Lecture 1. ASTR 111 Section 002 Introductory Astronomy Solar System. Dr. Weigel. Outline. Course Overview Topics. Course Overview General Information

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1 Lecture 1 Course Overview Topics ASTR 111 Section 002 Introductory Astronomy Solar System Dr. Weigel Outline 1.1 Course Overview 1.2 Course Logistics and Syllabus 1.3 Angular Measurements 1.4 Accuracy vs. Precision 1.4 The Scientific Method 1.5 Astronomical Distances 1.6 Ancient Astronomy Course Overview General Information Astronomy 111 is designed to give you an overview of the solar system and the methods of astronomy. It has been developed for non-science majors who wish to gain a better understanding of the known universe, ancient and modern astronomy, and methods for interpreting astronomical observations and measurements. A mathematical background including high school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry is necessary to do well in this course. 1

2 Course Overview How to succeed Come to class and participate 70% of success in life is just showing up Woody Allen Do the reading assignments Take the quizzes Course Overview Key goals I want you to understand the basic principles of astronomy I want you to think critically Perspective of any employer: Baseline knowledge of facts is helpful. But baseline knowledge will not help you in new and unusual situations. I want you to be able to think like a scientist Simplify the complex by using basic principles Interact with other people to solve a problem Course Logistics and Syllabus Electronic quiz on Blackboard due prior to each class (due date is always 4:30 pm on Wednesday) Covers problems worked in class Covers textbook reading Three exams + a final exam all of equal weight. Lowest score is dropped. Quizzes count for 10% of final grade. Best three exam scores count for 30% each. Letter grades are A = , A- = 90-93, B+ = 87-90, B = 83-87, B- =80-83, C+ = 77-80, C = 73-77, C- = 70-73, D = 60-70, F=0-60. No make-up exams. Contact: rweigel@gmu.edu or Office hour: After class or by appointment. Tuesdays are best. Lecture notes posted on Tuesday evenings. I will send an to your GMU account when it is posted. I suggest printing out the lecture notes (or at least the in-class exercises) prior to class. Textbook is Universe, 8 th edition by Freedman and Kauffmann. 7 th edition okay. Lab? Honor Code. Lecture structure. Attendance. 2

3 Angular Measurements Subdivide a circle into 360 degrees 1 degree Astronomers use angles to denote the positions and apparent sizes of objects in the sky =Observer s Zenith Astronomers use angular measure to describe the apparent size of a celestial object what fraction of the sky that object seems to cover The angular diameter (or angular size) of the Moon is ½ or the Moon subtends an angle of ½. If you draw lines from your eye to each of two stars, the angle between these lines is the angular distance between these two stars 3

4 Angular Measurements Subdivide a circle into 360 degrees 1 degree Subdivide one degree into 60 arcminutes minutes of arc abbreviated as 60 arcmin or 60 Subdivide one arcminute into 60 arcseconds seconds of arc abbreviated as 60 arcsec or 60 The adult human hand held at arm s length provides a means of estimating angles 1 = 60 arcmin = 60 1 = 60 arcsec = 60 What is 0.5 degrees? Using arcminutes and arcseconds? What is 0.5 degrees? Using arcminutes and arcseconds? 0.5 degree 60 arcminutes 1 degree 4

5 What is 0.5 degrees? Using arcminutes and arcseconds? What is 0.5 degrees? Using arcminutes and arcseconds? 0.5 degree 60 arcminutes 1 degree = 30 arcminutes 0.5 degrees 60 arcminutes 60 arcseconds = 1800 arcseconds 1 degree arcminute Group Questions Form groups of exactly 4 Optimal configuration is two students in one row and two students in another row Yes No A 1. What is the angular distance between points A and B on this slide (In degrees and arcminutes). Each group member should take their own measurement. Each student should also write down their height alongside of their measurement 2. Predict what will happen if you made your measurement in two different parts of the room. 3. Next week you sit in the same chair but weigh 30 pounds less. Will your (angular) measurements change? 4. Do you think there will be a relationship between a persons height and the angle they measure? B 5

6 Accuracy vs. Precision Target is red Shots are black Accuracy vs. Precision Target is red Shots are black High precision Low accuracy High precision High accuracy Accuracy vs Precision Mnemonic: You ll get an A for Accuracy Target is red Shots are black Bias The left target shows bias the measurements were made with high precision, but the were consistently off in the same direction. 6

7 Group work The Scientific Method On a piece of paper, write down causes of low accuracy causes of low precision causes of bias associated with your angular measurements I will collect and post answers to critique What is Science? 1) A set of facts 2) Something that professional scientists do 3) The underlying Truth about the Universe 4) The collection of data and formation of a hypothesis 5) None of the above The Scientific Method the process characterization of existing data formulation of a hypothesis formulation of a predictive test experimental testing, (important: error elimination and characterization) report and peer review validate or revise hypothesis 7

8 Parallax Parallax Parallax Parallax When the apparent position of an object (numbers on speedometer) changes because of the change in position of the observer (driver s seat to passenger s seat)

9 The Parsec Astronomical distances are never measured in Car hours, dotsecs, and Moon Units Car Hour (ch) the distance a car can travel in one hour at a speed of about 60 miles/hour. How far is Baltimore? About an hour. Car Year (cy) A time A distance the distance a car can travel in one year at a speed of about 60 miles/hour dotsec (ds) the distance at which the two dots on the screen subtend an angle of 1 arcsec Moon Unit (MU) One Moon Unit is the average distance between Earth and the Moon Astronomical distances are often measured in astronomical units, parsecs, or light-years Light Year (ly) One ly is the distance light can travel in one year at a speed of about 3 x 10 5 km/s or 186,000 miles/s Parsec (pc) the distance at which 1 AU subtends an angle of 1 arcsec or the distance from which Earth would appear to be one arcsecond from the Sun Astronomical Unit (AU) One AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun X 10 8 km or million miles Earth Sun Observer s view of Sun and Earth from outer planet 9

10 Gods-eye view - Looking down on Sun and Earth Gods-eye view Observer s view Observer s view 10

11 1. Imagine that you are looking at the stars from Earth in January. Use a straightedge to draw a line from Earth in January, through the nearby star (Star A), out to the Distant Stars. Which of the distant stars would appear closest to Star A in your night sky in January. Circle this distant star and label it Jan. 2. Repeat Question 1 for July and label the distant star July. 3. In the box below, the same distant stars are shown as you would see them in the night sky. Draw a small x to indicate the position of Star A as seen in January and label it Star A Jan. Distant Stars Nearby Star (Star A) 4. In the same box, draw another x to indicate the position of Star A as seen in July and label it Star A July. 5. Describe how Star A would appear to move among the distant stars as Earth orbits the Sun counterclockwise from January of one year, through July, to January of the following year. 6. Consider two stars (C and D) that both exhibit parallax. If Star C appears to move back and forth by a greater amount than Star D, which star do you think is actually closer to you? If you re not sure, just make a guess. We ll return to this question later in this activity. Earth (January) 1 AU Earth (July) Based on Lecture Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy, Prather et al., pg 35

12 1. Starting from Earth in January, draw a line through Star A to the top of the page. 2. There is now a narrow triangle, created by the line you drew, the dotted line provided in the diagram, and the line connecting Earth and the Sun. The small angle, just below Star A, formed by the two longest sides of this triangle is called the parallax angle for Star A. Label this angle P A. Knowing a star s parallax angle allows us to calculate the distance to the star. Since even the nearest stars are still very far away, parallax angles are extremely small. These parallax angles are measured in arcseconds where an arcsecond is 1/3600 of 1 degree. To describe the distances to stars, astronomers use a unit of length called the parsec. One parsec is defined as the distance to a star that has a parallax angle of exactly 1 arcsecond. Based on Lecture Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy, Prather et al., pg 35 Earth (January) Distant Stars Nearby Star (Star A) Earth (July)

13 If the parallax angle for Star A (P A ) is 1 arcsecond, what is the distance from the Sun to Star A? (Hint us parsec as your unit of distance.) Label this distance on the diagram. Is a parsec a unit of length or a unit of angle? (It can t be both.) As Star A moves outward, what happens to its parallax angle? Note: Since the distance from the Sun to even the closest star is so much greater than 1 AU, we can consider the distance from Earth to a star and the distance from the Sun to that star to be approximately equal.

14 Ancient Astronomy Naked-eye astronomy had an important place in ancient civilizations Positional astronomy the study of the positions of objects in the sky and how these positions change Naked-eye astronomy the sort that requires no equipment but human vision Extends far back in time British Isles Stonehenge Native American Medicine Wheel Aztec, Mayan and Incan temples Egyptian pyramids Stonehenge See also 11

15 Aztec, Mayan and Incan temples Eighty-eight constellations cover the entire sky Ancient peoples looked at the stars and imagined groupings made pictures in the sky We still refer to many of these groupings Astronomers call them constellations (from the Latin for group of stars ) Modern Constellations On modern star charts, the entire sky is divided into 88 regions Each is a constellation Most stars in a constellation are nowhere near one another They only appear to be close together because they are in nearly the same direction as seen from Earth 12

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