Astronomy 1010-H Planetary Astronomy Fall_2015 Day-4

Cute and Science

Two-Minute Essay  My name is…  The scientist (living or dead, but real) I would most like to meet is:

Course Announcements Smartworks Chapter 1: Due Fri. (Sep. 4) Read Chapter 2.1, 2.2 Next week: Dark Night Observing on Tues. 9/8 & Thur. 9/10 Thurs. 9-3:    Meeting; watch for signs. Tues. 9-1: Volleyball 7pm Thurs. 9-3: “1 st Thursday Art Walk” downtown, 5pm Sat. 9-5: Football vs Mercer, 4pm; Tailgate at 1pm

Definitions & Terms -1 Cosmology: The study of the Universe, its beginning and ultimate fate. Constellation: A grouping of stars and everything in between. They have set boundaries (all N-S, E-W). There are 88 modern constellations recognized by the IAU. Scientific Method: A process for the methodical investigation of science. To be valid, it MUST be testable, and falsifiable. This separates science from pseudo- science (or non-science). Scientific Notation: A convenient method for writing large and small numbers.

Lecture-Tutorial: Sun Size – p. 113 Work with a partner Read the instructions and questions carefully Talk to each other and discuss your answers with each another Come to a consensus answer you both agree on If you get stuck or are not sure of your answer ask another group If you get really stuck or don’t understand what the Lecture Tutorial is asking as one of us for help

Colored Card Question: Where Are We? The Sun is part of: A.The Solar System. B.The Milky Way Galaxy. C.The universe. D.All the above.

Science vs. Authority Science is subversive. Old ideas can be falsified and rejected. New ideas must be supported by evidence. Authority often works by suppressing inquiry. Scientific authority can be overthrown by new or better evidence. Nature is the arbiter of science. It decides what ideas are good or bad.

Science Is Creative Science is one of many creative human activities. It has its own rules for deciding what is right and wrong. It is an important way for achieving knowledge and insight. There are also other valuable ways to achieve understanding.

Science Is an Exploration Ideas can be tested by observation. Telescopes, satellites, etc. extend our observations to the very large or very distant. Space exploration has expanded our view of planets and the Solar System. Astronomy is the science of the exploration of the Universe and the matter and energy it contains.

Science Is a Process Science is a method for learning about nature. The scientific method works like this: Ideas are tested against nature. Tests come from observation or calculation. The tests falsify some ideas and support others. All scientific knowledge is provisional.

A Scientific Result: We Are Stardust Our bodies contain many types of atoms. Except for the hydrogen in water (H 2 O), all the atoms were made in stars. Stars generate energy by making heavier elements out of light ones. They eject the material into space. New stars and planets (and humans) form out of the ejected material.

Hallmarks of Modern Science 1. Modern science seeks explanations for observed phenomena that rely solely on natural causes. 2. Science progresses through the creation and testing of models of nature that explain the observations as simply as possible. 3. A scientific model must make testable predictions about natural phenomena that would force us to revise or abandon the model if the predictions do not agree with observations.

Modern Science The Scientific Method. Observations Question Hypothesis Prediction Test Revise/More Predictions