1. Foundations of Astronomy
WELCOME!!!!

2. Introductions Two Truths and A Lie
What do you hope to get out of this class?

3. Goals of the course Help you develop:
a basic understanding of the central ideas of astronomy
an appreciation for the role astronomy has played in shaping the consciousness of the world in the past, at present and what the future holds.
a real world perspective for how astronomy is connected to your daily lives
the skills and motivation to pursue life long learning and become a valuable member of the workforce and our society

4. You Live in THIS Universe; Live With It or Leave!!
“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another which states that this has already happened.”
by Douglas Adams, from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

5. Science is not… A list of previously known facts about nature
A list of equations handed down from Ancient times
A set of laws that were discovered by Dead White Guys a long time ago and are kept from the general public

6. Science Is… a continuing process that
seeks to understand the rules and laws of nature
uses systematic observations
uses mathematical models
experimentally tests ideas
subject to independent verification
These are the components of the scientific method (observe, theorize, predict, test and modify) used to comprehend the universe.

7. What do Astronomers do? Make observations using telescopes
Analyze data/results of observation
Create theories about what is seen and what might exist yet unseen
Create computer models that simulate what occurs in the universe
Invent, design, and build instruments that let us see beyond the Earth!
BUT, most astronomers do NOT spend much time looking through telescopes

8. A scientific theory is a collection of ideas that explain a phenomenon in a way that is consistent with laws, observations and experiments.

9. Understanding the Universe!!

10. Moon Laser
Experiment

12. Viking I Lander Picture from 1976

13. 1999 Picture from the Mars Pathfinder Lander
Note the remote-control rover, Sojourner, next to a Martian rock

14. 2004 Opportunity Landing Site – and tracks

15. We did it!! Huygens takes first images of Titan and survives the crash landing!!

16. Happiest Geeks in the World

17. Voyager 1 Almost out of the Solar system Launched 1977
Travels 38, mph max

21. Telescopes gather light emitted from objects in the universe

33. Too Much to Comprehend!

34. Skywalker or http://www.aip.de/groups/galaxies/sw/udf/index.php

35. The number of stars in the universe today is approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on all the beaches of Earth!!

36. The numbers in astronomy are so large, and small, that astronomers use scientific notation.
100 = 1
101 = 10
102 = 100
103 = x 103 = 5,300
104 = 10, x 104 = 89,000
and, for small numbers
10-1 = 0.1
10-2 = x 10-2 = 0.021
10-3 = x 10-3 =

37. Astronomical distances and sizes are very very very very large
Astronomical distances and sizes are very very very very large. So, astronomers use different units.
One “Astronomical Unit” (AU)
average distance between Sun and Earth
93,000,000 miles
150,000,000 km
1.5 x 108 km
Distance Light Travels in One Year is a “Light-year” (LY)
9.46 x 1012 km
63,000 AU or 6.3x 104 AU
0.307 parsecs (pc)

39. SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.

40. SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.
At the scale of the size of a planet or moon we describe things in terms of kilometers (km)

41. SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.
At the scale of the Solar System distances are described in terms of the Astronomical Unit or AU (ave. distance from Earth to the Sun).

42. SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.

43. Solar System Distances
I would like you guys to create a scale model system of the solar system.
Use points on Earth as references.
For example: 1 AU = 5 Miles
If the Sun is located here at this school,
The Earth would be in Red Bank, etc.

44. SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.
At the scale of the Milky Way Galaxy distances are described in terms of Light-years which is the distance light travels in one year.

45. A few to about 1,000 Light-years
Thousands of km
Astronomical Unit
A few to about 1,000 Light-years
10,000 to 100,000 Light-years
Millions of Light-years
SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.
Billions of Light-years

46. SO my job is simple – I’m just trying to teach you about the this little thing we call the universe while using a foreign language. My promise to you, I will endevour to keep it as simple and understandable as I can!! I’ll always try to stay away from jargon if possible.