Introduction to Astronomy: The Study of Stars, Planets, and the Universe

2. ASTRONOMY

3. What is Astronomy?? Astronomy is the scientific study of stars, planets and other things in space.

4. How did the universe begin?? • There are three main theories of the origin of the universe. • Big Bang theory • Steady State theory • Creation theory

5. Steady State Theory • The universe has always been as it is today • New matter is always being produced • The universe is continuously contracting and expanding.

6. Big Bang Theory • Billions of years ago the universe was packed in a small space-Primeval Atom • It explodes and threw matter in all directions • The explosion caused the formation of the galaxies.

7. Creation Theory • God created the Heavens and the Earth. • Adam and Eve • Religion

8. The universe is made up of millions of Galaxies. A galaxy is a swarm of billions of stars, clouds and dust rotating around a central point.

9. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way Our WHOLE solar system is located right about here X

10. Life of a star

11. Stars go through four different stages in their lifetime. The four stages are: • Yellow Star • Red Giant • White Dwarf • Black Dwarf

12. Yellow Star • Medium-Hot star. Nuclear reaction occurring • Our “Star” (sun) is a yellow star.

13. RED GIANT • As nuclear fuel is used up, star expands and turns red • Lasts for about 100 million years • When our sun is a Red Giant, it will expand and swallow up the inner planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars

14. White Dwarf • Most of the stars fuel in the outer layers is used up • Shrinks and collapses (about the size of Earth but heavier) • Gives off a white light

15. Black Dwarf • Remaining fuel is used up • Star is dead

17. Basic Sun Facts • The Sun is 93 million miles away from Earth. (It takes sunlight 8.5 minutes to reach Earth.) • Surface Temperature: 10,000 degrees (F) • Core Temp: 22,000,000 degrees • Corona Temp: 2,000,000 degrees HOT STUFF!!!

18. How Big is the Sun??? The Sun is HUGE!!!

19. Diameter of Sun: 865,000 miles across. 109 Earths would fit across the Sun!!! • Circumference: 2,700,000 miles around the Sun • *** 1,300,000 Earths would fit inside the Sun! WOW!!

20. The Sun actually moves! Rotation: The Sun spins around one time every 25 days. Revolution: The Sun moves around the center of our galaxy one time every 200,000,000 years!

21. Parts of the Sun Core Convection Zone Photosphere Prominences Sunspots Solar Flares Chromosphere Corona

22. Core: Center of Sun, hottest part. Nuclear fusion takes place Convection Zone: Full of hot gases. Energy released Photosphere: Source of sunlight. Visible part of Sun Prominences: Flame-like gases that travel outward Sunspots: Darker, cooler areas of Sun Solar Flares: Streams of charges atoms Corona: Outer atmosphere Chromosphere: Gases above the photosphere. Seen only during an eclipse

24. Prominences Chromosphere Sun Spots

25. EARTH

26. The Earth is tilted on it’s axis 23.5 degrees. This is why we have seasons.

27. We have night and day because our planet is rotating or spinning! Illinois X SUN This is showing daytime in Illinois FYI: This is not to scale!!!

28. We have night and day because our planet is rotating or spinning! Illinois X SUN This is showing nighttime in Illinois FYI: This is not to scale!!!

29. This is a little more to scale!!! Sun Earth

31. The Background Info. • The Moon is the Earths only natural satellite. • Ancient man feared the moon- Thought it made a person crazy! • Lunar- From the moon. Lunatic- Crazy person. • 1609, Galileo was the 1st person to fully examine the moon through a telescope.

32. Moon Facts • Distance from Earth: 250,000 miles • Circumference: 7,000 miles • Diameter: 2,000 miles • ** The moon is about a ¼ of the size of Earth. • Gravitational Pull: 1/6 that of the Earth. Ex) If you weight 100 pounds on the Earth, you would weigh about 16 .5 pounds on the moon!

33. Effects of only a little gravity on the moon: • No water • No atmosphere • No air • Effects of no air: • No sound • No wind to carry warmth to cold areas • Black skies, you see stars in the daytime. • Topography: • Craters, mountains, smooth plains, valleys

34. Temperature on the Moon Dark side is –270 degrees! Below Zero! Bright side is 200-300 degrees!

35. Due to the extreme conditions on the moon astronauts must were a suit like this.

36. Phases of the Moon

37. Half of the Moon is ALWAYS lit-up Sunlight

38. The Moon appears to have phases because it is revolving around us. Quarter/Half Moon New Moon Full Moon (sunlight) Quarter/Half Moon

39. Rotation:27 1/3 days Revolution: 27 1/3 days We can only see one side of the moon from the Earth. Astonaughts had to orbit the moon in a rocket ship to see what was on the other side. The reason why we can only see one side of the moon is because the rotation and revolution are the same.

40. ECLIPSES

41. SOLARECLIPSE When the Moon gets between the Sun and Earth. The Moon casts a small shadow on the Earth.

42. LUNARECLIPSE When the Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon. The Earth casts a shadow on the Moon. This is how we knew the Earth was round!

43. SOLARECLIPSE

44. LUNARECLIPSE

45. Cool Pictures of the Moon This is a picture of the Earth from the moon.

46. This shows the craters and the smooth areas on the moon.

47. This shows the surface of the moon Little Astronaut

48. And away we go!

49. My Very Enlarged Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas

50. My