Back in Black

[mona_mcgill]

Week Name: "Meeting of the Minds"/Throughout the Week/Midnight
Location: Astronomy Tower
Open to: Any student taking Astronomy
Currently Involving: Professor McGill and students

Comments

Year 6

[mona_mcgill]

In your own words, write a 6 inch essay on the process of solar evolution. Be sure to start with the Proton-Proton Chain or CNO cycle and end with a black dwarf. Don't forget to explain It can only evolve into a black dwarf, and nothing else.

Roll Call:
William Sparrow
Nicholette DuBois
Arisu Ryusaki
Soren Sigurd
Cyrus Weller
Shihoko Kazue
Julian O'Brien
Alexis Winchester
Blaze Maslin
Bran Rhys

Re: Year 6

[sorensigurd]

For the one time that Soren had actually come to class ontime and as the first person there, the class topic just had to be essay writing. His lucky star sure wasn't shining tonight.

Sighing, he choose a seat to the furthest back corner of the room (and perhaps one of the darkest ones too) and sat himself down, tossing his bag onto his desk. He had skipped last class but not this class, luckily, he recalled some rough details on the topic so unless there had been a lesson last week, he was still good.

Good enough to take a nap first at least. He crossed his arms on his desk and laid his head down.

Re: Year 6

[mona_mcgill]

Mona was wandering through the room, answering questions if their were any and offering helpful advice where it was needed. She came across Mr. Sigurd, sprawled on his desk, asleep. She frowned slightly not sure whether to wake him up or not. On one hand, it was scientific fact that growing bodies needed sleep. On the other hand, this was an important essay due at the end of class, and Mr. Sigurd had missed the previous class.

Deciding that he could sleep after class, she gently shook his shoulder. "Mr. Sigurd, please be aware that your assignment is due at the end of class. If you're not feeling well, you have my permission to see Madam Pomfrey. Otherwise, it would be wise to get started."

Re: Year 6

[williamsparrow]

A few moments later, another sixth year scrambled into the Astronomy Tower, looking as though he'd just pulled himself from a sound slumber, himself. "Ah, sorry I'm late!" he lamented, giving Professor McGill a deeply apologetic look (not to be confused with his 'puppy eyes' look, which was similar but not quite the same) and plopping himself down into an empty chair.

Near Soren, for good measure. He hadn't seemed to realize that that's who he was seated near until he actually turned and caught sight of the blond, grinning sheepishly.

"What'd I miss?"

Year 7

[mona_mcgill]

Using the equations in your text book, solve the following problems:

1) Determine the combined mass of the two stars in a binary system whose period of mutual revolution is 6 years and for which the semi-major axis of the relative orbit is 5 AU.

2) How many times as massive as the Sun would you expect a star to be that is 1000 times a luminous?

3) The true relative orbit of a star has a semi-major axis of 3", and the parallax of the system is 0.15". The period is 30 years. What is the sum of the masses of the two stars in solar values?

You may work with other students, however, each student will be required to turn in their own answer sheet. Be sure to show work.

Roll Call:

Wesley Broderick
Mona Morrissey
Lyric McAllister
Iago Andrews
Rylie Logan

Re: Year 7

[rylielogan]

Rylie was perfectly content with walking up the many stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower. It was a class that in her seventh year, she simply couldn't drop. Maybe she was meant to be constantly looking upward, or maybe she liked what was bright, but either way Astronomy was one of her favourite classes.

She hoped that she was arriving on time. She hadn't really checked the time, and she had been concentrating on a new plot for a story she was thinking of writing. Time flies when you aren't thinking about time, apparently.

She smiled as she reached the classroom and began to assemble her supplies.

"Stunning," she said under her breath, amazed by the clear night sky.