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Download PowerPoint Presentation - Welcome to Modern Astronomy Fall 2003
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Transcript
Welcome to Modern Astronomy Fall 2007 • Initial pleasantries, who I am, who you are • This should be the most interesting course you take in college • National Solar Observatory The Sun is more interesting some times (wait 5 years) Example 1: The “Dark Matter” Example 2: Arcturus (see it tonight) Distance: 37 light years Arcturus (bright star overhead) as an immigrant from another galaxy The Milky Way (and other galaxies) catch and devour small galaxies Details from the Syllabus The Sky Tonight • The Sun sets (7:48 PM) • Arcturus and Spica in the west (stars) • Antares (star) and Jupiter in the south • Vega (star) and the Milky Way overhead • The Andromeda Nebula in the east • Constellation of Scorpius • Constellations Internet Link Tomorrow Morning: Total Eclipse of the Moon Timetable for lunar eclipse An Overview of the Solar System Size scales in the solar system demo • Basic unit: 1 meter • 1 kilometer = 1000 meters = 0.6214 miles • Diameter of Earth: 12756 kilometers (~ LA to Sydney) • Closest object in space: Moon, 384,000 km average distance • Most prominent object is astronomy: Sun, 149.6 million kilometers; 1 Astronomical Unit The Sun Facts about the Sun • Distance: 149.6 million kilometers = 1.496E+11 meters = 1 astronomical unit • Radius = 695,990 kilometers = 6.960E+08 meters (109 times radius of Earth) • If Earth were scaled to 1 foot globe size, the Sun would extend from goal line to 30 yard line at Kinnick stadium • The Sun, not the planets (including Earth) is the dominant object in the solar system
