Download Midterm Review Sheet

Be able to define and explain each of these concepts Chapter 1 Light year (light day, light hour, light minute, light second) Observable universe Lookback time Astronomical scales – relative sizes of stars, galaxies, galaxy clusters Earth’s Motion – rotation around its axis and orbit around the Sun Motion of the solar system in the Milky Way Expansion of the universe Celestial sphere (ecliptic, celestial poles, celestial equator) Local Sky (meridian, zenith) Angular size/distance – relation between angular & physical size Elongation Circumpolar stars Cause for the seasons Perihelion vs. Aphelion Phases of the Moon – be able to relate to rise/set times, elongation, and moon’s orbit around Earth Tidal locking of the Moon Eclipses – lunar & solar (annular, partial, total), Umbra vs. penumbra Chapter 4, 3.3(Kepler’s Laws) Speed, velocity, acceleration Gravitational acceleration on Earth Linear momentum, angular momentum, force Mass vs. Weight Weightlessness & free-­‐fall Newton’s Laws of Motion Types of energy (kinetic, potential, radiative, thermal) E=mc2 Conservation of energy, linear momentum, and angular momentum Kepler’s Laws Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation Newton’s Kepler’s Law Types of orbits and orbital energy Gravitational encounters and escape velocity Cause of the tides Chapter 5 Wave & particle nature of light Energy, wavelength, frequency, speed of light Electromagnetic spectrum – relative energies/wavelengths/frequencies of different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum Structure of the atom Atomic number, atomic mass, isotope, molecule Atomic energy levels Reflection, scattering, transmission Explanation of emission and absorption in terms of atomic energy levels and transitions of electrons between energy levels Thermal (blackbody) radiation (Stefan-­‐Boltzmann Law, Wien’s Law) Continuous, absorption, emission spectra Chemical fingerprint Doppler effect – redshift, blueshift and application to spectra Key features of telescopes – light collecting area, angular resolution, magnification Refracting vs. reflecting telescopes (advantages and disadvantages) Effects of atmosphere – turbulence and transparency Adaptive optics Chapter 7 Earth’s structure – know the different layers, with emphasis on lithosphere Differentiation Sources of central heat in planets Convection (including conditions required for convection) Earth’s magnetic field Magnetosphere & auroras Impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, erosion Outgassing Subduction Requirement for geological activity Composition and Role of Earth’s atmosphere, photosynthesis Why is the sky blue? Greenhouse effect CO2 cycle Evidence for global warming Surface of the Moon Composition of terrestrial planets Surface of Mercury Venus’ surface Venus’ atmosphere Runaway greenhouse effect Surface of Mars Origin of Mars’ moons Weather on Mars Mars’ surface “Blueberries” Water on Mars Explanation for lack of surface water & thin atmosphere on Mars Chapter 8 Composition and relative sizes of Jovian planets Relation between mass, density, and radius for Jovian planets Jovian interiors Magnetic fields Source of internal heat in Jovian planets Different clouds & explanation for the colors of Jovian planets Coriolis effect The great red spot of Jupiter & great dark spot of Neptune Comparison between terrestrial planets and Jovian moons Tidal heating Orbital resonance Io & Europa features Titan and parallels to Earth Planet Rings – composition and cause Chapter 9 Asteroid belt Role of Jupiter – Jupiter resonances Meteoroids, meteors, meteorites Structure of a comet (nucleus, coma, dust vs. plasma tail) Location and origin of comets Kuiper Belt objects Requirements for a planet (why Pluto is no longer a planet) Major impacts – impactor size vs. frequency of impacts plot Chapter 6 Orbital motions followed by planets and their moons Differences between terrestrial and Jovian planets Peculiarities in the solar system (Uranus rotates on its side, Venus rotates opposite to it’s orbital motion, Earth has a surprisingly large moon) Nebular theory Reasons for heating, spinning, flattening of a gas cloud during its collapse Explanation for differences between terrestrial and Jovian planets Frost line Steps for forming a planet (terrestrial or Jovian) Clearing out of the nebula Origin of comets and asteroids Giant impacts and explanation for peculiarities in the solar system (formation of the Moon) Age of the solar system Half-­‐life Direct and indirect methods for detecting exoplanets Gravitational wobble Selection bias in detecting exoplanets Chapter 10 Composition of the Sun Structure of the Sun Hydrostatic (gravitational) Equilibrium Energy balance for the Sun Fission vs. Fusion Requirements for fusion Proton-­‐proton (PP) Chain Sun’s stability (solar thermostat) Radiation zone & escape of energy generated in Sun’s core Sun’s convection zone (granules) Sunspots Interaction of magnetic fields with charged particles Solar prominence Solar flare / Coronal mass ejection Magnetic heating Sunspot cycle Magnetic field orientation cycle Chapter 11 Basic composition of stars Apparent brightness (inverse square law for light) Stellar parallax Absolute brightness or Luminosity Magnitude system (comparing brightness of objects, given their magnitudes) Apparent vs. absolute magnitude Color and temperature of a star Spectral type and temperature of a star The HR diagram (major branches, horizontal axis, vertical axis, stellar radius) Luminosity class Main sequence – importance of mass for a main sequence star, Hydrogen burning, and lifetime Relation between a star’s mass and main sequence lifetime Why star clusters are important/convenient for studying stars Globular vs. Open clusters Determining ages of clusters from the HR diagram (Main sequence turnoff)