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chapters 1-5
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25
Astronomy
Undergraduate 2
02/19/2008

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
geo- centric
Definition
earth centered
Term
zenith  
Definition
the top of the dome, the point directly above your head
Term
horizion
Definition
where the dome meets the earth
Term
axis  
Definition
the earth turns on the axis every 24/hrs.. soo that we see the stars, moon and sun rise and set like clock work
Term
celestial sphere  
Definition
what the early greeks regarded as the sky
Term
celestial poles
Definition
they are the projection of the earths poles onto the celestial sphere
Term
celestial equator
Definition
is the projection og the earths equator onto the celestial sphere
Term
aristotle
Definition
believed that the earth was the center of the solar system
Term
eratosthenes
Definition
determined the size of the spherical earth
Term
eclipitic  
Definition
the path the sun appears to take around the celesial sphere each year
Term
hipparchus
Definition
divided the stars into magnitudes according to their brightness
Term
precession
Definition
it helps us unerstand that the direction in which the earths axis points does indeed change slowly, but regularly in motion
Term
portolemy
Definition
was the greatest astronomer of the roman era. his greatest contribution was a geometrical representation of the solar system that predicted the positions of the planets for any desired date and time
Term
retrograde motion
Definition
the temporary appearent westword motion of a planet as the warth swings between it and the sun
Term
copernicus
Definition
he came up witht he heliocentric model/ the reappraisal of the existing theories of planetary motion and the development of a nre sun centered model of the colar system
Term
galielo
Definition
studied motion and the actions of forces and boundries
Term
tycho
Definition
he made a continuous record of the positions of the sun, moon and planets for almost 20 years
Term
kepler
Definition
was tychos assistant that took over for him when he died.. he published all of tycho's results in the new astronomy.. and thats where we find the first two laws of planetary motion
Term
ellipse
Definition
the orbit of a planet that has a somewhat flattened circle
Term
major axis
Definition
is the widest and diameter of the ellipse
Term
keplers first law
Definition
each planet moves about the sun in an orbit that is an ellipse, w/ the sun at one focus of the ellipse
Term
keplers 2nd law
Definition
the straight line joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas in space in equal intervals at one time
Term
keplers 3rd law
Definition
the squares of the planets periods of the revolution are in direct proportion to the cubes of the semi- major axes of the orbits
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