Astronomy and Stars Flashcards
Believed that Earth was the center of the universe and the planets and Sun revolved around the Earth
Ptolemy
Believed that the Sun is the center of the universe and all the planets revolved around the Sun
Copernicus
Recorded very precise observations of the planets and stars
Brahe, Tycho
Used Brahe’s work to determine that all the planets revolve around the Sun in elliptical orbits
Kepler, Johannes
Used a telescope to make important discoveries about the moon and Sun
Galileo
Discovered that all objects in the universe attract each other through gravitational force
Newton, Isaac
Proved that other galaxies exist beyond the Milky Way (our galaxy)
Hubble, Edwin
Constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means “greater bear,” referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear.
Ursa major
A constellation located in the far northern sky. As with the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the North American name, Little Dipper
Ursa minor
Prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world.
Orion
A constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included in Ptolemy’s 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations
Canis major
A constellation in the northern sky named after the vain queen Cassiopeia.
Cassiopeia
Is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass in a late phase of stellar evolution.
Red giant
A small very dense star that is typically the size of a planet.
White dwarf
Is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness.
Main-sequence star
