DAY 3 - Scales and Units

Flashcards covering key terminology and units related to the solar system, astronomical measurements, and significant concepts discussed in the lecture.

Astronomical Unit (AU)

The distance from Earth to the Sun, approximately 1.5 x 10^8 kilometers.

Light-year (ly)

The distance that light travels in one year, equivalent to approximately 9.5 x 10^12 kilometers.

Scientific Notation

A mathematical notation for expressing large numbers as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10.

Scale Model

A representation of an object reduced or enlarged to a proportion.

Kilometer per second (km/s)

A unit of speed equal to 1,000 meters traversed in one second.

Mega-year (Myr)

A time interval of one million years.

Giga-year (Gyr)

A time interval of one billion years.

Angular Size

The apparent size of an object in the sky, measured in degrees, arcminutes, or arcseconds.

Distance, Speed, and Time Relation

The formula that relates distance, speed, and time: Distance = Speed x Time.

Sirius

The brightest star in the night sky, located 8.6 light-years away from Earth.