DOCSLIB.ORG

Elements of Astronomy and Cosmology Outline 1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Elements of Astronomy and Cosmology Outline 1 ELEMENTS OF ASTRONOMY AND COSMOLOGY OUTLINE 1. The Solar System The Four Inner Planets The Asteroid Belt The Giant Planets The Kuiper Belt 2. The Milky Way Galaxy Neighborhood of the Solar System Exoplanets Star Terminology 3. The Early Universe Twentieth Century Progress Recent Progress 4. Observation Telescopes Ground-Based Telescopes Space-Based Telescopes Exploration of Space 1 – The Solar System The Solar System - 4.6 billion years old - Planet formation lasted 100s millions years - Four rocky planets (Mercury Venus, Earth and Mars) - Four gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) Figure 2-2: Schematics of the Solar System The Solar System - Asteroid belt (meteorites) - Kuiper belt (comets) Figure 2-3: Circular orbits of the planets in the solar system The Sun - Contains mostly hydrogen and helium plasma - Sustained nuclear fusion - Temperatures ~ 15 million K - Elements up to Fe form - Is some 5 billion years old - Will last another 5 billion years Figure 2-4: Photo of the sun showing highly textured plasma, dark sunspots, bright active regions, coronal mass ejections at the surface and the sun’s atmosphere. The Sun - Dynamo effect - Magnetic storms - 11-year cycle - Solar wind (energetic protons) Figure 2-5: Close up of dark spots on the sun surface Probe Sent to Observe the Sun - Distance Sun-Earth = 1 AU - 1 AU = 150 million km - Light from the Sun takes 8 minutes to reach Earth - The solar wind takes 4 days to reach Earth Figure 5-11: Space probe used to monitor the sun Venus - Brightest planet at night - 0.7 AU from the Sun - Hot at 400 oC - Remnant of atmosphere - Rotates in the opposite direction - 1 Venus year = 225 earth days - 1 Venus day= 243 earth days Figure 2-6: Flyby photo of Venus (taken by the Mariner 2 spacecraft) showing a mountainous terrain The Earth Core No Halfnium Core-mantle separation Tungsten Radioactive decay Radioactive decay complete Halfnium Tungsten Radioactive decay not complete Halfnium Tungsten Figure 2-9: The Halfnium-Tungsten decay and its implication that the core-mantle separation happened less than 45 million years after the formation of Earth The Earth Interior 35 700 crust - Mantle formed of silicates (rocks) upper mantle - Core formed of metals (iron, nickel) lower mantle 2885 - Hot temperatures in core (4-5,000 oC) outer core - Lower temps in mantle (> 600 oC) 5155 inner core 6371 - Top crust (ambient to 600 oC) Depth in km Figure 2-10: Schematics showing the Earth’s inner solid core, outer liquid core, mantle and thin curst. The Moon - As old as Earth - Apollo manned missions brought rocks back - The Grail mission Figure 2-7: Photo of the lunar surface showing many craters Mars - Viking missions (1970s) - Rover missions (10 years) - Thin atmosphere of CO2 - Presence of water ice at the poles Figure 2-11: One of the Mars rovers Mars - Lack of magnetic field - Exposed to solar wind - Some chemical analysis was performed - Methane was detected. Is it of a geological or biological origin? Figure 2-14: The Mars Curiosity Science Lab The Asteroid Belt - Spacecrafts do not travel in straight lines - They use the gravity of planets - Ceres and Vesta are large asteroids - The Dawn craft just reached Ceres Figure 2-15: The Dawn craft sent to Asteroid Ceres Jupiter - Contains hydrogen on the outside and helium on the inside - Has 318 times Earth’s mass - It’s a gravitational giant - Galileo spacecraft (1989-2003) Figure 2-16: The Galileo spacecraft that was sent to Jupiter Jupiter - Has distinctive cloud bands (ammonia) - Has 67 moons including Io, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa Figure 2-17: Photo of Planet Jupiter with its distinctive cloud bands. Jupiter - The Juno spacecraft was launched in 2011 - Arrived in 2015 for detailed studies of Jupiter and some of its moons Figure 2-24: The Juno spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter Jupiter - Cassini spacecraft mission - Moon Io contains volcanoes - Ganymede and Callisto contain cores containing rocks and metals Figure 2-19: Close up of Jupiter and its moon Io. A volcano eruption can be seen on Io Saturn - Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn (1997-2017) - Landed Huygens probe on Titan Figure 2-20: The Cassini spacecraft Saturn - Saturn has rings of rocks and ice - Saturn has 62 moons such as Enceladus and Titan - Titan has methane atmosphere and methane lakes Figure 2-21: Photo of Planet Saturn with its rings and of a few of its satellites (moons) passing in front of it (four on the left side and a larger one at the top). Voyager 1 and 2 - Were launched in 1977 - Voyager 2 reached Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989 - Is crossing the Kuiper Belt which extends to 150 AU - Comets come from the Kuiper Belt - Halley comet (every 75 years) - Sun’s gravity dies out at 125,000 AU = 2 light years Figure 2-25: One of the Voyager spacecrafts Spacecrafts – Solar System Table 2-1: Spacecrafts sent to objects of the Solar System Spacecraft Year Planet Mission Mariner 2 1962 Venus Flyby Mariner 4 and 9 1965 and 1971 Mars Flyby Mariner 10 19974 Mercury Flyby Viking 1 and 2 1976 Mars Orbit, then landing Pioneer 10 and 11 1973 and 1974 Jupiter, Saturn Flyby Apollo Missions 1969-1972 Moon Obit, man landing, returned rocks Voyager 1 and 2 1977 still going, presently Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Flyby located at over 100 AU Neptune, etc Galileo 1989 Jupiter and its moons Flyby, orbit, launched probes Cassini 1997-2000s Saturn and its moons Flyby, orbit, launched probes Ulysses 1990 Sun Study solar wind, etc Pathfinder, Global 1990s and 2000s Mars Oribit, landing, surveying Survey and Rover for years Missions Stardust 1999 Comet Flyby, return dust 2 – The Milky Way Galaxy The Milky-Way Galaxy Outer arm Sagittarius arm Perseus arm - Spiral galaxy Sun - Sun is at 26,000 light years from galaxy center Orion spur - Galactic revolution = 120 million years Figure 3-1: Representation of the Milky Way galaxy as viewed in its disk plane. The red dot represents the Sun’s location. The Milky-Way Galaxy Halo Sun Globular clusters - Closest star to the Sun is Alpha Centauri at 4.2 light years Disk Galaxy center - Constellation Sagittarius is Central bulge at the galaxy center - Galaxy center is site of black hole Figure 3-2: Schematics of the profile view of the Milky Way galaxy. It extends to 100,000 light years, has a thickness of some 1,000s and contains hundreds of billions of stars. Well Known Constellations The Little Dipper The North Star Polaris Ursa Minor Ursa Major The Big Bear Figure 3-3: The Ursa Major and Ursa Minor constellations in the Milky Way galaxy have the shape of a pan with handle. Polaris is also called the North Star since it indicates the north. The Kepler Space Telescope - The Kepler Space Telescope mission (2009-2013) Figure 3-4: The Kepler Space Telescope mounted on Delta rocket after launch The Kepler Space Telescope - Sent to monitor 150,000 stars in the Milky Way - From Earth’s orbit - Used ~ 1 m telescope and high-res. CCD cameras Figure 3-5: The Kepler Space Telescope after separation from its launch rocket Exoplanets - Methods for detecting exoplanets: tugging, imaging and transiting - Kepler detected hundreds of exoplanets Figure 3-6: Photo of an exoplanet transiting in front of its star Exoplanets - Hundreds of exoplanets have been identified by the transiting method - Spectroscopy used to identify water and gases essential to life - Zone where water is liquid (habitable or Goldilock zone) Figure 3-7: Data showing dimming of light from a star taken by the Kepler Space Telescope. This indicates the presence of an exoplanet Star Terminology - Stars form from giant clouds of gas and dust. - Gravitational compression raises the temperature. Starts nuclear fusion converting hydrogen into helium that sinks deep. - When hydrogen runs out, the star collapses . Fusion of helium into carbon starts, expands into a red giant. - When helium runs out, the star collapses into a white dwarf (planet size). - Very large stars finish their life cycle in supernovae explosions. - Supernova explosion leaves a neutron star. - Pulsars are small pulsating neutron stars. 3 – The Early Universe Early Telescopes - 1.5 m telescope - Reflection mirror instead of refractive lenses - 1920s - Hubble discovered galaxies - Doppler shifts allow precise measurements of speeds Figure 4-1: The telescope on Mount Wilson Space-Based Telescope - Above the atmospheric blur - Specialized over narrow window of spectrum Figure 4-2: The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropic Probe (WMAP) Cosmic Microwave Background - In the 1960s Penzias and Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background - Temperature of the universe around 2.72 K - Radiation left over from the Big Bang - Big Band occurred 13.7 billion years ago Figure 4-3: Infrared image showing the ever slight changes of the temperature of the universe (relative changes of 10-4). This is the black body radiation remaining from the Big Bang measured with WMAP. Anti Gravity and Dark Energy - Dark energy is a form of anti gravity - Dark energy makes the universe expand faster - Accounts for some 68 % of the universe density - Only 5 % of the universe density can be observed Universe is expanding faster – dark matter hypothesis Gravity and Dark Matter - Dark matter is an invisible form of gravity - Can be observed only through its gravitational effects - Accounts for some 27 % of the universe density - Is still not understood - Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP) - Einstein’s concept of gravity Figure 4-4: Einstein’s concept of gravity as a trough in the space/time fabric located at a heavy object. Attracted objects fall into the trough.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Michael Garcia Hubble Space Telescope Users Committee (STUC)
    Hubble Space Telescope Users Committee (STUC) April 16, 2015 Michael Garcia HST Program Scientist [email protected] 1 Hubble Sees Supernova Split into Four Images by Cosmic Lens 2 NASA’s Hubble Observations suggest Underground Ocean on Jupiter’s Largest Moon Ganymede file:///Users/ file:///Users/ mrgarci2/Desktop/mrgarci2/Desktop/ hs-2015-09-a-hs-2015-09-a- web.jpg web.jpg 3 NASA’s Hubble detects Distortion of Circumstellar Disk by a Planet 4 The Exoplanet Travel Bureau 5 TESS Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite CURRENT STATUS: • Downselected April 2013. • Major partners: - PI and science lead: MIT - Project management: NASA GSFC - Instrument: Lincoln Laboratory - Spacecraft: Orbital Science Corp • Agency launch readiness date NLT June 2018 (working launch date August 2017). • High-Earth elliptical orbit (17 x 58.7 Earth radii). Standard Explorer (EX) Mission PI: G. Ricker (MIT) • Development progressing on plan. Mission: All-Sky photometric exoplanet - Systems Requirement Review (SRR) mapping mission. successfully completed on February Science goal: Search for transiting 12-13, 2014. exoplanets around the nearby, bright stars. Instruments: Four wide field of view (24x24 - Preliminary Design Review (PDR) degrees) CCD cameras with overlapping successfully completed Sept 9-12, 2014. field of view operating in the Visible-IR - Confirmation Review, for approval to enter spectrum (0.6-1 micron). implementation phase, successfully Operations: 3-year science mission after completed October 31, 2014. launch. - Mission CDR on track for August 2015 6 JWST Hardware Progress JWST remains on track for an October 2018 launch within its replan budget guidelines 7 WFIRST / AFTA Widefield Infrared Survey Telescope with Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets Coronagraph Technology Milestones Widefield Detector Technology Milestones 1 Shaped Pupil mask fabricated with reflectivity of 7/21/14 1 Produce, test, and analyze 2 candidate 7/31/14 -4 10 and 20 µm pixel size.
    [Show full text]
  • VI FORSKER PÅ MARS Kort Om Aktiviteten I Mange Tiår Har Mars Vært Et Yndet Objekt for Forskere Verden Over
    VI FORSKER PÅ MARS Kort om aktiviteten I mange tiår har Mars vært et yndet objekt for forskere verden over. Men hvorfor det? Hva er det med den røde planeten som er så interessant? Her forsøker vi å gi en oversikt over hvorfor vi er så opptatt av Mars. Hva har vi oppdaget, og hva er det vi tenker å gjøre? Det finnes en planet i solsystemet vårt som bare er bebodd av roboter -MARS- Læringsmål Elevene skal kunne - gi eksempler på dagsaktuell forskning og drøfte hvordan ny kunnskap genereres gjennom samarbeid og kritisk tilnærming til eksisterende kunnskap - utforske, forstå og lage teknologiske systemer som består av en sender og en mottaker - gjøre rede for energibevaring og energikvalitet og utforske ulike måter å omdanne, transportere og lagre energi på VI FORSKER PÅ MARS side 1 Innhold Kort om aktiviteten ................................................................................................................................ 1 Læringsmål ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Mars gjennom historien ...................................................................................................................... 3 Romkappløp mot Mars ................................................................................................................... 3 2000-tallet gir rovere i fleng ....................................................................................................... 4 Hva nå? ......................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Negreiros Lecture II
    General Relativity and Neutron Stars - II Rodrigo Negreiros – UFF - Brazil Outline • Compact Stars • Spherically Symmetric • Rotating Compact Stars • Magnetized Compact Stars References for this lecture Compact Stars • Relativistic stars with inner structure • We need to solve Einstein’s equation for the interior as well as the exterior Compact Stars - Spherical • We begin by writing the following metric • Which leads to the following components of the Riemman curvature tensor Compact Stars - Spherical • The Ricci tensor components are calculated as • Ricci scalar is given by Compact Stars - Spherical • Now we can calculate Einstein’s equation as 휇 • Where we used a perfect fluid as sources ( 푇휈 = 푑푖푎푔(휖, 푃, 푃, 푃)) Compact Stars - Spherical • Einstein’s equation define the space-time curvature • We must also enforce energy-momentum conservation • This implies that • Where the four velocity is given by • After some algebra we get Compact Stars - Spherical • Making use of Euler’s equation we get • Thus • Which we can rewrite as Compact Stars - Spherical • Now we introduce • Which allow us to integrate one of Einstein’s equation, leading to • After some shuffling of Einstein’s equation we can write Summary so far... Metric Energy-Momentum Tensor Einstein’s equation Tolmann-Oppenheimer-Volkoff eq. Relativistic Hydrostatic Equilibrium Mass continuity Stellar structure calculation Microscopic Ewuation of State Macroscopic Composition Structure Recapitulando … “Feed” with diferente microscopic models Microscopic Ewuation of State Macroscopic Composition Structure Compare predicted properties with Observed data. Rotating Compact Stars • During its evolution, compact stars may acquire high rotational frequencies (possibly up to 500 hz) • Rotation breaks spherical symmetry, increasing the degrees of freedom.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring Pulsars
    High-energy astrophysics Explore the PUL SAR menagerie Astronomers are discovering many strange properties of compact stellar objects called pulsars. Here’s how they fit together. by Victoria M. Kaspi f you browse through an astronomy book published 25 years ago, you’d likely assume that astronomers understood extremely dense objects called neutron stars fairly well. The spectacular Crab Nebula’s central body has been a “poster child” for these objects for years. This specific neutron star is a pulsar that I rotates roughly 30 times per second, emitting regular appar- ent pulsations in Earth’s direction through a sort of “light- house” effect as the star rotates. While these textbook descriptions aren’t incorrect, research over roughly the past decade has shown that the picture they portray is fundamentally incomplete. Astrono- mers know that the simple scenario where neutron stars are all born “Crab-like” is not true. Experts in the field could not have imagined the variety of neutron stars they’ve recently observed. We’ve found that bizarre objects repre- sent a significant fraction of the neutron star population. With names like magnetars, anomalous X-ray pulsars, soft gamma repeaters, rotating radio transients, and compact Long the pulsar poster child, central objects, these bodies bear properties radically differ- the Crab Nebula’s central object is a fast-spinning neutron star ent from those of the Crab pulsar. Just how large a fraction that emits jets of radiation at its they represent is still hotly debated, but it’s at least 10 per- magnetic axis. Astronomers cent and maybe even the majority.
    [Show full text]
  • Constructing a Galactic Coordinate System Based on Near-Infrared and Radio Catalogs
    A&A 536, A102 (2011) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201116947 & c ESO 2011 Astrophysics Constructing a Galactic coordinate system based on near-infrared and radio catalogs J.-C. Liu1,2,Z.Zhu1,2, and B. Hu3,4 1 Department of astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China e-mail: [jcliu;zhuzi]@nju.edu.cn 2 key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, PR China 3 Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China 4 Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China e-mail: [email protected] Received 24 March 2011 / Accepted 13 October 2011 ABSTRACT Context. The definition of the Galactic coordinate system was announced by the IAU Sub-Commission 33b on behalf of the IAU in 1958. An unrigorous transformation was adopted by the Hipparcos group to transform the Galactic coordinate system from the FK4-based B1950.0 system to the FK5-based J2000.0 system or to the International Celestial Reference System (ICRS). For more than 50 years, the definition of the Galactic coordinate system has remained unchanged from this IAU1958 version. On the basis of deep and all-sky catalogs, the position of the Galactic plane can be revised and updated definitions of the Galactic coordinate systems can be proposed. Aims. We re-determine the position of the Galactic plane based on modern large catalogs, such as the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and the SPECFIND v2.0. This paper also aims to propose a possible definition of the optimal Galactic coordinate system by adopting the ICRS position of the Sgr A* at the Galactic center.
    [Show full text]
  • Moons Phases and Tides
    Moon’s Phases and Tides Moon Phases Half of the Moon is always lit up by the sun. As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see different parts of the lighted area. From Earth, the lit portion we see of the moon waxes (grows) and wanes (shrinks). The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon look as if it is changing shape in the sky The Moon passes through four major shapes during a cycle that repeats itself every 29.5 days. The phases always follow one another in the same order: New moon Waxing Crescent First quarter Waxing Gibbous Full moon Waning Gibbous Third (last) Quarter Waning Crescent • IF LIT FROM THE RIGHT, IT IS WAXING OR GROWING • IF DARKENING FROM THE RIGHT, IT IS WANING (SHRINKING) Tides • The Moon's gravitational pull on the Earth cause the seas and oceans to rise and fall in an endless cycle of low and high tides. • Much of the Earth's shoreline life depends on the tides. – Crabs, starfish, mussels, barnacles, etc. – Tides caused by the Moon • The Earth's tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon. • The Earth bulges slightly both toward and away from the Moon. -As the Earth rotates daily, the bulges move across the Earth. • The moon pulls strongly on the water on the side of Earth closest to the moon, causing the water to bulge. • It also pulls less strongly on Earth and on the water on the far side of Earth, which results in tides. What causes tides? • Tides are the rise and fall of ocean water.
    [Show full text]
  • College of Arts and Sciences
    College of Arts and Sciences ANNUAL REPORT 2004·05 awards won · books published · research findings announced programs implemented · research · teaching · learning new collaborations · development of promising initiatives preparation · dedication · vision ultimate success 1 Message from the Dean . 3 Arts and Sciences By the Numbers . 6 Highlights Education . 8 Research . 12 Public Events . 15 Faculty Achievements . 17 Grants . 20 Financial Resources . 22 Appendices . 23 Editor: Catherine Varga Printing: Lake Erie Graphics 2 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN I have two stories to tell. The first story is a record of tangible accomplishments: awards won, books published, research findings announced, programs implemented. I trust that you will be as impressed as I am by the array of excellence—on the part of both students and faculty—on display in these pages. The second story is about achievements in the making. I mean by this the ongoing activity of research, teaching, and learning; the forging of new collaborations; and the development of promising initiatives. This is a story of preparation, dedication, and vision, all of which are essential to bringing about our ultimate success. 3 As I look back on 2004-05, several examples of achievement and visionary planning emerge with particular clarity: Faculty and Student Recruitment. The College undertook a record number of faculty searches in 2004-05. By tapping the superb networking capabili- ties developed under the leadership of chief informa- SAGES. Under the College’s leadership, SAGES com- tion officer Thomas Knab, our departments were pleted its third year as a pilot program and prepared able to extend these searches throughout the world, for full implementation in fall 2005.
    [Show full text]
  • Eclipse Newsletter
    ECLIPSE NEWSLETTER The Eclipse Newsletter is dedicated to increasing the knowledge of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology and related subjects. VOLUMN 2 NUMBER 1 JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2018 PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS, QUESTIONS AND REQUST FOR ARTICLES TO [email protected] 1 MCAO PUBLIC NIGHTS AND FAMILY NIGHTS. The general public and MCAO members are invited to visit the Observatory on select Monday evenings at 8PM for Public Night programs. These programs include discussions and illustrated talks on astronomy, planetarium programs and offer the opportunity to view the planets, moon and other objects through the telescope, weather permitting. Due to limited parking and seating at the observatory, admission is by reservation only. Public Night attendance is limited to adults and students 5th grade and above. If you are interested in making reservations for a public night, you can contact us by calling 302-654- 6407 between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm Monday through Friday. Or you can email us any time at [email protected] or [email protected]. The public nights will be presented even if the weather does not permit observation through the telescope. The admission fees are $3 for adults and $2 for children. There is no admission cost for MCAO members, but reservations are still required. If you are interested in becoming a MCAO member, please see the link for membership. We also offer family memberships. Family Nights are scheduled from late spring to early fall on Friday nights at 8:30PM. These programs are opportunities for families with younger children to see and learn about astronomy by looking at and enjoying the sky and its wonders.
    [Show full text]
  • Generate Viewsheds of Mastcam Images from the Curiosity Rover, Using Arcgis® and Public Datasets
    TECHNICAL Coupling Mars Ground and Orbital Views: Generate REPORTS: METHODS Viewsheds of Mastcam Images From the Curiosity 10.1029/2020EA001247 Rover, Using ArcGIS® and Public Datasets Key Points: 1 2 1 3 4 • Mastcam images from the Curiosity M. Nachon , S. Borges , R. C. Ewing , F. Rivera‐Hernández , N. Stein , and rover are available online but lack a J. K. Van Beek5 public method to be placed back in the Mars orbital context 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, 2Department of Astronomy • This procedure allows users to and Planetary Sciences—College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, generate Mastcam image viewsheds: 3 4 locate in a map view the Mars AZ, USA, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA, Division of Geological and Planetary 5 terrains visible in Mastcam images Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, CA, USA • This procedure uses ArcGIS® and publicly available Mars datasets Abstract The Mastcam (Mast Camera) instrument onboard the NASA Curiosity rover provides an Supporting Information: exclusive view of Mars: High‐resolution color images from Mastcam allow users to study Gale crater's • Dataset S1 geologic terrains along Curiosity's path. These ground observations complement the spatially broader • Dataset S2 • Dataset S3 views of Gale crater provided by spacecrafts from orbit. However, for a given Mastcam image, it can be • Table S1 challenging to locate the corresponding terrains on the orbital view. No method for locating Mastcam images • Table S2 onto orbital images had been made publicly available.
    [Show full text]
  • Messier Objects
    Messier Objects From the Stocker Astroscience Center at Florida International University Miami Florida The Messier Project Main contributors: • Daniel Puentes • Steven Revesz • Bobby Martinez Charles Messier • Gabriel Salazar • Riya Gandhi • Dr. James Webb – Director, Stocker Astroscience center • All images reduced and combined using MIRA image processing software. (Mirametrics) What are Messier Objects? • Messier objects are a list of astronomical sources compiled by Charles Messier, an 18th and early 19th century astronomer. He created a list of distracting objects to avoid while comet hunting. This list now contains over 110 objects, many of which are the most famous astronomical bodies known. The list contains planetary nebula, star clusters, and other galaxies. - Bobby Martinez The Telescope The telescope used to take these images is an Astronomical Consultants and Equipment (ACE) 24- inch (0.61-meter) Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope. It has a focal ratio of F6.2 and is supported on a structure independent of the building that houses it. It is equipped with a Finger Lakes 1kx1k CCD camera cooled to -30o C at the Cassegrain focus. It is equipped with dual filter wheels, the first containing UBVRI scientific filters and the second RGBL color filters. Messier 1 Found 6,500 light years away in the constellation of Taurus, the Crab Nebula (known as M1) is a supernova remnant. The original supernova that formed the crab nebula was observed by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers in 1054 AD as an incredibly bright “Guest star” which was visible for over twenty-two months. The supernova that produced the Crab Nebula is thought to have been an evolved star roughly ten times more massive than the Sun.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Astronomy from Darkness to Blazing Glory
    Introduction to Astronomy From Darkness to Blazing Glory Published by JAS Educational Publications Copyright Pending 2010 JAS Educational Publications All rights reserved. Including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Second Edition Author: Jeffrey Wright Scott Photographs and Diagrams: Credit NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USGS, NOAA, Aames Research Center JAS Educational Publications 2601 Oakdale Road, H2 P.O. Box 197 Modesto California 95355 1-888-586-6252 Website: http://.Introastro.com Printing by Minuteman Press, Berkley, California ISBN 978-0-9827200-0-4 1 Introduction to Astronomy From Darkness to Blazing Glory The moon Titan is in the forefront with the moon Tethys behind it. These are two of many of Saturn’s moons Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA, NASA 2 Introduction to Astronomy Contents in Brief Chapter 1: Astronomy Basics: Pages 1 – 6 Workbook Pages 1 - 2 Chapter 2: Time: Pages 7 - 10 Workbook Pages 3 - 4 Chapter 3: Solar System Overview: Pages 11 - 14 Workbook Pages 5 - 8 Chapter 4: Our Sun: Pages 15 - 20 Workbook Pages 9 - 16 Chapter 5: The Terrestrial Planets: Page 21 - 39 Workbook Pages 17 - 36 Mercury: Pages 22 - 23 Venus: Pages 24 - 25 Earth: Pages 25 - 34 Mars: Pages 34 - 39 Chapter 6: Outer, Dwarf and Exoplanets Pages: 41-54 Workbook Pages 37 - 48 Jupiter: Pages 41 - 42 Saturn: Pages 42 - 44 Uranus: Pages 44 - 45 Neptune: Pages 45 - 46 Dwarf Planets, Plutoids and Exoplanets: Pages 47 -54 3 Chapter 7: The Moons: Pages: 55 - 66 Workbook Pages 49 - 56 Chapter 8: Rocks and Ice:
    [Show full text]
  • Science in Nasa's Vision for Space Exploration
    SCIENCE IN NASA’S VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION SCIENCE IN NASA’S VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION Committee on the Scientific Context for Space Exploration Space Studies Board Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. Support for this project was provided by Contract NASW 01001 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. International Standard Book Number 0-309-09593-X (Book) International Standard Book Number 0-309-54880-2 (PDF) Copies of this report are available free of charge from Space Studies Board National Research Council The Keck Center of the National Academies 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2005 by the National Academy of Sciences.
    [Show full text]