Chapter 1

Light year 6 trillion miles, how far light travels in year time (used
outside solar system)
AU (Astronomical unit) 93 million miles distance from earth to sun
(used inside our solar system and near)
Rotation object spins on its axis
o Earth rotates west to east, so stars appear to circle from east to
west
Orbits revolution-goes around another object
Ecliptic path of sun thru sky-zodiac
o Suns apparent path through the celestial sphere
o Projection of the Earths orbit into space
Tilt causes seasons and is 23.5 for earth

Chapter 2

Celestial sphere Imaginary globe around earth

o Stars at different distances all appear to lie on celestial sphere
o 88 official constellations cover
o 2D, no dimension to it
North and south celestial polespoints above our geographic poles
and Polaris is at north pole
o Stars near north celestial pole are circumpolar
North celestial star always there
o Cannot see stars near south celestial pole
South celestial star never seen
Celestial equatorearths equator projected out and drawn on celestial
sphere
Zenithpoint directly overhead for and observer
Meridianline drawn from north to south through zenithon the
horizon
Local skythe part of the celestial sphere an observer sees
Altitudehow far above horizon object is
o Altitude of the celestial pole = latitude
Directionstarts from North and gives direction from there
Circumpolarpart of sky that never setsdepends on latitude
Reasons for seasonsknow what causes the seasons
o Opposite in north and south hemisphere
o Earths axis tilt
o Summer more sunlight hits directly
o Winter less sunlight hits directly
o Distance does not matter
Summer and winter solsticeknow dates for northern hemisphere
and meaning
o 3 months from vernal equinox subsolar point (suns
declination) is north

Summer solstice Sun stands still

Highest path, rise and set at most extreme north of due
east
June 21
o 3 months from autumnal equinox subsolar point is south
Winter solstice
Lowest path, rise and set at most extreme south of due
east
December 21
Spring and fall equinox know dates for northern hemisphere and
meaning
o Vernal and autumnal equinoxes Equal nights
o Sun rises precisely due east and set precisely due west
o Vernal/spring March 21
o Autumn/fall September 21
Know phase of moonany direction on diagram
Precession26,000 years for earth to wobble

Lunar eclipse occur only at full moon, know diagram

Solar eclipse only occur at a new moon know diagram

Umbrapenumbralumbra full shadow-penumbra partial shadow

Apparent Retrograde motion backward motion of planets as we
pass them
Parallaxbest way to measure distance

Chapter 3

Stonehengeancient calendar in England, 1550 BC

Geocentricearth centered system
Ptolemaic modelused earth at center and epicycles
o Geocentric, 360 degrees in circle
o Deferentlarge circle
o Epicycles small circle (circle on circles)
Eratosthenesmeasured earths circumference and found it was a
sphere
Copernicusput sun at center = heliocentric
Tycho Brahemade observations used by Kepler of planetary motion
Kepleruses brahe data and proved heliocentric and three laws
Keplers three lawsknow the three laws
o Ellipse
The orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with
Sun at one focus
o Equal areas and times
Planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas
in equal times
Planet travels faster when its nearer to sun and slower
when it is farther from the Sun
o Law of ratios
(Period of revolution)2 = (Planets distance from sun)3
P2=A3
Further object is from body its orbiting, less of its orbit it
covers per hour
Galileoused telescope and was physical scientists
Galileos discoveriesknow what he found in sky
o Phases of Venus orbits sun
o Fatal blow to Ptolemaic view of universe
o Sunspots
o Craters on moon
o Individual stars in the Milky Way
o 4 moons orbiting Jupiter
Scientific Methodknow its progression
o Explain wide variety of observations with few simple principles
o Supported by a large, compelling body of evidence
o Not have failed any crucial test of its validity
Paradigmnew idea
Hypothesisa proposal, educated guess
Theorydata proves hypothesis

Chapter 4

Velocitydistance /time
o Speed and direction
Acceleration change in velocity /time
Momentum Mass times velocity
Force Mass times acceleration
Mass vs. weight mass is amount of matter vs. weight is gravity
acting on mass
Weightless Free fall, you cancel effects of gravity
Newtons three laws
o Body in motion stays in motion inertia
Object moves at constant velocity unless net force acts to
change its direction or speed
o F=ma
o Action reaction, equal and opposite
Angular momentumamount of spin
o Rotational momentum of spinning or orbiting object
o MxVxr
Kinetic energyenergy of motion
Potential energy energy of position
Radiative energy light
Temperaturespeed of molecules
o Average kinetic energy of the molecules
E=mc2know what symbols stand for
o E = energy, m = mass, c = speed of light
Law of gravityknow what symbols stand for and who did it
o Every mass attracts every other mass
o Attraction is directly proportional to product
o Inversely proportional to square of distances
o F = G (M1M2)/d2
Escape velocityvelocity needed to escape a body
o 11 km/s from sea level, 40,000 km/hrx
Tides forcespull of gravity and it effects
Neap tides-diagram20% lower
Spring tides diagram=20%higher