ASTRONOMY - study of all physical objects in space

History of Space – 10 min.

What a Wonderful World

I. History Timeline 50s – Russian Sputnik – 1 st satellite in space__

TIMELINE ___________________________________ 50s ’61 Alan Shepherd – 1 st American in space

TIMELINE ___________________________________ 50s ’61 ’62 John Glenn- orbits earth

TIMELINE ___________________________________ 50s ’61 ’62 ’68 around moon

Timeline ___________________________________ 50s ’61 ’62 ’68 ’69 Neal Armstrong 1 st to walk on moon Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

___________________________________ 50s ’61 ’62 ’68 ’69 80s space shuttle 1 st reusable spacecraft

TIMELINE __________________________________ 50s ’61 ’62 ’68 ’69 80s 1990s – Hubble space telescope

II. Universe A. 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 star 1. core made of H atoms  fuse to form  He 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 – CO 2 atm. (+H 2 SO 4 ) – traps heat; hottest planet; rotates opposite earth

c. Earth – 1.) H 2 O (life); N 2 & O 2 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 CO 2 (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 – 2 nd largest; ice & dust; 61 moons (Titan – 2 nd 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. 1 st Quarter – sunlight on the right ½

c. Full Moon – see whole moon; - after: amt. of light gets smaller (wanes) d. 3 rd 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. (1 st & 3 rd quarter) – 3 form 90 o 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