It would take space travelers a very long time to reach the galaxy known as M82. This galaxy is about 12 million light-years away from Earth. It would take a spaceship about 12 million years to travel to M82 if the spaceship could travel at the speed of light!
Write a science-fiction story about traveling to M82. You will start by researching the M82 galaxy and space travel. Here are some questions to guide your research:
Why is M82 called a starburst galaxy?
What may have caused M82's rapid star formations?
How might the rapid star formation that is taking place in M82 affect space travel?
What plans might space travelers need to make in order to travel to M82?
What problems might space travelers face when traveling to M82?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web sites in Step 2. Look for answers to the questions above, and write down what you learn in the note-taking boxes.
With teacher supervision, you may use search engines to research other Web sites. You also can research the M82 galaxy and space travel at the library. When you are ready, follow Steps 3 and 4 to write your science-fiction story.
Step 2. Research
Research answers to the questions you were asked in Step 1. Visit these Web sites. Take notes about them on this page, too!
Toolbox Tip: Click here to learn what to do if you receive an error message.
