Download The odd planet

INTRO TO ASTRONOMY
Class Notes
Our Ancestors:

gave religious significance to stars
- (sun/moon worship)
named constellations after gods
made up folklore about the stars
used stars in navigation
used stars to determine when to plant crops
used stars to ‘predict’ events
developed observatories (stonehenge)
developed calendars based on celestial observations
developed technology to study the sky (telescopes, mathematics, physics)








Universe/Solar System History:


Geocentric Model
- Earth-centred (Aristotle)
- some stars revolve around earth embedded in a celestial sphere
- others in independent orbits
- epicycles explain retrograde motion (Ptolemy)
- based on simple observations and centuries of religious beliefs
Heliocentric Model
Sun-centred (Copernicus)
- verified by Galileo’s telescope
- proved by Newton
- Elliptical orbits (Kepler)
- Gravity (Newton)
- Based on extensive observations and calculations. Debated for centuries. (Some
cultures accepted this model hundreds of years before others)
-
SNC1P
LOOK AT THE SKY
What do you see?
Daytime: Sun, moon
Nightime: Moon, Stars, planets, comets, meteors, galaxies?
Constellations: groups of stars that form shapes or patterns
Our Ancestors:
 gave religious significance to what they saw
- worshipped the sun and/or moon
- named constellations after gods
- made up folklore about the stars
 used sky observations to develop calendars
 used stars in navigation
 developed technology to study the sky
- observatories - telescopes
- satellites
- space ships
- space stations
ASTROLOGY:
- the study of the sky using myths to explain and predict events.
- since the predictions are not based on known facts, it is NOT SCIENCE.
ASTRONOMY:
- the study of the sky using collected data to explain and predict events.
- since it is based on facts to explain what is happening, it IS SCIENCE.
Our Solar System has:
- a star in the center (the Sun)
- 9 planets orbiting the sun
- moons orbiting some planets
- an asteroid belt
- several comets
The SUN:
 is a star
 provides heat, light and the gravity needed to keep the planets in orbit
 would look like a star when viewed from another galaxy.
Planet means "wandering star"
PLANETS:
 are spherical in shape
 vary in size
 reflect light from the sun
 rotate on an axis
 revolve in elliptical orbits around the sun
 are different distances from the sun
Class Notes

appear to move forward and backward
Terrestrial (inner) planets:
- 4 small rocky planets closest to the sun
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Gas Giants (outer) planets:
- 4 large gaseous planets with small dense solid or liquid cores.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
The odd planet: - Pluto
- smallest and farthest from the sun, similar to the inner planets.
THE EARTH
 has a somewhat elliptical orbit
- is closer to the sun in our winter
is farther from the sun in our summer
 takes ~365 days to orbit the sun (Revolution)
 rotates on a tilted axis
rotates once per day
 the tilt of the axis causes:
 seasons:
- earth tilts away from the sun in winter
- earth tilts towards the sun in summer
- in our winter, it is summer in the Southern hemisphere.
 changes in day length:
- June 21: longest day
Dec 21: shortest day
- March 21, Sept 21: equal day/night
 is a perfect distance from the sun to have water in the solid, liquid and gaseous state.
The MOON:
 is ¼ the diameter of earth
 has no atmosphere
Temp. range is 100ºC to -170ºC
 has many craters
 rotates on an axis once every 28 days
- one moon day is 14 earth days long
 revolves around earth in a tilted elliptical orbit once every 28 days
- the same side always faces earth
 changes appearance in a regular cycle of phases
 rises 50 minutes later each day
causes ocean tides
- the moon’s gravity pulls on ocean water causing it to bulge out
 is involved in eclipses
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon casts a shadow on Earth.
A lunar eclipse is when Earth casts a shadow on the moon.
INTRO TO ASTRONOMY
Fill-In Notes
Our Ancestors:

gave ________________ ________________ to stars
- (sun/moon worship)
named ________________ after _______
made up ________________ about the stars
used stars in ________________
used stars to determine when to _________ _________
used stars to ‘________________ ‘________________
developed ______________________ (_____________________)
developed ________________ based on celestial observations
developed technology to study the sky (______________________,
_______________________, ________________)








Universe/Solar System History:

-

________________________ Model
Earth-centred (________________)
- some stars revolve around earth embedded in a _______________ _________
- others in ________________ orbits
- ________________ explain ________________ motion (______________)
- based on simple observations and centuries of religious beliefs
________________________ Model
- Sun-centred (________________, verified by ________________, proved by
________________)
- Elliptical orbits (_____________)
- Gravity (__________________)
- Based on extensive observations and calculations. Debated for centuries. (Some
cultures accepted this model hundreds of years before others)
SNC1P
LOOK AT THE SKY
What do you see?
Daytime:
Nightime:
______________________: groups of stars that form shapes or patterns
Our Ancestors:
 gave ___________________ ____________________ to what they saw
- worshipped the ________ and/or ________
Fill-In Notes



- named constellations after ________
- made up _____________________ about the stars
used sky observations to develop _____________________
used stars in _____________________
developed ________________ to study the sky
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
____________________ :
- the interpretive study of the sky using myths to explain and predict events.
- since the predictions are not based on known facts, it is ________ _______________ .
____________________ :
- the study of the sky using collected data to explain and predict events.
- since it is based on facts to explain what is happening, it ____ _______________ .
Our Solar System has:
- a ________ in the center (the ________ )
- ___ _____________ orbiting the sun
- __________ orbiting some ____________
- an ________________ belt
- several ________________
The SUN:
 is a ________
 provides ________ , ____________ and the ____________ needed to keep the ________
in orbit
 would look like a ________ when viewed from another ______________ .
Planet means "_________________ ________ "
PLANETS:
 are ________________ in shape
 vary in ________
 ____________ ____________ from the sun
 _______________ on an ________
 _______________ in _______________ orbits around the sun
 are different ________________ from the sun
 appear to move _____________ and _____________
_____________________ (inner) planets:
- 4 small rocky planets ______________ to the sun
________ ______________ (outer) planets:
- 4 large gaseous planets with small dense solid or liquid cores.
The odd planet:
- ______________and ____________from the sun, similar to the inner planets.
THE EARTH
 has an ________________ orbit
- is _____________ to the sun in our winter
- is _____________ from the sun in our summer
 takes ________ days to orbit the sun
 rotates on a _______________ axis
 rotates ________ per day
 the tilt of the axis causes:
 ________________________ :
- earth tilts away from the sun in _____________
- earth tilts towards the sun in _______________
- in our _______________ , it is ______________ in the Southern hemisphere.
 changes in ________ ______________ :
- June 21: _______________ day
- Dec 21: _______________ day
- March 21, Sept 21: _____________ day/night
 is a perfect distance from the sun to have water in the ________ , ________ and ________
state.
The MOON:
 is ________ the diameter of earth
 has no _________________
 is ________ to ________
 has many _____________
 _____________ on an ________ once every ________ days
- one moon day is _____ ___________ ________ long
 _____________ around earth in a ___________ _____________ ________ once every __
days
- the ________ ________ always ________ ____________
 changes ________________ in a regular cycle of ________
 rises _____ ___________ __________ each day
 causes ____________ ________
- the moon’s ____________ pulls on ocean water causing it to _________ ______
 is involved in ____________
A __________ eclipse occurs when the ________ casts a _____________ on ___________ .
-
A __________ eclipse is when ___________ casts a _____________ on the _