Astronomy 88: Course Overview & The Nature of Science Flashcards

Vocabulary and key concept flashcards covering course logistics, scientific principles, historical solar system models, and basic astronomical concepts from Astronomy 88.

Dr. Sandhya Rao

Astrophysics Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Pitt and instructor for Astronomy 88.

Pseudoscience

A belief, statement, or practice that claims to be both scientific and factual but is incompatible with the scientific method.

Scientific Method

A process where scientists gather physical evidence, use logic and skepticism to make inferences, construct theoretical models based on observed properties, and test predictions with additional observations.

Scientific Theory

A tried and tested description of nature based on data that explains observed phenomena; it is never $100\%$ provable and must be modified or discarded if a single new observation disagrees with it.

Carcinogenic

A property of substances, such as many pesticides, that are known to cause cancer.

Astronomy Etymology

Derived from the Greek words αστρον (astron, meaning star) and νομος (nomos, meaning arrangement or order), defining the science that studies the nature of stars and all celestial bodies in the Universe.

Earthrise

A photograph taken in $1968$ by Apollo $8$ astronaut William Anders that provides perspective on planet Earth and our place in the Universe.

Oort Cloud

A region located at $100,000\,\text{AU}$ in the Solar System from which comets originate.

Ancient Greek Solar System Model

A model from $500\,\text{BCE}$ proposing an Earth-centered universe with circular orbits.

Copernican Solar System Model

A model from $1500\,\text{CE}$ proposing a Sun-centered universe with circular orbits.

Modern Solar System Orbit Model

The understanding that planetary orbits are ellipses governed by Newton's laws of gravity and more accurately by Einstein's theory of General Relativity.

Provisional Knowledge

The core principle that all scientific knowledge is temporary and subject to being discarded or revised to fit reality as new evidence arises.

Top Hat Grading Scheme

A classroom participation tool where incorrect clicker responses receive $80\%$ credit, accounting for $5\%$ of the total course grade.

Allegheny Observatory Trip

A course component occurring Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning Sept $9$, worth $5\%$ of the final grade.

Astronomy 88 Grading Breakdown

The course evaluation scheme consisting of Quizzes ($50\%$), Homework ($15\%$), Term Project ($15\%$), Discussion posts ($10\%$), Observatory trip ($5\%$), and Class participation ($5\%$).