Astronomy is unusual in that so much professional level data collected by research-grade telescopes is freely available. As technology has advanced and capabilities have improved, more data are available. In undergraduate laboratory classes I have developed experiments that make use of professional datasets from radio astronomy facilities to enable students to get a feel for a new area within their field of study and to stimulate improvements in their coding abilities. In this contribution I will show an example of using a neutral hydrogen survey of the Milky Way galaxy to help students understand coordinate systems and explore the structure of our Galaxy, as well as introduce them to spectral line techniques, improve their programming skills, and offer them an open-ended investigation.

Biography:

I am a Reader in Astrophysics at the University of Lancashire in Preston, UK, studying galaxies in the nearby universe with radio telescopes and teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I regularly appear in the media talking about astronomy and space, deliver public lectures and schools workshops, and give talks at teacher training events. I am a member of IAU Division C steering committee, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, President of Shropshire Astronomical Society, and an Ambassador for Girlguiding North West England. I was awarded a British Empire Medal in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to Girlguiding during Covid-19, for delivering more than 60 planetarium shows to over 1400 girls in 6 months.