OK, here is my thinking on the subject:
... The most critical calibration is that of the CCD image. Our accuracy of our measurement of the Earth diameter will vary directly as the accuracy of the value of Scale in equation (2). Published specifications are not to be trusted in this area. For example, back in April of 2005 I received an e-mail ...
... The most critical calibration is that of the CCD image. Our accuracy of our measurement of the Earth diameter will vary directly as the accuracy of the value of Scale in equation (2). Published specifications are not to be trusted in this area. For example, back in April of 2005 I received an e-mail ...
My Favorite Universe
... essays out of 100 or so written for Natural History magazine since 1995. Although they do not follow a particular curriculum, they nonetheless represent the professor’s favorite cosmic subjects. And, not surprisingly, they represent topics for which the general public harbors a sustained and insatia ...
... essays out of 100 or so written for Natural History magazine since 1995. Although they do not follow a particular curriculum, they nonetheless represent the professor’s favorite cosmic subjects. And, not surprisingly, they represent topics for which the general public harbors a sustained and insatia ...
Chapter 2: The Solar System and Beyond
... does it take for the Moon to rotate one time? The answer is 27.3 days—exactly the same amount of time that it takes for the Moon to revolve around Earth one time. Because the Moon rotates and revolves at the same rate, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. The side of the Moon that faces Ear ...
... does it take for the Moon to rotate one time? The answer is 27.3 days—exactly the same amount of time that it takes for the Moon to revolve around Earth one time. Because the Moon rotates and revolves at the same rate, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. The side of the Moon that faces Ear ...
Astronomy
... ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ and in cold wea ...
... ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ and in cold wea ...
Formation, Habitability, and Detection of Extrasolar Moons
... in ever more detail, a new class of objects may soon become accessible to observations: extrasolar moons. These are the natural satellites of exoplanets, and based on our knowledge from the Solar System planets, they may be even more abundant. Moons are tracers of planet formation, and as such their ...
... in ever more detail, a new class of objects may soon become accessible to observations: extrasolar moons. These are the natural satellites of exoplanets, and based on our knowledge from the Solar System planets, they may be even more abundant. Moons are tracers of planet formation, and as such their ...
Semester 2 Course Review
... What evidence is used to develop the Big Bang Theory? What evidence is used to verify the Big Bang Theory? What is cosmic background radiation (CBR) and how was it discovered? How does the proposal of the existence of dark matter and dark energy demonstrate the creative nature of science when constr ...
... What evidence is used to develop the Big Bang Theory? What evidence is used to verify the Big Bang Theory? What is cosmic background radiation (CBR) and how was it discovered? How does the proposal of the existence of dark matter and dark energy demonstrate the creative nature of science when constr ...
New Worlds Ahead: The Discovery of Exoplanets
... far of only two planetary systems around millisecond pulsars means that building up planets around pulsars is not a common process, but it also supports the idea that the formation of terrestrial planets is an efficient process even in unfavorable environments. ...
... far of only two planetary systems around millisecond pulsars means that building up planets around pulsars is not a common process, but it also supports the idea that the formation of terrestrial planets is an efficient process even in unfavorable environments. ...
Ancient Astronomy - Sierra College Astronomy Home Page
... Three modern criteria of scientific models: – Model must fit the data – Model must make predictions that can be tested and be of such a nature that it would be possible to disprove it – Model should be aesthetically pleasing simple, neat, and elegant (Occam’s razor) ...
... Three modern criteria of scientific models: – Model must fit the data – Model must make predictions that can be tested and be of such a nature that it would be possible to disprove it – Model should be aesthetically pleasing simple, neat, and elegant (Occam’s razor) ...
Lecture 1a: Class overview and Early Observations 8/27
... • Definition of astronomy - the science of the stars and other heavenly bodies • We use our knowledge of physics, chemistry, and geology to understand PLANETS, STARS, GALAXIES,UNIVERSE • Planets/stars/etc also serve as “laboratories” for conditions beyond human-built experiments and studying them ...
... • Definition of astronomy - the science of the stars and other heavenly bodies • We use our knowledge of physics, chemistry, and geology to understand PLANETS, STARS, GALAXIES,UNIVERSE • Planets/stars/etc also serve as “laboratories” for conditions beyond human-built experiments and studying them ...
A Planetary Overview
... With this confirmation of the validity of the Titius-Bode law, a group of German astronomers (who called themselves the Celestial Police) divided the zodiac into regions, planning to assign a specific region to each of a number of astronomers who would systematically search for the missing planet at ...
... With this confirmation of the validity of the Titius-Bode law, a group of German astronomers (who called themselves the Celestial Police) divided the zodiac into regions, planning to assign a specific region to each of a number of astronomers who would systematically search for the missing planet at ...
Orbital and Physical Characteristics of Extrasolar Planets Systems
... has been made also by the authors of [6–10]; • The previous analyses established that the number of planets increases with the distance from star [1, 9, 11, 12]. The present analysis shows that the distribution of semimajor axis increases considerably to planets, which orbits with à<1AU. Among them ...
... has been made also by the authors of [6–10]; • The previous analyses established that the number of planets increases with the distance from star [1, 9, 11, 12]. The present analysis shows that the distribution of semimajor axis increases considerably to planets, which orbits with à<1AU. Among them ...
here
... • Pluto’s diameter is 2300 km. This is smaller than Jupiter’s large moons, and also Earth’s moon. ...
... • Pluto’s diameter is 2300 km. This is smaller than Jupiter’s large moons, and also Earth’s moon. ...
Textbook support Describing Earth
... never reacts with other elements or compounds, makes up about 1 percent of the atmosphere. The proportions of other gases in the atmosphere are variable. The amount of water vapor, water in the form of a gas, can vary from as high as several percent in warm, tropical locations to a tiny fraction of ...
... never reacts with other elements or compounds, makes up about 1 percent of the atmosphere. The proportions of other gases in the atmosphere are variable. The amount of water vapor, water in the form of a gas, can vary from as high as several percent in warm, tropical locations to a tiny fraction of ...
The IR Universe
... Spitzer has found optically invisible galaxies so distant that we see them as they were only 3 billion years after the Big Bang. These galaxies are obscured by silicate dust, suggesting that planets could have formed even at this early time in the history of the Universe. ...
... Spitzer has found optically invisible galaxies so distant that we see them as they were only 3 billion years after the Big Bang. These galaxies are obscured by silicate dust, suggesting that planets could have formed even at this early time in the history of the Universe. ...
Brahe, Kepler
... -He made the best measurements that had yet been made in the search for stellar parallax. -He found no parallax for the stars. -He concluded : 1) either the earth was motionless at the center of the Universe 2) the stars were so far away that their parallax was too small to measure. Brahe could not ...
... -He made the best measurements that had yet been made in the search for stellar parallax. -He found no parallax for the stars. -He concluded : 1) either the earth was motionless at the center of the Universe 2) the stars were so far away that their parallax was too small to measure. Brahe could not ...
Unpublished draft available in format
... same thing; in the case of stars, any given star may demonstrate a whole string of concepts; e.g. a giant star of a late spectral type (M, R, N, S) may also be a long-period variable. Theoretically it is possible to achieve a class number which compounds all such attributes, but this might be a very ...
... same thing; in the case of stars, any given star may demonstrate a whole string of concepts; e.g. a giant star of a late spectral type (M, R, N, S) may also be a long-period variable. Theoretically it is possible to achieve a class number which compounds all such attributes, but this might be a very ...
1Barycenter Our solar system consists of the Sun and the
... Binary bodies are two celestial bodies held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Gravity is a force of attraction between all objects in the universe. Examples of binary bodies are two stars, a planet and its sun, or a planet and its moon. Binary bodies behave somewhat as if they were connec ...
... Binary bodies are two celestial bodies held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Gravity is a force of attraction between all objects in the universe. Examples of binary bodies are two stars, a planet and its sun, or a planet and its moon. Binary bodies behave somewhat as if they were connec ...
No Slide Title
... • describe the formation of the extra-solar planets: • Planets form from dust which agglomerates into cores which then accrete gas from a disc. • A gravitational instability in a protostellar disc creates a number of giant planets. • Both models have trouble reproducing both the observed distributio ...
... • describe the formation of the extra-solar planets: • Planets form from dust which agglomerates into cores which then accrete gas from a disc. • A gravitational instability in a protostellar disc creates a number of giant planets. • Both models have trouble reproducing both the observed distributio ...
Space Information Booklet (English)
... The average temperature on the lit side of the planet is 350°C (660°F). Mercury is so close to the Sun, and so small, that it has only a very small atmosphere. Its atmosphere has been blown away by the Sun’s solar winds. It means that there is almost no air on Mercury. Mercury has no moons. Due to i ...
... The average temperature on the lit side of the planet is 350°C (660°F). Mercury is so close to the Sun, and so small, that it has only a very small atmosphere. Its atmosphere has been blown away by the Sun’s solar winds. It means that there is almost no air on Mercury. Mercury has no moons. Due to i ...
Chapter 9
... Enceladus, Dione. 2. Enceladus is covered in water ice and its interior may be liquid today. Active volcanism exists on this object; Cassini images show plumes of water vapor and ice water particles. 3. The atmosphere of Enceladus also includes carbon dioxide, methane, and other simple carbonbased m ...
... Enceladus, Dione. 2. Enceladus is covered in water ice and its interior may be liquid today. Active volcanism exists on this object; Cassini images show plumes of water vapor and ice water particles. 3. The atmosphere of Enceladus also includes carbon dioxide, methane, and other simple carbonbased m ...
dialogue 2
... untwisting of the thread will cause them both to go round; the great ball in the small circle def, and the little ball in the great circle a b c; and the cen ter of gravity g between them will remain at rest. E. From which I infer, that the center of gravity between the sun and the earth is a motion ...
... untwisting of the thread will cause them both to go round; the great ball in the small circle def, and the little ball in the great circle a b c; and the cen ter of gravity g between them will remain at rest. E. From which I infer, that the center of gravity between the sun and the earth is a motion ...
Slide 1
... model in which space is neither expanding nor contracting. Albert Einstein proposed such a model as his preferred cosmology in 1917[citation needed]. He added a positive cosmological constant to his equations of general relativity to counteract the attractive effects of gravity on ordinary matter, w ...
... model in which space is neither expanding nor contracting. Albert Einstein proposed such a model as his preferred cosmology in 1917[citation needed]. He added a positive cosmological constant to his equations of general relativity to counteract the attractive effects of gravity on ordinary matter, w ...
History of Astronomy
... The Sun's path across the background stars is called the ecliptic. The Sun appears to lie in Taurus in June, in Cancer during August, in Virgo during October, and so forth. Note that the ecliptic is also where the Earth's orbital plane cuts the celestial sphere. ...
... The Sun's path across the background stars is called the ecliptic. The Sun appears to lie in Taurus in June, in Cancer during August, in Virgo during October, and so forth. Note that the ecliptic is also where the Earth's orbital plane cuts the celestial sphere. ...
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe: extraterrestrial life and life on Earth. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry, laboratory and field research into the origins and early evolution of life on Earth, and studies of the potential for life to adapt to challenges on Earth and in outer space. Astrobiology addresses the question of whether life exists beyond Earth, and how humans can detect it if it does. (The term exobiology is similar but more specific—it covers the search for life beyond Earth, and the effects of extraterrestrial environments on living things.)Astrobiology makes use of physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, molecular biology, ecology, planetary science, geography, and geology to investigate the possibility of life on other worlds and help recognize biospheres that might be different from the biosphere on Earth. The origin and early evolution of life is an inseparable part of the discipline of astrobiology. Astrobiology concerns itself with interpretation of existing scientific data; given more detailed and reliable data from other parts of the universe, the roots of astrobiology itself—physics, chemistry and biology—may have their theoretical bases challenged. Although speculation is entertained to give context, astrobiology concerns itself primarily with hypotheses that fit firmly into existing scientific theories.The chemistry of life may have begun shortly after the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago, during a habitable epoch when the Universe was only 10–17 million years old. According to the panspermia hypothesis, microscopic life—distributed by meteoroids, asteroids and other small Solar System bodies—may exist throughout the universe. According to research published in August 2015, very large galaxies may be more favorable to the creation and development of habitable planets than smaller galaxies, like the Milky Way galaxy. Nonetheless, Earth is the only place in the universe known to harbor life. Estimates of habitable zones around other stars, along with the discovery of hundreds of extrasolar planets and new insights into the extreme habitats here on Earth, suggest that there may be many more habitable places in the universe than considered possible until very recently.Current studies on the planet Mars by the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers are now searching for evidence of ancient life as well as plains related to ancient rivers or lakes that may have been habitable. The search for evidence of habitability, taphonomy (related to fossils), and organic molecules on the planet Mars is now a primary NASA objective on Mars.