Astronomy, Mr. Vannorsdall, 2nd Semester, 2012

UNIT 1—Intro to Astronomy

Introduction, guidelines, What is Astronomy?

Why study astronomy?

Is astrology related to astronomy?

The Early Astronomers

Backyard Astronomy #1--Constellations

Astronomy during the middle ages—the rise of science.

Science, Technology and Society-- Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo

Newton--Gravity, Laws of motion

The electromagnetic spectrum in astronomy

Visible spectra in astronomy

Telescopes and observatories

Review and Unit 1 test

Unit 2: Solar System

Cosmic Uniformitarianism—what’s here…is out there

Diagram of the solar system. Size and distance #1

Evolution of the solar system.

Laws of Planetary motion

Inner Planets

Outer planets

Cosmic debris—oids, ors and ites

Comets

Exploring the SS—the probes

Backyard Astronomy #2—planets and such.

Unit review and test

UNIT 3: Earth-Moon-Sun System

Basic motions—rotation and revolution

Rotation--Day and night, rising and setting

Time and Date

The moon—terrestrial features

The moon—origins and history

Backyard astronomy #3--Phases of the moon

Ocean tides and the Moon

Earth’s trip around the sun—seasonal changes

Solar and Lunar Eclipses

Unit Review and Test

Unit 4 The Sun—Our Star

Vital statistics

Structure

Hydrogen to helium fusion

Hydrostatic equilibrium

Magnetism in general

The Sun’s magnetic field—flares, prominences, solar wind, CME’s

Sunspots and the solar cycle

Auroras

The “Perfect Solar Storm”

Unit Review and Test

Unit 5: Stars in General

Properties of stars: determining distance, brightness, mass, radius

Size and Distance #2—Light Years and Parsecs

the Hertzprung/Russell Diagram

Main sequence stars—the life of our sun

Lives of giant stars—supernovas,

neutron stars, black holes

Binary and variable stars

Unit review and test

UNIT 6 Cosmology

Classifying Galaxies

The Milky Way

Dark Matter

Size and Distance #3—beyond comprehension.

Other groupings—Groups, Clusters and Superclusters

The Big Bang –inflationary universe.

Doppler shift of light

Dark Energy

Quasars

Life in the universe: Drake Equation, Panspermia, Gaia Hypothesis, Anthropic Hypothesis

Life as a reflection of environment

Alien life in the movies

Unit review and Test

FINAL EXAM