Download Astronomy

5/1/07
Astronomy Essential Knowledge and Skills
This provides a list of Essential Knowledge and Skills that the student must master in
order to be successful taking the Virginia SOL Test that will be administered at the end of
the course.
The student should check off each line item as their knowledge level is achieved. If at ANY
TIME the student is having difficulty understanding the material, it should be brought to
my attention immediately so that the difficulty can be overcome.
Virginia Standard: ES.4 a, b
The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of the Earth and the
solar system.
Key Concepts:
a. position of the earth in the solar system
b. sun – Earth – moon relationships (seasons, tides, and eclipses)
Virginia Standard: ES.12 a, b, c
The student will investigate and understand the origin and evolution of the
atmosphere and the interrelationship of geologic processes, biologic processes, and
human activities on its composition and dynamics.
Key Concepts:
a. scientific evidence for atmospheric changes over geologic time
b. current theories related to the effects of early life on the chemical makeup of the
atmosphere
c. comparison of Earth’s atmosphere to that of other planets
Virginia Standard: ES.14 a, b, c, d, e
The student will investigate and understand scientific concepts related to the origin
and evolution of the universe.
Key Concepts:
a. nebula
b. the origin of stars and star systems
c. stellar evolution
d. galaxies
e. cosmology including the big bang theory
Essential Knowledge/Skills
Knowledge: ES.4
a. Earth is the third planet from the sun and is located between the sun and the
asteroid belt. It has one natural satellite, the moon.
b. Earth revolves around the sun, tilted on its axis, causing seasons (equinoxes and
solstices).
c. The moon revolves around Earth creating the moon phases and eclipses.
d. Solar eclipses occur when the moon blocks out sunlight from Earth’s surface,
while lunar eclipses occur when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon’s
surface.
e. The tides are the daily, periodic rise and fall of water level caused by the
gravitational pull of the sun and moon.
f. Water occurs on Earth as a solid (ice), a liquid, or a gas (water vapor) due to its
position in the solar system.
g. The sun consists largely of hydrogen gas. Its energy comes from nuclear fusion of
hydrogen to helium.
h. There are essentially two types of planets in our solar system.
i. The four inner (terrestrial) planets consist mostly of solid rock.
j. Four of the outer planets are gas giants, consisting of thick outer layers of gaseous
materials, perhaps with small rocky cores.
k. The fifth outer planet Pluto has an unknown composition, but appears solid.
l. Moons are natural satellites of planets that vary widely in composition.
m. Comets orbit the sun and consist mostly of frozen gases.
n. Asteroids are rocky or metallic iron objects ranging in size from millimeters to
kilometers. They are the source of most meteorites.
o. Apollo 11 was the first manned landing on the moon.
p. The Hubble Space telescope has greatly improved our understanding of the
universe.
Knowledge: ES.12
a. The early atmosphere contained little oxygen and more carbon dioxide than the
modern atmosphere.
b. Early photosynthetic life such as cyanobacteria (bluegreen algae) consumed carbon
dioxide and generated oxygen.
c. It was only after early photosynthetic life generated oxygen that animal life became
possible.
d. Earth’s atmosphere is 21 percent oxygen, 78 percent nitrogen, and 1 percent trace
gases.
e. The atmosphere of Venus is mostly carbon dioxide and very dense.
f. The atmosphere of Mars is very thin and mostly carbon dioxide.
Knowledge: ES.14
a. The Big Bang Theory states that the universe began in a very hot dense state that
expanded and eventually condensed into galaxies.
b. The solar nebular theory explains that the planets formed through condensing of
the solar nebula.
c. Stars form by condensation of interstellar gas.
d. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram illustrates the relationship between the absolute
magnitude and the surface temperature of stars. As stars evolve, their position
moves on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
e. Galaxies are collections of billions of stars.
f. The basic types of galaxies are spiral, elliptical, and irregular.
g. The solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy.
h. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year and is the most commonly used
measurement for distance in astronomy.
i. Much of our information about our galaxy and the universe comes from groundbased observations.
Skills: ES.4
a. Draw a diagram of the solar system and label the planets.
Essential Understandings
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Earth is one of nine planets in the solar system.
The solar system consists of many types of celestial bodies.
Much of our knowledge about the solar system is a result of space exploration
efforts. These efforts continue to improve our understanding of the solar system.
The composition of Earth’s atmosphere has changed over geologic time.
Earth’s atmosphere is unique in the solar system in that it contains substantial
oxygen.
The composition of the atmosphere can change due to human, biologic, and geologic
activity.
The universe is vast and very old.
The Big Bang Theory is our best current model for the origin of the universe.
The solar nebular theory is our best current idea for the origin of the solar system.
Stars have a finite lifetime and evolve over time.
The mass of a star controls its evolution, length of its lifetime, and ultimate fate.
Vocabulary
Apollo 11 – the 1st manned landing on the moon
asteroids – fragments of matter similar to planetary matter that orbit between Mars
and Jupiter
asteroid belt – the orbit of most asteroid located between Mars and Jupiter
axis – the imaginary line around which an object rotates
Big Bang theory – the most accepted theory for the origin of the universe; all the matter
of the universe was concentrated in one area when a giant explosion sent matter in
all directions; the matter condensed to form galaxies, stars etc.
comets – objects made of ice, gas, and dust that travel through space; members of the
solar system
moon – any natural satellite of a planet
cosmology – the study of the structure and dynamics of the universe
eclipse – the complete or partial blocking of light from one celestial body by another;
lunar eclipses occur when the moon is in Earth’s shadow; solar eclipses occur when
Earth is in the moon’s shadow
equinoxes – times of the year when the sun is located directly above the equator so that
day and night are of equal length around the world (March 21 and September 22 –
23)
gas giants – four of the outer planets consisting of thick outer layers of gaseous
materials, perhaps with small rocky cores
galaxy – billions of stars grouped together
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram – a diagram that shows the relationships between a star's
color, its absolute magnitude, and its temperature
Hubble Space Telescope – a telescope designed to orbit Earth and greatly improve our
understanding of the universe; it can detect ultraviolet radiation, which is block out
by Earth’s atmosphere
interstellar gas – gas (mainly hydrogen) located between stars
light year – the distance that light can travel in a year; approximately 6 trillion miles (~
9 trillion kilometers)
lunar eclipse – occurs when Earth blocks sunlight from the moon’s surface
meteors – streaks of light produced by a meteoroid as it burns up in Earth’s
atmosphere
Milky Way galaxy – the name of the galaxy to which our solar system belongs
moon phases – the changes in shaped that the moon goes through during its monthly
trip around the Earth
moons – natural satellites of planets that vary widely in composition
nebula – a huge cloud of dust and gases; condense to form stars
nuclear fusion – the process by which hydrogen is fused into helium in the sun and
other stars producing energy given off as electromagnetic radiation
planet – an object in space that reflects light from a nearby star around which it
revolves
revolution – the circling of one object about another, the motion of the planets around
the sun and satellites (moons) around the planets
satellite – a natural moon or manmade orbiter of a planet
seasons – one of the four divisions of the year, spring, summer, and winter, marked by
the passage of the sun through an equinox or solstice
solar eclipse – occurs when the moon blocks sunlight from Earth’s surface
solar nebula theory – the solar system condensed from a cloud of dust and gases
solar system – the sun and everything that revolves around it (planets, moons, asteroids,
comets, and meteoroids)
solstice – either of two times of the year when the sun, being at the most northern or
most southern point of the ecliptic has no apparent northward or southward
motion; summer solstice has the longest number of daylight hours for the year (June
21 in the northern hemisphere) while winter solstice has the shortest number of
daylight hours for the year (December 21 in the northern hemisphere)
stars – self luminous bodies of hydrogen and helium
stellar – having to do with stars
stellar evolution – the stages of development and duration of stars, some of which
appear on the H – R diagram
sun – a star that produces large amounts of radiant energy each second; Earth’s star
terrestrial planets – the four inner planets consisting mostly of solid rock
tides – the periodic rise and fall of water level caused by the gravitational pull of the
moon and sun as well as forces of circular motion
universe – all of the galaxies; all matter presently known to man
Additional Related Vocabulary
The following terms are related to this unit and help develop a better understanding
of the topic.
inner planets – the planets between the sun and the asteroid belt; solid, terrestrial
planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars
orbit – path an object takes when moving around another object in space
outer planets – those planets beyond the asteroid belt; most are gas giants; Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto (not a gas giant)
rotation – the turning motion of an object on its axis
zenith – a point in the sky directly above the observer