Astronomers use simulations to understand galaxy formation. You can simulate it, too!

Dr. Allan Sandage (a student of the famous Edwin Hubble) wrote a review paper in 2004 about the morphological classification of galaxies (https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.astro.43.112904.104839 (Links to an external site.). You probably need to be within Mizzou’s network to view it.). In the end of the review, he gave some recipes to make galaxies in kitchen.

Please read Section 8.2 of the review (attached here as a PDF), follow the recipe, and make a barred spiral galaxy in your kitchen. (In case you forgot, our Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy!)

you need to:

(1) take three pictures (not of you, but your galaxy) during your simulation at different stages;

(2) print out your pictures and turn them in:

(3) search for images of four real barred spiral galaxies online, print them out (BW is ok), write down their names, and turn them in as well;

(4) write a few paragraphs (TYPED, please) of summary and discussion: (a) What did you do, when, and how? (b) Is your barred galaxy similar to those online? What’s the possible reason of them being similar or not? (c) What you learn from the simulation about the formation of barred spiral galaxies?