The Universe and the Earth in Space

8/8/2019 The Universe and the Earth in Space

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The Universe and theThe Universe and the

Earth in SpaceEarth in Space


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AstronomyAstronomy-- thethe sciencescience ofof thethe heavenlyheavenlybodiesbodies thethe sun,sun, thethe planets,planets, thethe moons,moons, thethecomets,comets, thethe meteors,meteors, thethe starsstars..

InIn recentrecent years,years, throughthrough powerfulpowerful telescopestelescopesandand spectroscopesspectroscopes,, astronomersastronomers havehave learnedlearnedmuchmuch aboutabout heavenlyheavenly bodiesbodies..

TelescopeTelescope-- opticaloptical devicedevice forfor makingmaking distantdistant

objectsobjects appearappear nearernearer andand largerlarger SpectroscopeSpectroscope-- opticaloptical instrumentinstrument forfor creatingcreating

andand observingobserving aa spectraspectra


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SpectraSpectra-- rangerange ofof colorscolors asas seenseen inin aa rainbowrainbow

AidedAided byby thethe exactexact sciencescience ofofmathematicsmathematics andandbyby thethe lawslaws ofof physicsphysics,, astronomersastronomers havehavemeasuredmeasured thethe heavenlyheavenly bodiesbodies..

WhatWhat isis thethe importanceimportance ofof astronomy?astronomy?

-- ItIt tellstells usus particularlyparticularly ofof ourour ownown earthearth-- ChangesChanges ofof seasonsseasons

-- MeasurementMeasurement ofof ourour timetime-- InfluenceInfluence ofof thethe sunsun uponupon lifelife-- ExtentExtent andand naturenature ofof thethe greatgreat universeuniverse


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AstronomyAstronomy isis oneone ofof thethe oldestoldest sciencessciences..

EvenEven thethe ancientsancients observedobserved thethe starrystarry

heavensheavens andand mademade remarkablyremarkably accurateaccurateobservationsobservations..

TheThe ancientsancients namednamed planetsplanets andand calledcalled

themthem wandererswanderers..

TheyThey distinguishdistinguish thethe planetsplanets fromfrom thethe fixedfixed

starsstars..


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Astronomy vs. AstrologyAstronomy vs. Astrology

AstronomyAstronomy mustmust notnot bebe confusedconfused withwith astrology,astrology,althoughalthough thethe twotwo termsterms werewere originallyoriginallysynonymoussynonymous..

AstrologyAstrology isis todaytoday notnot aa sciencescience..

Astrology Astrology isis concernedconcerned withwith fancifulfancifulinterpretationsinterpretations ofof thethe assumedassumed influenceinfluence ofofheavenlyheavenly bodiesbodies onon humanhuman beingsbeings andand earthlyearthly

eventsevents.. Astrology Astrology isis thethe predictionprediction ofof thethe futurefuture

accordingaccording toto thethe statestate ofof thethe starsstars..


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THE SOLAR SYSTEMTHE SOLAR SYSTEM

The solar system includes the Sun and all the celestialThe solar system includes the Sun and all the celestialbodies that orbit the Sun.bodies that orbit the Sun.

The eight known planets are as follows:The eight known planets are as follows:

1.1. MercuryMercury 36,000,000 miles36,000,000 miles2.2. VenusVenus 67,300,000 miles67,300,000 miles3.3. EarthEarth 92,900,000 miles92,900,000 miles4.4. MarsMars 141,500,000 miles141,500,000 miles5.5. JupiterJupiter 483,000,000 miles483,000,000 miles6.6. SaturnSaturn 886,000,000 miles886,000,000 miles7.7. UranusUranus 1,782,000,000 miles1,782,000,000 miles8.8. NeptuneNeptune 2,793,000,000 miles2,793,000,000 miles


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THE SUNTHE SUN

Astronomically Astronomically defined,defined, itit isis aa mediummedium--sizedsizedstarstar..

ItIt hashas beenbeen provenproven thatthat itit isis aa rotating,rotating, almostalmost

sphericalspherical bodybody ofof flamingflaming oror incandescentincandescentgaseousgaseous mattermatter..

ItIt containscontains somesome 7070 ofof thethe elementselements whichwhich existexistonon thethe earthearth..

TheThe meanmean distancedistance ofof thethe sunsun fromfrom thethe earthearth hashasbeenbeen determined,determined, withwith fairfair accuracy,accuracy, asas9292,,900900,,0000 milesmiles..


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THE EARTHTHE EARTH

TheThe earthearth isis aa planet,planet, anan oblateoblate spheroidspheroid inin

shapeshape thatthat is,is, itit isis notnot perfectlyperfectly sphericalspherical..

ItIt isis somewhatsomewhat flattenedflattened atat thethe polespoles andandbulgingbulging somewhatsomewhat atat thethe equatorequator..

HowHow oldold isis thethe earth?earth?

-- TheThe ageage ofof thethe earthearth isis nownow believedbelieved toto bebeatat leastleast 33 billionbillion oror 44 billionbillion yearsyears..


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THE MOONTHE MOON

TheThe moonmoon isis thethe earthsearths satellitesatellite:: itit revolvesrevolves

aroundaround thethe earthearth..

ItIt hashas anan importantimportant effecteffect onon thethe earthearth namelynamely

thethe tidestides..

TheThe sunsun alsoalso influencesinfluences thethe tidestides onon thethe earthearth..

BecauseBecause ofof thethe gravitationalgravitational pullpull fromfrom thethe moonmoon

andand thethe sun,sun, thethe oceansoceans cancan bebe pulledpulled slightlyslightlyoutout ofof theirtheir beds,beds, soso toto speakspeak..


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THE INDIVIDUAL PLANETSTHE INDIVIDUAL PLANETS

MERCURYMERCURY

-- ItIt appearsappears toto havehave littlelittle ifif anyany atmosphereatmosphere..

-- ItsIts albedoalbedo (the(the proportionproportion ofof sunlightsunlight itit reflects)reflects) isis

soso lowlow thatthat itit seemsseems certaincertain thatthat therethere isis littlelittleatmosphereatmosphere ofof anyany kindkind onon MercuryMercury..

-- NoNo satellitesatellite revolvesrevolves aroundaround MercuryMercury..-- TheThe sizesize ofof thethe planetplanet isis aboutabout 11//1717 ofof thatthat ofof thethe

earthearth..

-- MercuryMercury isis quitequite faintfaint inin thethe sky,sky, itit maymay bebe seenseenasas aa morningmorning oror eveningevening star,star, justjust beforebefore sunrisesunriseoror justjust afterafter sunsetsunset..


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VENUSVENUS

VenusVenus isis veryvery muchmuch likelike thethe earthearth inin sizesize andand

mass,mass, andand inin havinghaving aa densedense atmosphereatmosphere..

ResultsResults ofof thethe VenusVenus spacespace probeprobe indicateindicate thatthat

thethe entireentire surfacesurface ofof thethe planetplanet isis coveredcovered byby ananunbrokenunbroken layerlayer ofof densedense cloudsclouds..

ItIt appearsappears toto usus asas thethe brightestbrightest ofof thethe planetsplanets..

VenusVenus reflectsreflects 5959 perper centcent ofof thethe sunssuns lightlight..

EarthEarth reflectsreflects 4444 perper centcent ofof thethe sunssuns lightlight..

MoonMoon reflectsreflects 77 perper centcent ofof thethe sunssuns lightlight..


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MARSMARS

MarsMars andand allall thethe otherother planetsplanets beyondbeyond ititareare calledcalled thethe superiorsuperior planets,planets, forfor thetheearthearth isis betweenbetween allall ofof themthem andand thethe sunsun..

ItsIts sizesize isis aboutabout 11//77 thatthat ofof thethe earthearth..

TheThe greatgreat interestinterest inin MarsMars isis partlypartly duedue totothethe factfact thatthat itit comescomes closercloser toto thethe earthearth

thanthan anyany otherother majormajor planetplanet.. MarsMars hashas twotwo satellitessatellites oror moons,moons, namednamed

PhobosPhobos andand DeimosDeimos..


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JUPITERJUPITER

JupiterJupiter isis thethe largestlargest ofof thethe planetsplanets..

NextNext toto Venus,Venus, JupiterJupiter isis thethe brightestbrightest inin thethe skysky..

ManyMany ofof thethe featuresfeatures ofof JupiterJupiter cancan bebe observedobserved

throughthrough eveneven aa smallsmall telescopetelescope..

JupiterJupiter hashas twelvetwelve satellitessatellites..

TheThe 44 brightestbrightest satellitessatellites ofof JupiterJupiter areare namednamed

Io,Io, Europa,Europa, GanymedeGanymede andand CallistoCallisto.. JupiterJupiter exhibitsexhibits lightlight andand darkdark bands,bands, andand aa

peculiarpeculiar andand fairlyfairly permanentpermanent redred spotspot..


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SATURNSATURN

WithinWithin thethe ringsrings ofof Saturn,Saturn, thethe planetplanet

itselfitself isis poisedpoised likelike aa brightbright silverysilvery ballball..

ItIt isis nownow knownknown thatthat SaturnSaturn hashas threethreerings,rings, designateddesignated asas A,A, B,B, andand CC..

PossiblyPossibly theythey werewere onceonce aa moonmoon oror moonsmoons

thatthat havehave disintegrateddisintegrated..

SaturnSaturn hashas atat leastleast 99 satellitessatellites..


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URANUSURANUS

UranusUranus waswas discovereddiscovered inin 17811781 byby SirSir

WilliamWilliam HerschelHerschel..

ItIt reflectsreflects aa goodgood dealdeal ofof thethe smallsmall amountamountofof sunlightsunlight itit receivesreceives..

ItIt appearsappears slightlyslightly greenishgreenish inin thethe

telescopetelescope..

UranusUranus hashas fivefive satellitessatellites..


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NEPTUNENEPTUNE

NeptuneNeptune isis soso farfar fromfrom thethe sunsun andand soso veryvery

farfar fromfrom thethe earthearth thatthat fewfew definitedefinite factsfacts

cancan bebe statedstated aboutabout itit..

NeptuneNeptune isis shroudedshrouded inin aa thickthick

atmosphere,atmosphere, probablyprobably heavyheavy withwith cloudsclouds..

NeptuneNeptune hashas twotwo satellitessatellites..

NeptuneNeptune cannotcannot bebe seenseen withwith thethe nakednaked

eyeeye..


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COMETSCOMETS

The word comet comes from a Greek wordThe word comet comes from a Greek word

which means longwhich means long--haired.haired.

It appears to have a glowing head with aIt appears to have a glowing head with along tail streaming out behind.long tail streaming out behind.

The most famous great comet visible toThe most famous great comet visible to

the unaided eye was Halleys comet.the unaided eye was Halleys comet.

Comets come and go, and some have notComets come and go, and some have not

been seen again.been seen again.


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METEORSMETEORS

Sometimes parts of comets tails, but more oftenSometimes parts of comets tails, but more oftenjust isolated tiny bodies roaming through space.just isolated tiny bodies roaming through space.

When any of them hits the earths atmosphere,When any of them hits the earths atmosphere,

the air heats it to visible glowing, and appears asthe air heats it to visible glowing, and appears asa shooting star.a shooting star.

After a meteor has landed on the earth, it isAfter a meteor has landed on the earth, it iscalled acalled a meteoritemeteorite..

Meteoric showers are usually associated withMeteoric showers are usually associated withthe orbit of some comet, which recur withthe orbit of some comet, which recur withespecial brightness.especial brightness.


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About PlutoAbout Pluto

On August 24, 2006, the InternationalOn August 24, 2006, the InternationalAstronomical Union surprised the world byAstronomical Union surprised the world byvoting in a new definition of planet, one thatvoting in a new definition of planet, one that

would exclude Pluto and bring the total numberwould exclude Pluto and bring the total numberdown to eight.down to eight.

Pluto was instead classified as aPluto was instead classified as a dwarf planetdwarf planet,,along withalong with CeresCeres andandXenaXena..

The main difference between a dwarf planet andThe main difference between a dwarf planet andthe real thing is that the dwarf variety has notthe real thing is that the dwarf variety has notcleared the area of its orbital path.cleared the area of its orbital path.

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The Universe and the Earth in Space