Welcome to Modern Astronomy Fall 2007 Initial pleasantries, who I am, who you are This should be the most interesting course you take in college National Solar ObservatoryNational Solar Observatory
The Sun is more interesting some times (wait 5 years)
Example 1: The “Dark Matter”
Example 2: Arcturus (see it tonight) Distance: 37 light years
Arcturus (bright star overhead) as an immigrant from another galaxy The Milky Way (and other galaxies) catch and devour small galaxies
Details from the Syllabus
The Sky Tonight The Sun sets (7:48 PM) Arcturus and Spica in the west (stars) Antares (star) and Jupiter in the south Vega (star) and the Milky Way overhead The Andromeda Nebula in the east Constellation of Scorpius Constellations Internet LinkConstellations Internet Link
Tomorrow Morning: Total Eclipse of the Moon Timetable for lunar eclipse
An Overview of the Solar System
Size scales in the solar system Basic unit: 1 meter 1 kilometer = 1000 meters = miles Diameter of Earth: kilometers (~ LA to Sydney) Closest object in space: Moon, 384,000 km average distance Most prominent object is astronomy: Sun, million kilometers; 1 Astronomical Unit demo
The Sun
Facts about the Sun Distance: million kilometers = 1.496E+11 meters = 1 astronomical unit Radius = 695,990 kilometers = 6.960E+08 meters (109 times radius of Earth) If Earth were scaled to 1 foot globe size, the Sun would extend from goal line to 30 yard line at Kinnick stadium The Sun, not the planets (including Earth) is the dominant object in the solar system