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Astronomy 1101 Midterm
Rebecca Grouchy, LSU
102
Astronomy
Undergraduate 2
03/07/2012

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Term
Astronomy
Definition
“The branch of science dealing with objects and phenomena that lie beyond the Earth’s atmosphere”
Term
Star
Definition
A large, glowing ball of gas that generates heat and light through nuclear fusion
Term
Planet
Definition
A moderately large object that orbits a star; it shines by reflected light. Planets may be rocky, icy, or gaseous in composition.
Term
Moon / Satellite
Definition
An object that orbits a planet
Term
Asteroid
Definition
A relatively small and rocky object that orbits a star
Term
Comet
Definition
A relatively small and icy object that orbits a star
Term
Solar (Star) System
Definition
A star and all the material that orbits
it, including its planets and moons
Term
Nebulae
Definition
An interstellar cloud of gas and/or dust
Term
Galaxy
Definition
A great island of stars in space, all held
together by gravity and orbiting a
common center
Term
The Milky Way Galaxy
Definition
A great island of stars in space, all held
together by gravity and orbiting a
common center
Term
Universe
Definition
The sum total of all matter and energy; that is, everything within and between all galaxies
Term
Light-Year
Definition
The distance light can travel in 1 year
1 ly = ~ 10 trillion kilometers
10,000,000,000,000 km
1*1013 km
1*1016 m
1*1018 cm
>1 ly = ~ 6 trillion miles (6,000,000,000,000 mi, 6*1012 mi)
Term
Speed of Light
Definition
300,000 km/s
Term
Formula: Velocity
Definition
Velocity = distance / time
Term
Formula: Time
Definition
Time = distance / velocity
Term
Rocky Planets
Definition
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Term
Gas Giants
Definition
Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus
Term
Icy Planets
Definition
Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto
Term
Formula: Inverse Square Law of Brightness
Definition
Luminosity/(4πDistance^2)
Term
Formula: Thermal Radiation
Definition
Luminosity = Area * (6x10-8)T^4
Term
Formula: Temperature of a planet
Definition
260degreesKelvin / sqrt(Distance in AU)
Term
Planets with Craters
Definition
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Moon, Mars Moons, Mimas, Asteroid Ida, Asteroid Mathilde, Comet Temple 1
Term
Planets with Rings
Definition
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Term
Planets with Atmospheres
Definition
Venus, Earth, Mars, Titan, Triton.
All Gas Giant planets ARE atmospheres.
Term
Planets with Volcanos
Definition
Venus, Earth, Mars, Io, Enceladus, Triton
Term
Right Ascension
Definition
analogous to longitude; mark East-West
direction; measured in hours
Term
Declination
Definition
analogous to latitude; mark North-South
direction; measured in degrees
Term
Small Angle Formula
Definition
Diameter = (angle * distance) / 206265
Term
Origins of the Constellations
Definition
likely started ~2000 BC (Babylon,
Assyria); some adopted and adapted by
Greeks; 48 Constellations; 40 others from “modern” navigators (16th – 18th Century)
Term
Law of Gravity
Definition
Force of Gravity = [(6.7x10^-11)(mass1)(mass2)] / distance^2
Term
Tide at Sunset
Definition
Low tide
Term
Tide at Midnight
Definition
High tide
Term
Tide at Sunrise
Definition
Low tide
Term
Tide at Noon
Definition
High tide
Term
Spring Tides
Definition
Lunar and solar tides add together to make big amplitude
Term
Neap tides
Definition
Lunar and solar tides partly cancel to make low amplitude
Term
Geocentric Model
Definition
an earth-centered theory of the universe
Term
Heliocentric Model
Definition
a sun-centered theory of the universe
Term
Spectroscopy
Definition
study of spectra and spectral lines
Term
Gravitational Force
Definition
force with which all matter attracts all other matter
Term
Parallax
Definition
apparent displacement of an object due to motion of observer
Term
Retrograde Motion
Definition
apparent westward motion of a planet with respect to background stars
Term
Right Ascension
Definition
coordinate for measuring east-west positions of objects on celestial sphere
Term
Declination
Definition
Angular distance of celestial object north or south of celestial equator
Term
Celestial Equator
Definition
great circle on celestial sphere 90 degrees from celestial poles
Term
North celestial pole
Definition
point directly above Earth’s North Pole where Earth’s axis of rotation, if extended, would intersect celestial sphere
Term
South Celestial pole
Definition
Point directly above Earth`s South Pole where Earth`s axis of rotation, if extended, would intersect celestial sphere
Term
Ecliptic
Definition
apparent annual path of sun on celestial sphere
Term
Circumpolar stars
Definition
star that neither rises nor sets but appears to rotate around one of celestial poles
Term
Apogee
Definition
point in orbit where satellite or moon is farthest from Earth
Term
Perigee
Definition
Point in orbit where satellite is nearest to Earth
Term
Conjunction
Definition
geometric arrangement of planet in same part of sky as the sun, so that the planet is at elongation of 0 degrees
Term
Opposition
Definition
configuration of planet when it is at an elongation of 180 degrees and thus appears opposite the sun in the sky
Term
Inferior Planet
Definition
planet that is closer to the sun than Earth is
Term
Superior Planet
Definition
planet more distant from the sun than Earth is
Term
Ptolemy
Definition
-Wrote “Almagest”, a book that explains motions of stars and planets
-Created Geocentric model with Earth at center of universe in which the Earth didn`t move
-Planets and stars moved in perfect circular orbits
-Planets followed small circles or epicycles around Earth
-Departed from traditional mathematics and explained that these bodies had varied speed and epicycles had different diameters
-Catalogued 1,028 stars and described all known variations of constellations and legends that went with them. Gave these formations Greek and Roman names which are still used today.
-Renowned cartographer, wrote the book titled “Geographia”. This book contained detailed maps of the world and served travelers for hundreds of years
Term
Brahe
Definition
-Observed and measured the (rough) distance to a supernova, proving that firmament was not a god-given stable sphere but a dynamic system
-Made most accurate measurements of planetary positions at the time and for long thereafter. Brahe`s data was used by Kepler to develop Kepler`s laws
Term
Copernicus
Definition
-True Renaissance man
-Was a lawyer, tax collector, doctor, military governor, judge, vicar-general of canon law and Polish astronomer.
-Said Earth was not stationary
-Said Earth turns on its axis once a day and doubted that Earth was in the middle of the universe.
-Said sun was at center of universe and all planets revolved around the sun. Published book on revolution of heavenly bodies.
-Most famous work is the book “De Revolutions”
Term
Kepler
Definition
-Created three laws to explain planetary motion
Term
Newton
Definition
-Created the three laws of motion
Term
Formula: Period of a planet
Definition
Period^2 (planet) / Axis^3 (planet) = Period^2 (earth) / Axis^3 (earth)
Term
Moonrise/set of New Moon
Definition
Moonrise: Sunrise
Moonset: Sunset
Term
Moonrise/set of 1st Quarter
Definition
Moonrise: Local noon
Moonset: Local midnight
Term
Moonrise/set of Full Moon
Definition
Moonrise: Sunset
Moonset: Sunrise
Term
Moonrise/set of 3rd Quarter
Definition
Moonrise: Local midnight
Moonset: Local noon
Term
Total Lunar Eclipse
Definition
occurs at Full Moon but only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in perfect alignment.
occurs at night and as the Moon orbits the Earth it enters Earth's shadow, firstly into the penumbra shadow (Earth's outer shadow) where only some of the light is blocked, and then into the umbra shadow (the inner deeper and complete shadow) where all of the light is blocked.
Term
Total Solar Eclipse
Definition
can only occur when there is a New Moon and only when the Earth, Moon and Sun are in perfect alignment or near perfect alignment.
The Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and the Moon fully covers the Sun, blocking sunlight reaching Earth's surface and turns daytime into darkness, while still allowing observers to view the beautiful corona atmosphere of the Sun.
occur during daytime when the New Moon is in the daytime sky and moves across the sky but is invisible due to the glare of the Sun and only becomes visible when the eclipse begins.
Term
New moon
Definition
phase of moon that occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun
Term
Full moon
Definition
Phase of moon in which the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment, just as the new moon, but the moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us.
Term
First & Third Quarter Moons
Definition
both often called a "half moon"
happen when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun.
Term
Waxing Crescent
Definition
After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half
Term
Waxing Gibbous
Definition
After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but now it is more than half
Term
Waning Gibbous
Definition
After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases
Term
Waning Crescent
Definition
Following the third quarter
Wanes until the light is completely gone -- a new moon.
Term
Formula: Angular Size/Linear size
Definition
Linear Size = (Angular size * distance)/ 206265
Term
Parallax
Definition
a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines.
The shift in position of an object caused by your own motion.
Term
Electromagnetic Radiation
Definition
a form of energy emitted and absorbed by charged particles, which exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space.
Term
[image]
Definition
Term
Light is connected to energy because...?
Definition
the more energy an object has, the higher along the light spectrum an object gets.
Term
Light is connected to wavelength because...?
Definition
an object that has more energy has a shorter wavelength than an object with less energy.
Term
Visible spectrum
Definition
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
Term
Full spectrum
Definition
Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-Ray, Gamma Ray
Term
Light observable on Earth
Definition
Visible spectrum along with Radio waves
Term
Light observable from space
Definition
Gamma Rays, X Rays, Ultraviolet Rays, Infrared, and long-wavelength radio waves
Term
Continuous spectrum
Definition
an emission spectrum that exhibits all the wavelengths or frequencies of visible light. (e.g. white light) (source: blackbody)
Term
Emission spectrum
Definition
spectrum that contains bright emission lines (source: hot, tenuous cloud)
Term
Absorption spectrum
Definition
dark lines superimposed on continuous spectrum (source: blackbody + cool, tenuous cloud)
Term
Optical telescope
Definition
telescope designed for use with visible light
Term
Refracting Telescope
Definition
a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope).
Term
Reflecting Telescope
Definition
(also called a reflector) is an optical telescope which uses a single or combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image.
Term
Catadioptric Telescope
Definition
optical telescopes that combine specifically shaped mirrors and lenses to form an image.
Term
How many moons does Mercury have?
Definition
0
Term
How many moons does Venus have?
Definition
0
Term
How many moons does Earth have?
Definition
1
Term
How many moons does Mars have?
Definition
2
Term
How many moons does Jupiter have?
Definition
62
Term
How many moons does Saturn have?
Definition
47
Term
How many moons does Uranus have?
Definition
27
Term
How many moons does Neptune have?
Definition
13
Term
How many moons does Pluto have?
Definition
3
Term
Kepler's Three Laws of Planetary Motion
Definition
1.)Planets travel in elliptical orbits around an off-center sun
2.)The speed of a planet`s orbit depends on its distance from the sun. A planet orbits faster when it is closer to the sun. When a planet is further away, it travels slower.
3.) The farther a planet or dwarf planet is from the sun, the longer its orbit.
Term
Newton's Three Laws of Motion
Definition
1.)Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
2.) Relationship between objects mass m, its acceleration a, and applied force f is F=MA. Acceleration and force are vectors (as indicated by their symbols being displayed in slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector.
3.) For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
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