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Astronomy and Cosmology (intro) > The basics (Lecture 1) > Flashcards

The basics (Lecture 1) Flashcards

1
Q

What is an Astronomical Unit (AU)

A

8 light minutes: The distance between the Sun and the earth

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2
Q

How far away is Jupiter in AU?

A

5 AU

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3
Q

How far away is Neptune in AU? (Outer solar system)

A

30 AU

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4
Q

What is the nearest star?

A

Centauri - 4.37 Light years

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5
Q

TASK: Review diagram

A

Diagram reviewed

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6
Q

What is the galactic plane?

A

Plane or cross-section of space where most of the mass of any disk-shaped galaxy lies

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7
Q

What is different about the sky below the equator?

A

Moon & Constellations appear upside down & inverted left/right

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8
Q

What is the diameter of the milky way

A

100,000 Light years

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9
Q

What is the diameter of the sun

A

1,500,000 kilometers/0.5 light seconds

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10
Q

What is 10,000 kilometers equal to?

A

The distance from the equator to a pole of the earth (1/4 the circumference)

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11
Q

What is the circumference of the earth?

A

40,000 km

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12
Q

What is the diameter of the earth?

A

15,000 km

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13
Q

What was the big thing discovered (on accident) in New Jersey?

A

The cosmic microwave backround (background radiation from the big bang)

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14
Q

What is the age of the universe?

A

13.77 Billion years

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15
Q

What happens to the light from a star the farther away you get?

A

Light spreads out over a larger area and brightness dims

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16
Q

What is the equation for the brightness of a star?

A

1/d^2

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17
Q

How do you find the celestial pole?

A
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18
Q

How fast is the Earth moving at the equator?

A

1670 km/hour

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19
Q

What is the “morning star” and “evening star”

A

Venus

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20
Q

What is Right Hand Rotation

A

The idea of something rotating or orbiting in the same direction that your fingers curl from your thumb on your right hand

21
Q

Which Two planets orbit/rotate differently from the rest of the solar system

A

Uranus and Venus

22
Q

Where in the Milky Way are we?

A

2/3 of the way out

23
Q

What is the closest Galaxy?

A

Andromeda

24
Q

What is the name of our group of galaxies?

A

Virgo Supercluster

25
Q

What is the length of the Virgo supercluster?

A

100,000,000 light-years

26
Q

What is the ecliptic (path)

A

The path of the sun and all the stars in the sky (tilted in relation to the earth because of earth’s axis tilt)

27
Q

Where are the zodiac constellations?

A

In the ecliptic path (create a “year’s” worth of constellations correlating to the 12 months)

28
Q

Where is the Orion omission nebula

A
29
Q

Why does the Orion omission nebula have such stark lines?

A

Because it is a hot glowing hydrogen cloud

30
Q

What is the red balmer line

A
31
Q

Why is Betelgeuse red?

A

Because it is very cold (red giant)

32
Q

TASK: review diagram of stars and such

A
33
Q

What is Sirius?

A

The Brightest star in the sky

34
Q

What is the tilt of the Earth’s axis?

A

23 degrees

35
Q

How do you tell whether a phase is waxing or waning?

A

Right to left; right is bigger left is getting smaller.

36
Q

What causes earth’s seasons

A

Axis tilt & rotation around the sun

37
Q

What is happening during an equinox

A

The axis points in the direction of the sun

38
Q

Explain angular size

A

Small piece of a pie, something is smaller farther away

39
Q

Define Longitude, Latitude, Prime meridian, and Equator

A

Longitude - Vertical lines (vertical position)
Latitude - Horizontal lines (horizontal position)
Equator - medial/longest Latitudinal line
Prime meridian - Longest/medial longitudinal line

40
Q

PARALLAX

A

Measuring distance with right triangle trigonometry

41
Q

How long is the lunar (phase) cycle

A

29.5 days (LUNAR MONTH)

42
Q

How long does it take for the moon to orbit the Earth?

A

27 days

43
Q

What is a sidereal month?

A

Month based on the time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth (27 days)

44
Q

Explain eclipses- What causes them?

A

The earth and moon lining up wiht relation to the sun
Solar eclipse, moon directly between sun and earth
Lunar eclipse - earth casts a direct shadow on the moon

45
Q

Why do we not have eclipses every month?

A

Due to the earth’s tilt on its axis and the moons slanted rotation

46
Q

Explain Opposition, Conjunction, and inferior/superior conjunction

A

Opposition - the object is behind the earth
Conjunction/superior conjunction (for inner planets only) - the object is in line on the front side, behind the sun but in front of the earth
Inferior conjunction - object is on front side of earth but between earth and sun (inner planets only)
SEE DIAGRAM

47
Q

When do planets go into their retrograde loop?

A

At opposition

48
Q

Explain retrograde/retrograde loop

A

The brief period of time when an object/planet that is going at a slower speed to Earth appears to go backwards fin the sky as the earth catches up & passes it. The loop represents the observed faltering position in the sky.

Astronomy and Cosmology (intro) (17 decks)

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