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The Wonder of Astronomy: Exploring the Beauty and Unknown

Dive into the fascinating world of astronomy, from proving the shape of the Earth to understanding the scientific method. Discover why astronomy is so captivating and explore the wonders of our solar system.

katherinefreeman
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The Wonder of Astronomy: Exploring the Beauty and Unknown

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  1. Welcome to Astronomy 113http://sdbv.missouristate.edu/mreed/CLASS/A113Fa19 “ It would seem that you have no useful skill or talent whatsoever, he said. Have you thought of going into teaching?” Mort, by Terry Pratchett

  2. Web pageClickers will be used on Thursday.Crowdsource solutions.

  3. The wonder of astronomy: the beauty and the unknown.

  4. Let’s do some astronomy! Reading: Chapter 1 except 1.6 & 1.7

  5. What shape is the Earth?

  6. Prove it!

  7. The Earth is roughly spherical (round in 3 dimensions) Methods for proving this might include: using oceans (boat over the edge), flying around it, leave a string (unique solution?), satellite pictures from many angles.

  8. What is science?

  9. What is science? Google says, “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.” more concise (by me): understanding the world around us using observations, experiments, and deductive reasoning.

  10. What is the scientific method?

  11. What is the scientific method?A way to distinguish between ideas (theories/hypotheses) to determine which is likely correct.

  12. The scientific method • Do an experiment or make an observation. • Determine an explanation (theory) for the observation. • From the theory, make predictions. • Make further observations to test the prediction. • Eliminate or refine the theory.

  13. Observation The percentage of students taking on-line courses is increasing. Provide an explanation why this is. Source: Babson Survey Research Group: January, 2014

  14. Observation The percentage of students taking on-line courses is increasing. Provide an explanation why this is. Now consider a way to test whether or not your idea is correct.

  15. How is science done? “science” uses evidence to understand/infer how nature/the world/the Universe works.

  16. What is it that makes astronomy so interesting?

  17. What is it that makes astronomy so interesting? It is our interest in knowing the unknown.

  18. What is it that makes astronomy so interesting? It is our interest in knowing the unknown. The power to connect our imaginations to science.

  19. What is it that makes astronomy so interesting? It is our interest in knowing the unknown. And that’s what science is all about! Thinking new thoughts and testing them.

  20. Astronomical sizes Order by size from smallest to largest: Earth, moon, person, star, comet, planet

  21. What is at the center of our solar system?

  22. What is at the center of our solar system? The Sun (How could you prove it?)

  23. We begin by examining what we know about the Earth and the Moon

  24. If you were far above the Earth’s north pole and looked down and watched the Moon, what would you see?

  25. The Moon goesaround the Earth! Much faster than the Earth goes around the Sun. The Moon orbits once about every 28 days.

  26. NOTE: There is a Moon phase simulator on the internet that is a link on my web page for this course. Phases of the Moon are NOT caused by the Earth's shadow. The Moon is always half-lit by the Sun. Phases are caused by the portion of the lit side of the Moon that is visible to us.

  27. How the Moon appears to us on Earth How it would appear if you were a bazillion miles above the north pole

  28. Lunar Orbit. We see a Full Moon once every 29.5 days. But the Moon actually goes around the Earth once every 27.3 days! Why are these numbers different?

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