Madisen Johnson

Astronomy Class Conversation

July 19, 2016
Van Ausdal
My discussion took place after dark in my back yard. I chose this location because we
were able to observe the stars during the discussion, which provided real world examples of the
topics we were discussing. I did not have access to a telescope but the visible stars allowed me to
point out examples or create models of what we were to discuss. The discussion took place after
dark, on a clear night when as many stars as possible were visible. The discussion lasted about
two hours. Extra time was necessary because one of the beginning topics, the formation of the
universe, included religious theories that swayed off topic.
This discussion had preplanned topics in order to stay on topic and fulfil the time
requirements. These topics went along with the chapters in the book because the natural flow of a
conversation followed nicely with the progression of the book. The people involved in this
conversation; my mom, dad, sister and brother-in-law, do not have any background knowledge in
astronomy. This was taken into account during the planning process. Because of this, my
discussion was organized by asking questions, discussing what they previously knew about the
topics, and my explaining of more in depth ideas that were taught through this course.
As a part of the first unit, developing perspective, we discussed what they previously
knew about the universe. Most were able to identify planets and understood the difference
between terrestrial and jovian planets. During the first part of this discussion we addressed these
differences briefly. We also discussed the size of the universe, the existence of the asteroid belts
and how each planet differed because of its chemical composition and distance from the sun. The

difference between jovian and terrestrial planets led to further discussion about the differences in
formation.
The second unit, key concepts for astronomy, included physical aspects such as motion,
energy and gravity. Motion was essential to the conversation because of the extensive amount of
motion that takes place in the universe. This motion includes the orbit, rotation and patterns of
planets as well as other matter in the universe. Energy was discussed in the form of kinetic and
potential energy. All of the masses in the universe as listed above are using kinetic energy.
Potential energy is important because of its key role in the formation of planets and stars. Gravity
was also an important topic in our discussion. The formation of all masses, orbital patterns and
existence of life would not be possible without it. During our discussion we discussed how it
affects us on Earth and keeps the universe in place. As we discussed how it would affect us on
Earth, we also talked about how the effects of gravity would vary on the moon and other planets.
The following section included physical aspects of the universe such as how it was
formed, jovian and terrestrial planets, as well as smaller masses such as asteroids, comets and
dwarf planets. The formation of the universe was used to explain the difference in jovian and
terrestrial planets. There formation differed because of their location and temperature. Before the
frost line, rocks and metals accumulated to form terrestrial planets. Beyond the frost line, ice
accumulated to form the core of jovian planets that later used gravity to accumulate gas, giving
them larger sizes with relatively low masses. This topic was introduced by asking all of the
participants how they believe the universe was formed. My brother-in-laws theory included
religion where as others answered with the big bang. No one had any knowledge on what
happened after the big bang to form our complex solar system. The following time was used to
explain this process and how it relates to the existence of life on earth. Another great deal of time

was used discussing the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. Many of us agree that it is
possible. Earth is located at the perfect distance from its star of an ideal size and luminosity, in
addition to a great amount of other features that make life possible. We discussed how rare it
seemed to have another planet in these ideal conditions but with the great amount of planetary
systems we agreed that it was very possible.
The conversation followed the specific topics I planned but we spent different amount of
time on topics than expected. For example, we spent some time talking about religion, which was
unexpected because of my familys background. We also spent a great deal of time discussing the
formation of the universe. Less time was spent on topics that I thought were interesting such as
anomalies in the stars. As previously stated, I chose my dad, mom, sister and brother-in-law to be
a part of my conversation. I chose them because they had been interested in class topics
throughout the semester. This group worked well because everyone was comfortable debating
certain topics, such as the formation of the universe.
After the conversation, my family commented that they really enjoyed it. They agreed
that it was informative and they learned a lot about the universe in the process. Their favorite
part was the explanation of how our solar system and how each part led to the possibility of life
on our planet, as well as others. I was surprised and how little they, and even myself, knew about
astronomy prior to this discussion and class. Their ideas were very similar to mine prior to this
course. I thought I had a good grasp on the universe but, as it turns out, there was a lot of key
information I was missing.
If I were to do this assignment differently I would choose a larger variety of people to be
involved. As our discussion progressed my family had a lot of similar views on the topics. My
brother-in-law was the only one providing alternate opinions. A larger variety would be

beneficial because it would introduce more view points and information into the discussion.
However, I think the conversation went well and everyone walked away with more knowledge
than when the discussion began.

Citation:

Bennett, J., Donahue, M., & Schneider, N., Voit M. (2015). The Essential Cosmic Perspective.
San Fransisco: James Smith.