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Astronomy 101 The Solar System Tuesday, Thursday 2:30-3:45 pm Hasbrouck 20 Tom Burbine tomburbine@astro.umass.edu. Course. Course Website: http://blogs.umass.edu/astron101-tburbine/ Textbook: Pathways to Astronomy (2nd Edition) by Stephen Schneider and Thomas Arny .

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  1. Astronomy 101The Solar SystemTuesday, Thursday2:30-3:45 pmHasbrouck 20Tom Burbinetomburbine@astro.umass.edu

  2. Course • Course Website: • http://blogs.umass.edu/astron101-tburbine/ • Textbook: • Pathways to Astronomy (2nd Edition) by Stephen Schneider and Thomas Arny. • You also will need a calculator.

  3. All presentations • Will be online before class • You do not have to copy down every word I write

  4. Goals of the Class • To learn about the Solar System, the forces acting within it, and life throughout the galaxy and universe: • The planets (including the Earth) • The moons • Asteroids, comets, and meteorites • The Sun • The Sky • Gravity • Energy • Life on other planets

  5. How can I tell if you have learned something? • You can answer questions correctly on an exam

  6. Grading • 80% – Top 4 of 5 Exam Scores (Exam #1, Exam #2, Exam #3, Exam #4, Final) Sept. 24 Oct. 22 Nov. 12 Dec. 3 • 20% – Homework • A missed exam can only be made up with a Doctor’s excuse or Dean’s excuse.

  7. Grading • A (92.50 – 100) • A- (89.50 – 92.49) • B+ (87.50 – 89.49) • B (82.50 – 87.49) • B- (79.50 – 82.49) • C+ (77.50 – 79.49) • C (72.50 – 77.49) • C- (69.50 – 72.49) • D (59.50 – 69.49) • F (below 59.49)

  8. Homework • We will use Spark • https://spark.oit.umass.edu/webct/logonDisplay.dowebct • Homework will be due approximately twice a week

  9. Homework #1 (Due September 10) • Find an article concerning a topic concerning the Solar System and write about why you found it interesting. • Include the name of the article and where it was published. • Submit using Spark

  10. Late homework • Homework is due the day it is assigned for • Late homework will be given a grade of zero • If there are problems with handing it in on time, please talk to me in advance

  11. Office Hours • Tuesday, Thursday - 1:15-2:15pm • Lederle Graduate Research Tower C 632

  12. Virtual office hours • You can IM me at tomburbine on AOL

  13. Student: and who are u? lolStudent: u gotta answer cuz i asked first both timestomburbine: why r u Iming meStudent: cuz u added my sn for some reason so i wana know whytomburbine: sn?Student: screen name? Student: loltomburbine: no I didntStudent: ok..tomburbine: do u live in massachusetts?Student: do u?tomburbine: do u live in cambridge?Student: notomburbine: is it snowing?Student: yeatomburbine: do u have a xnga?Student: no joke who the f**k are ya?Student: yes i do live in MAtomburbine: i never heard of u until u Imed meStudent: then how the h**l did u know i lived in MA?

  14. Student: and yes i do go to umasstomburbine: r u in astronomy 100Student: how do u know all this?tomburbine: because I am the professorStudent: OHHHHH OOOPS!tomburbine: i think u must have added meStudent: omg loltomburbine: and then forgot who I wasStudent: ya i didStudent: sorry for all that tomburbine: my name is my screen nametomburbine: seem familar nowStudent: didnt mean to use language but it happenedtomburbine: no problemtomburbine: funnyStudent: hehtomburbine: i actually dont know who u rStudent: good thing we got an exta 2 days for the hwtomburbine: yestomburbine: u can Im me anytimetomburbine: and Student: ill tell ya if u promiss not to fail metomburbine: I cant add my name to ur aimtomburbine: only u cantomburbine: i am fine not knowingStudent: okStudent: well i have to go ill cya on thursday. take caretomburbine: bye!

  15. Why should we learn about the Solar System? • http://www.thisistheend.com/2009/08/the-ihc-on-the-tv.php

  16. Now • We take a short quiz

  17. Mnemonics • My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nachos • My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas • Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

  18. Things we will discuss today:What is a planet?Why is there a discussion on the number of planets in the solar system?

  19. What is a planet? • Complicated definition - “A celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighboring region of planetesimals.” • Simpler definition - A “large” object that orbits a star and shines primarily by reflecting light from its star.

  20. Planets • Ancients called them “Wandering Stars” • Stars remain motionless in relation to each other • Planets shift their positions relative to the stars

  21. Mars star cluster - Messier 35 (M35) http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060419.html

  22. Moon • Natural satellite that orbits around a planet Moon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Full_Moon_Luc_Viatour.jpg

  23. How many planets are there now in the Solar System?

  24. Number? • 8? • 9? • 11? • 12? • Tens? • Hundreds?

  25. Why was there a discussion on how many planets exist in our solar system?

  26. 136199 Eris was discovered • In 2005, an object a little larger than Pluto was announced to have been discovered • Originally called 2003 UB313 • Also Eris was found to have a moon called Dysnomia Three frames over three hours. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Animation_showing_movement_of_2003_UB313.gif

  27. Hubble Space Telescope http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/trans_neptunian_objects/eris.html

  28. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eris_Orbit.svg

  29. What were the original “unofficial” names for Eris and Dysnomia

  30. original “unofficial” names for Eris and Dysnomia • “Xena” and “Gabrielle” • But there are rules: http://www.blog.speculist.com/archives/Xena%20&%20Gabrielle.jpg

  31. Rules • Couldn’t call it Persephone (wife of Pluto) • Already an asteroid named after Persephone • International Astronomical Union (IAU) regulations require a name from creation mythology for objects with orbital stability beyond Neptune’s orbit • goddess Eris, goddess of strife and discord • Dysnomia is daughter of Eris • English translation of "Dysnomia“ is "lawlessness," like Lucy Lawless

  32. Why is it important that Eris has a Moon?

  33. Why is it important that Eris has a Moon? • The moon allows you to calculate Eris’ mass • The orbital speed of Dysnomia (plus the distance of the moon from Eris) allows you to calculate Eris’ mass • Eris is 27% more massive than Pluto • Size of Eris is harder to determine but is approximately 2397 km (+100 km) (Pluto is 2306 km in diameter)

  34. Meeting that decided new planet definition • Astronomy 2006 - IAU XXVIth General Assembly • Prague • August 14-25, 2006 • About 2,400 astronomers attended the meeting

  35. Initial Proposal • "A planet is a celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet." What would then qualify as a planet?

  36. Pluto and at least three other bodies would be considered planets • 1 Ceres (an asteroid) • 136199 Eris – slightly bigger than Pluto • Charon • What is Charon?

  37. Charon • Charon is the largest moon of Pluto • 240 natural satellites in the solar system • 166 orbiting the eight planets

  38. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moons_of_solar_system_v7.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moons_of_solar_system_v7.jpg

  39. Charon • Charon is half the diameter of Pluto • Center of mass of this system is outside Pluto • Double planet system 1978 1996 – Hubble Space Telescope http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charon_Discovery.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pluto_and_charon.jpg

  40. 2006 • The IAU now defines "planet" as a celestial body that: • (a) is in orbit around the Sun, • (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and • (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

  41. ~400 people voted http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7106/images/442965a-i1.0.jpg http://www.plutoisaplanet.com/index_files/image004.jpg

  42. A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that • (a) is in orbit around the Sun, • (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, • (c) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and • (d) is not a satellite. • All other objects except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar-System Bodies".

  43. Problems • “Any definition that allows a planet in one location but not another is unworkable. Take Earth. Move it to Pluto’s orbit, and it will be instantly disqualified as a planet.” (Allan Stern) • What does clear the neighborhood really mean? • Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune all have asteroids as neighbors (in similar orbits)

  44. Five bodies which fulfill the first three conditions but not the fourth (Charon) are now classified as dwarf planets: • Ceres, Pluto, 136199 Eris, 136472 Makemake, and 136108 Haumea

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