Basic Terms

1. Basic Terms • Universe – • The Universe means everything. • Galaxy – • A galaxy is a large “Island” of stars held together by gravity. • Solar System – • A Solar System is everything that orbits a Sun/Star.

2. Basic Terms • Star – • A Star is a large ball of Hydrogen undergoing “nuclear Fusion” creating light and heat. • Fission – Splitting an atom (soda fizz) • Fusion – Forcing atoms together (fuse metal) • Constellation – • A constellation is a group of stars that appear to make an image, used for: Direction, Calendar, Mapping the sky.

3. Basics Terms • Planets – • Planet – Large body orbiting a star, rounded by its own gravity and has cleared its own neighborhood. • Dwarf Planets – • Dwarf Planets – Smaller planets not meeting the planet definition. • Moon – • Moon – Natural satellite of a planet • (Most of our planets have moons)

4. Basic Terms • Asteroids – • Asteroids are large rocks orbiting a Star • (Asteroid belt) • Meteoroids – • Smaller rocks orbiting the star. (also an oid) • Meteors – • Meteors are when meteoroids enter our atmosphere, they burn up and leave a streak of bright light behind. • (shooting star) (meteor shower) • Meteorite – • A Meteorite is the rock left behind after a Meteor strike (like granITE)

5. Basic Terms • Comet – • Comets are called • Dirty snowballs. • They are frozen rock • And ice orbiting the • Sun. When they are near the sun, the ice gets vaporized and leaves a tail behind.

7. How it all began. • How did the Universe Begin? • The Big Bang • About 14 BYA (Billion years ago) all matter was compressed into an area the size of an atom. • Then a giant explosion sent everything outward, faster than the speed of light. The universe is born.

8. The Big Bang. • Originally The universe was hot gas spreading out in all directions. • In time the gas cooled and began to clump together like pieces of dust forming dust bunnies. • About 10 BYA our Galaxy formed. • “The Milky Way” made of over 100 Billion Stars. • We are only 1 of over 100 Billion Galaxies.

9. The Big Bang • About 5 BYA a star in “our neighborhood” explodes, sending elements out into space in a giant dust cloud. • The dust cloud begins to swirl counter clockwise and clump into “dust bunnies” • Asteroids are our building blocks (studying their composition tells us what we are made of) • Our Solar System is formed about 4.6 BYA • Our sun, planets, asteroids and comets are all the same age. (All going counter clockwise) • ( only clocks and Venus rotation are clockwise)

10. Rule of 5’s • How old is everything? • Time can be remembered by the rule of 5’s • Universe ~15 BYA • Galaxy ~ 10 BYA • Solar System ~ 5 BYA

12. The Big Bang • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhTSfOZUNLo

13. Evidence of the Big Bang (R) • How do we know that if we rewind time the galaxies move together? • 1) Knowing galaxies are moving away from each other we can rewind time to see them move back to 1 point. • How do we know galaxies are moving apart?

14. Regents Long wave length = Low energy (Radio) Short wave length = High energy (X rays)

15. (R) • Which color has the longest wave length? Rainbows show us: Red is the longest wave length Blue / Violet is the shortest

16. (R) Stationary Galaxy Galaxy Moving Away Galaxy Moving Closer

17. (R) • Doppler Effect : • Wavelengths moving closer get squished. (shift red) • Wavelengths moving apart get stretched out. (shift Blue) • Almost all Galaxies shift Red showing they are moving apart

18. (R) • Which Galaxies are moving fastest? The ones closest to us or further from us? • The farthest galaxies out in space are moving the fastest (like a race)

19. (R) • What else do you notice when a bomb goes off? • 2) Cosmic Background Radiation is the noise left from the Big Bang – Found throughout space.

20. (R) • What does a bomb give off besides light and noise? • 3) Temperature – All throughout space it is the same temperature. This happens because everything started and has cooled at the same rate over the same amount of time.

21. The planets • Terrestrial Planets – • Terrestrial planets are Rocky planets • terrain meaning land (ATV’s) • Mercury, Venus, Earth , Mars

22. Mercury – God of Speed • Mercury – • Mercury 1– • Closest planet to the sun • Fastest revolution • Shortest year

23. Venus – Goddess of Beauty Venus – Venus 2 called Earths Twin Sister. Similar AU, Size, etc. Problems – Thick clouds of CO2 & Sulfur Hottest planet. (clouds are like a coat) Rains acid Crushing air pressure A day is longer then a Year

24. Earth - Home Earth – Earth 3 only planet with known: Running water Life

25. Mars – God of War Mars – Mars 4 – Similar to a cold Earth with Frozen water. Valleys show water once Flowed freely. Most likely will be the First colonized planet.

26. Asteroid Belt The Asteroid belt is made of large rocks Orbiting the sun between the rocky and gas planets. It probably should have turned into a planet, but the gravity from the sun and Jupiter keep pulling on them. It can’t clump.

27. The planets • Jovian Planets – • Jovian Planets are • The gas Giants. • Name Jovian • Meaning Jupiter • Like Planets.

28. Jupiter – King of the Gods • Jupiter – • Jupiter 5 – • largest Planet • Rotates fastest • Shortest days. • Great Red Spot.

30. Saturn – Jupiter’s Dad • Saturn – • Saturn 6 – • 1st known rings. • Less dense then H20. • Saturday 

31. Uranus – God of the Sky • Uranus – • Uranus 7 – • First planet discovered • by using a telescope. • Spins on its side.

32. Neptune – God of the Sea • Neptune – • Neptune – 8 • Farthest • Coldest • Found by math

33. It continues……. • What is after Neptune? • After Neptune: • Additional belts of • Asteroids, Comets, • Meteors & dwarf planets