, so it has really forced me to tihnk about things ahead of time. It is also super important to keep up with things in order to avoid getting behind with research.
The presentation and oral defense were successful due to the amount of planning and practicing I did. I came to the workshops and worked for a while before I had to actually present. By then, I knew the research so well that I was able to go without note cards, and if I missed something or messed up, I knew how to reintegrate it into the presentation without losing any time or immersion. This planning, especially when it comes to the skill of bringing complex topics to non-expert audiences, was even more important for my research paper, so by the time I got there, it was much easier to write concisely. The paper itself forced me to furhter learn the APA formatting requirements, and maintain a good, concise word count.
For myself, I learned that the joy of successful or unsuccessful research is worth the pain that comes in the process sometimes. Having to adjust my research, I got behind at times, and the work was significant. I wanted to cut corners sometimes, and knowing it was "just a high school class" came into mind. But maintaining consistent work will defnintiely be something I remember to continue going forward into college and resaerch later. It was more than worth that push and effort for the results that I got. For myself, it was proof that I can work hard for a long time to achieve something that I am passionate about and it reminded me of that passion for the field, even as it waned during the process.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mrs. Dobos and Mr. McBride for helping me throughout this process and providing a place to actually accomplish all of this work. It isn't every day to have two knowledgeable teachers that can really support high-level research. Additionally, I would like to thank Mr. Sassali and Mrs. Burnham for teaching many of the research skills I used this year in AP Seminar last year. Thank you Dr. Igel for helping with me understand statistics within the project and generally. Thanks for your help and advice with college. I appreciate that immensely. Thank you to Mr. Sassali, Dr. Bell, and Mr. Dale for coming to my presentation and supporting me during this process. Lastly, thank you to my parents, Charl Blom, Charles Raitsev, Skylar Davis, and my lovely girlfriend Serena Thomas for coming to my presentation, supporting me, or giving me advice for the future.
Abstract
The 20th century saw incredible advances in science, health, and social progress. One of the greatest areas of development was in the field of astrophysics and space exploration. One of the greatest developments in astrophysics has been our ability to determine distances to astronomical objects. The three primary objects that allow us to calculate distances are Cepheid variable stars, stars in the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), and, most importantly, Type Ia supernovae. My research centered around the question: to what extent can amateur astronomers determine the distances to host galaxies of Type Ia supernovae. The reason distance measurments are important is because they are one step to determining the rate that the universe is expanding. This rate is being contested by astronomers right now as some of these methods discussed disagree in the rate that they give. This has profound applications for astrophysics as a whole because it signals that our understanding of the universe may be incomplete. That being said amateur contribution is not about the highest quality data but a vast amount of good quality data. While the amateur astronomy community is beat by the accuracy of space telescopes or high-altitude observatories, they have tens of thousands of people around the globe capable of contribution. The method I used to determine distance is uses a difference in apparent and actual brightness for these objects. I measure the brightness using a process called photometry, and I part of my research was the accuracy of this alone. Overall, the distance I found was for the Type Ia supernova 2025rbs. The distance I determined was 45.61 million light years.
My Next Steps
Next year I am pursuing a dual-degree in aerospace engineering and astrophysics at CU Boulder. Later, I want to get a master's degree and/or PhD in astrophysics. Long-term, I would love to work on a mission like Perseverance or Artemis at NASA, or work in academia on the frontier of modern astrophysics.
My Presentation and Paper