Geology + Astronomy Flashcards
The Big Bang Theory is the origin of time and space according to science. According to this theory the universe started out of _______ and will continue to ______
Nothing;expand
What is the Red shift of Galaxies
There is a Red and Blue shift. When objects are moving towards or away from something they emit a light. Depending on the light’s wavelength and frequency. Red light = longer wavelength + lower frequency while blue light = higher frequency + shorter wavelengths. Objects in the universe display a red shift as they are moving away from us, or the universe is expanding. This was discovered by Edwin Hubble.
What are the Abundance of Light Weight Elements
Hydrogen, Helium, and Lithium are the most abundant elements in the universe.
If the universe started with nothing, then the most prevalent elements would be the building blocks of other elements.
Hydrogen and helium led to the larger elements such carbon and iron
What is the Cosmic Background Radiation (cmb)
The leftover heat from the Big Bang
Satellite imaging of the CMB is getting better through the year
What are the 3 main concerns of the big bang theory
The monopole, flatness, and horizon problems
What is the monopole problem
The theory states that there should be an abundance of single sided (only north or south) magnets within the universe. The amount observed around our galaxy does not confirm this.
What is the flatness problem
WMAP has determined the geometry of the universe to be nearly flat. However, under Big Bang cosmology, curvature grows with time. A universe as flat as we see it today would require an extreme fine-tuning of conditions in the past, which would be an unbelievable coincidence.
What is the horizon problem
Distant regions of space in opposite directions of the sky are so far apart that, assuming standard Big Bang expansion, they could never have been in causal contact with each other. This is because the light travel time between them exceeds the age of the universe. Yet the uniformity of the cosmic microwave background temperature tells us that these regions must have been in contact with each other in the past.
Life cycle of a small star
Nebula, main sequence star, red giant, planetary nebula, white dwarf, white dwarf cools, black dwarf.
Life cycle of a giant star
Nebula, main sequence star, red supergiant, supernova, then a supernova turns into either a black hole or a neutron star.
black hole - the core collapses completely and vanishes
neutron star - the core collapses and gets extremely dense.
How does a star change form (what is happening to the core)
When a star goes from one stage to the next it is caused by what is happening in the core. Inside the core there should be equal parts of gravity pushing down and nuclear fusion of lighter elements (hydrogen and helium). Once the gravity and fusion are not equal such as when fuel or the main element is used up the core will collapse upon itself starting to heat up which causes more fusion of the newly made element and the star will start to expand. The next stages depend on the mass of the star though. Both start out as a main sequence star using hydrogen as the main source of fuel that fuses together to make helium. When hydrogen runs out the core collapses and will either grow into a red giant or red supergiant depending on the mass of the star.
What color star is cooler and what is hotter: a red star and a blue star
a red star is cooler than a blue star
What does mass determine in a star
Luminosity of a star, the bigger the star, the brighter it is.
What are Kepler’s laws
1 - Planets don’t have a circular, but an elliptical path around the sun
2 - The closer a planets orbit is to the sun, the more distance it will cover fast.
3 - the farther a planet is from the sun it will take longer to completely orbit the sun.
What does p^2 d^3 mean
You square the AU’s/years then cube the total
P= AU’s/years
D= Distance
What is a terrestrial planet
Very dense
First 4 planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
If could go to the planets could stand on them
What is a jovian planet
Gas planets
Last 4 planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus
Can’t stand on them if could visit them
Lighter in density
Planets vs. Dwarf Planets
To be a planet have to follow the three criteria:
Orbit the sun
Hydrostatic equilibrium that makes it spherical in shape
Clears one’s neighborhood
An astral body is considered a dwarf planet when it doesn’t follow the last criteria of clearing the neighborhood.
For example Pluto is a dwarf planet due to not clearing the neighborhood of Neptune. Pluto goes into Neptune’s orbit as it goes around the sun.
Asteroids
Found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
Huge piece of space rock
Very eccentric (oval) orbits
Comets
Known as a “dirty snowball”
Made up of dirt and frozen gases
Develop a tail that points away from the sun.
Eccentric (oval) orbits
