Research Question
Make a map of the universe. The easiest way to make this map is to search a wide range of RA and a narrow range of dec to get a 2-D slice through the full 3-D map. But can you make a map in 3-D?
What does the universe look like? Can you quantify the spacing between walls of galaxies?
Things you might think about
- What does redshift mean?
- Can you convert redshift to distance? Do you need to?
- How does the expansion of the universe affect the map?
Tool that might help you
SQL Search: use this tool to write complex Structured Query Language (SQL) searches for galaxies that you can use to make your map.
[sqlsearchwp-casjobs num=”0″]
Science background (new windows)
SDSS “How Big is Big?” press release, about the scale of the universe
What is large-scale structure?
Hints and cautions (new windows)
Your data is polar (redshift -> r, RA -> θ), while Excel can only graph x-y quantities. How will you overcome this problem?