Astronomy 103: The Evolving Universe

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts discussed in the Astronomy 103 lecture on the evolving universe, stars, and galaxies.

Light Year

A measure of distance that represents how far light travels in a year, approximately 10 trillion kilometers.

Milky Way Galaxy

The galaxy that contains our solar system, which is an average spiral galaxy with over 100 billion stars.

Proxima Centauri

The nearest star to the Sun, located about 4 light years away.

Hypotheses

Proposed explanations for observations that are tested through experimentation and analysis.

Cosmology

The study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe.

Astronomical Units

A unit of measurement equivalent to the average distance from the Earth to the Sun, about 93 million miles.

Observation

The action of watching and recording data from celestial objects using telescopes and other instruments.

Galaxy Clusters

Groups of galaxies that are bound together by gravity, forming larger structures in the universe.

Quantitative Reasoning

The ability to use mathematical concepts and skills to analyze and interpret data or solve problems.

Dark Matter

A form of matter that does not emit light or energy, making it invisible, but detectable through its gravitational effects.