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Royal Observatory Greenwich
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Unusual orbits in the Andromeda galaxy
Produced by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, this uses understanding of Kepler’s third law and the Doppler equation guide a lesson on plotting and interpreting a velocity vs radius graph for the Andromeda galaxy. A brief overview of the lesson is provided for the teacher as well as key questions to ask students throughout the lesson. This is followed by a student led activity, students are asked to measure peak wavelengths of spectra and use this to calculate the radial velocity, using understanding of the Doppler equation. Relevant equations are briefly mentioned, but prior knowledge is necessary. Data is then used to plot a velocity vs radius graph and explain the curve. This is supported by teacher notes and answers.
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