Astronomy Midterm

speed of light equation

c=f(wavelength)

Parage

closest part of the orbit

Apage

farthest part of the orbit

What limits the functions of telescopes?

the atmosphere

Cosmic Rays are made of

90% protons (H)

9% alpha (He)

1% neutrons

1% electrons

Up Quarks

have a +2/3 charge

Down Quarks

have a -1/3 charge

Supernova

when a star dies it scatters cosmic rays

AU

distance from planet to planet

LY

distance from star to star

c

3.0×10^8 m

Keplers law

p²=a³

p

years

a

au, semi major axis, distance from planet

Refracting

uses lenses

more historical

Reflecting

uses mirrors

telescope

Things that telescopes do:

make things bigger, make things closer, gather light into one area

What area of the telescope is the thing that does the magnifying

the eyepiece

Order of heliocentric and geocentric stuff:

1. geocentric

2. epicycle

3. heliocentric

4. ellipse

5. more evidence for heliocentric

Who did geocentric?

we don’t know

Who discovered the epicycle

Ptolemy

Who discovered heliocentric

Copernicus

Who discovered ellipses

Kepler and Brahe

Who came up with more evidence

Galileo

How did Galileo's discoveries help support the heliocentric theory?

he used a telescope and saw craters/terrain on the moon

he notices you can walk on the moon and that it is not light

he also found the moons of jupiter which showed that earth is not a the center and that stuff can go around other planets as well

What did Galileo discover about light

light is fast

Giga

10^9

Nano

10^-9

Mega

10^6

Kilo

10³

Phases of Venus from earth

full, new

Moon Phases

new, first, full, third

New moon

can’t see

First quarter moon

right side shown

Full moon

full shown

Third quarter moon

left side shown

Solar eclipse order:

sun, moon, earth

Lunar eclipse order:

sun earth moon

Altitude

up and down degrees

Azimuth

n.s.e.w degrees

Equatorial - Celestial sphere

planets always changing but stars are always the same

Celestial sphere:

RA (right ascension) and Dec (declination) are the coordinates on the sky that correspond to longitude and latitude on earth

RA measures east and west on the celestial sphere and is like longitude on Earth (hours)

Dec measures north and south on the celestial sphere and is like latitude on earth (stars)

Umbra:

the very darkest part of the moon's shadow

Penumbra:

the lighter part of a shadow where light is partially blocked

Spectroscopy definition

The study of the properties of light that depend on wavelength.

4 forces

gravity, electromagnetic, strong, weak

Electromagnetic forces have

photons

Strong forces have

glaucon’s

Weak forces have

bozons

What is the center of an atom?

nucleus

What is the nucleus made up of?

protons and neutrons

What is the particles that mediate the force pushing the protons and neutrons together in a nucleus?

Glaucon’s

How was helium named?

sun-gas

Gravitational waves

bending of space and time

Electrons excited:

absorption

Emission spectrum:

different for every atom/element

helps ID atoms

General relativity explains

gravity

Bend space time affects

motion

Gravity travels at a (BLANK) speed compared to light

equal

Kepler's 3 Laws

An orbit is an ellipse

Equal triangles in equal times

P²=A³

A scientific theory is capable of:

being disproved

Newtons law:

F=ma

Acceleration:

The gradual accumulation of matter by an astronomical body, usually caused by gravity.

Angle:

The opening between two straight lines that meet at a point

Angular diameter:

the arc angle across an object

Annular eclipse

sun is directly behind the moon but a ring of sunlight can be seen around the blackened moon

Angular momentum

a measure of how much energy an object has stored in its rotation and/or revolution

Arc angle

The measurement of the angle between two objects or two parts of the same object

Aphelion

The point in its orbit where a planet or other solar system body is farthest from the sun

asterism

the pattern of relatively bright stars associated with a constellation

asteroid

Any of the rock and metal object larger than about 10 meters that orbits the sun

autumnal equinox

The intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator where the Sun crosses the equator from north to south.

The beginning of autumn (sep 23)

black hole

An object in space whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape

celestial equator

a great circle on the celestial sphere 90° from the celestial poles; where the celestial sphere intersects the plane of Earth's equator

Circumpolar star

All the stars that never set at a given latitude. In the northern hemisphere, there are all the stars between Polaris and the northern horizon.

comet

A small body of ice and rock in orbit about the sun while passing near the sun, a comets vaporized ice give rise to a coma, tails, and hydrogen envelope.

constellation

Any of the 88 contiguous regions that cover the entire celestial sphere, including all the objects in each region; also, a configuration of stars often named after an object, a person, or an animal.

degree

A unit of angle measure or a temperature measure.

diurnal motion

cyclic motion with a 1-day period

eclipse path

The track of the tip of the Moon's shadow along Earth's surface during a total or annular solar eclipse

ecliptic

The annual path of the Sun on the celestial sphere; the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun.

equinox

either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the celestial equator and is therefore directly over earths equator.

gravity

The tendency of all matter and energy to attract all other matter

line of nodes

The line along which the plane of the Moon's orbit intersects the plane of the ecliptic.

meteoroid

a small rock in interplanetary space.

north celestial pole

The location on the celestial sphere directly above the Earth's northern rotation pole.

partial eclipse

a lunar or solar eclipse in which the eclipsed object does not appear completely covered

penumbral eclipse

a lunar eclipse in which the Moon passes only through earth’s penumbra

precession

A slow, conical motion of Earth's axis of rotation caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun on Earth's equatorial bulge.

precession of the equinoxes

the slow westward motion of the equinoxes along the ecliptic because of Earth's precession

revolution

The orbit of one body about another.

rotation

The spinning of a body about an axis passing through it.

scientific notation

The style of writing large and small numbers using the powers of ten.

sidereal month

the period of the Moon's revolution about Earth measured with respect to the stars.

sidereal period

the orbital period of one object about another measured with respect to the stars

solar corona

the sun's outer atmosphere

solar day

From noontime to the next noontime; for Earth it is 24 hours

south celestial pole

The location on the celestial sphere directly above Earth's south rotation pole.

summer solstice

The point on the ecliptic where the Sun is farthest north of the celestial equator. Also used to refer to the date on which the Sun passes through this point.

synodic month

The period of revolution of the Moon with respect to the Sun; the length of one cycle of lunar phases; 29 1/2 Earth days