ASTRONOMY - study of all physical

objects in space

History of Space – 10 min.

What a Wonderful World

I. History Timeline50s – Russian Sputnik – 1st satellite in space__

TIMELINE___________________________________

50s ’61

Alan Shepherd – 1st American

in space

TIMELINE

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50s ’61 ’62

John Glenn-

orbits earth

TIMELINE

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50s ’61 ’62 ’68

around

moon

Timeline

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50s ’61 ’62 ’68 ’69

Neal

Armstrong

1st to walk

on moon

Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

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50s ’61 ’62 ’68 ’69 80s

space shuttle

1st reusable

spacecraft

TIMELINE

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50s ’61 ’62 ’68 ’69 80s 1990s –

Hubble

space

telescope

II. UniverseA. Distance measured

1. light year – distance light travels through space in one yr.

2. Astronomical Unit (A.U.) – distance between earth & sun (93 million miles)

B. Galaxy – large group of stars that travel together

1. star – giant ball of hot glowing gases

- Constellation – sections w/patterns

2. Milky Way – spiral shape

III. Our Solar System – sun + 8 planets

A. Planetary Motion

1. revolution – planets orbit around sun; causes 1 year

2. rotation – spins on axis; causes day/night

B. Sun – closest star1. core made of H atoms fuse to

formHe atoms - (nuclear fusion)

2. Gravity – keeps planets in orbit

3. Sunspots – dark areas on surface (cooler gases)

The Sun – 2:45

C. Planets – My very educated mother just served us nachos

1. Inner Planets – small & dense; rocky

a. Mercury – no atmosphere; ½ HOT & ½ FREEZING; No life

b. Venus – CO2 atm. (+H2SO4) – traps heat; hottest planet; rotates opposite earth

c. Earth –

1.) H2O (life); N2 & O2 atmos.;

2.) 1 moon (Luna) – natural satellite: object that orbits a planet

3.) Tilted at 23.5 degree angle in relation to the sun – gives us our SEASONS

4. North Pole always pointed toward Polaris – North Star –

d. Mars – “Red Planet” – red soil; mainly CO2 (cold); 2 tiny moons

Inner Planets

Asteroid Belt – separates inner & outer Planets; most asteroids found here

2. Outer Planets – gas giants (rings); no known solid surfaces

a. Jupiter – largest; 62 moons; thin set of rings; “Great Red Spot” – hurricane-like storm

b. Saturn – 2nd largest; ice & dust; 61 moons (Titan – 2nd largest moon); known for large rings

C. Uranus – axis runs sideways; 27 moons

d. Neptune – “The Blue World”; crosses Pluto’s path to switch positions; winds up to 700 mph; 13 moons

(Pluto – dwarf planet)

Outer Planets

D. Moons

1. all (exc. Mercury/Venus) have moon (s)

2. reflect light

3. Phases – different appearance

a. New Moon – no sunlight facing earth; moon between sun & earth;

- after: amt. of light gets larger (waxes)

b. 1st Quarter – sunlight on the right ½

c. Full Moon – see whole moon;

- after: amt. of light gets smaller (wanes)

d. 3rd Quarter – sunlight on left side

4. Takes 27 1/3 days

Phases of the Moon – 2:38

5. Eclipse – shadow of one body falls on another

a. lunar eclipse – earth comes between the sun & moon; shadow of earth covers moon; turns red (bloody MES)

Lunar Eclipse - :30

b. Solar Eclipse – moon comes between earth & sun; shadow of moon covers earth; can blind you; (EMS)

Solar Eclipse – 1:13

6. Tides – rise & fall of Earth’s water; gravity causes it

a. high tide – moon’s gravity pulls water toward point on Earth’s surface closest to moon

b. spring tide – 2x/mo. (new & full moon) – earth, moon, & sun line up: very high & very low tide

c. neap tide – 2x/mo. (1st & 3rd quarter) – 3 form 90o angle; tides w/least difference

E. Other small bodies

1. Asteroids – small rocky objects that orbit sun; in Asteroid Belt (between Mars & Jupiter)

2. Comets – ball of ice & dust – orbits sun; 10 miles across & tail 100 million miles (as tail passes near sun, it melts & evaporates forming glowing tail)

Haley’s Comet

3. Meteoroid – piece of rock or dust in space from asteroids or comets

a. meteor – “Shooting Star” meteoroid enter atmosphere – burn streak of light

Shooting Star

b. meteorite – doesn’t burn completely & falls to ground

c. meteor shower – when Earth passes through dusty debris left behind the orbit of a comet

Meteors, Meteoroids, Meteorites