Fundamentals of Astronomy

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Fundamentals of Astronomy
This is a mini-research project to help you come
to know some of the basic concepts of Astronomy.
Left click your mouse to move to the next slide
and to activate any hyperlinks. Read the
information completely and discuss it with your
partner before writing your answers in complete
sentences. You must prepare for an oral
presentation of your findings.
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Fundamentals of Astronomy
Grading This assignment will be graded as a 50
point quiz according to this rubric
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Fundamentals of Astronomy
Report Sheet Your final Report Sheet should look
like this segment
Your name Fundamentals of Astronomy Partners
name

• Models of the Solar System
• The answer that you and your partner researched
  and discussed.
• Same
• Same

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Fundamentals of Astronomy BY j. Prizzi Table of
Contents 1. Models of the solar system 2.
Celestial Motion and sphere 3. Retrograde motion
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Models of the solar system
Aristotle and Ptolemy proposed the Earth to be in
center of the solar system, which later came to
be known as the Geocentric Model of the Solar
System.

• Research, discuss and answer the following
  questions
• Explain the location and movements of the planets
  (especially Earth) and the Sun as described by
  the Geocentric model of the solar system
  (universe).
• Draw a rough draft of this model now, and
  complete a full page final drawing later with
  color and labels etc.
• What was the Churchs opinion of the Geocentric
  Model?
• Hyperlinks
• Astronomy 161 (Geocentric Model)

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Models of the solar system

• Research, discuss and answer the following
  questions
• Explain the location and movements of the planets
  (especially Earth) and the Sun as described by
  the Heliocentric model of the solar system
  (universe).
• Draw a rough draft of this model now, and
  complete a full page final drawing later with
  color and labels etc.
• Who proposed this theory and during what time in
  history? Why didnt this philosopher/scientist
  publish his work sooner?
• HYPERLINKS
• Astronomy 161 (Heliocentric Model)

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Celestial Motion and sphere
Read the questions below. Then go to the next
slide to watch a video to find the answers.
1. What causes the star trails in this time lapse
photograph?
Time Lapse Photo of Star Trails.
2. What is precession? What causes it? 3.
Polaris position changed as the viewers location
on Earth changed. Why did Polaris move lower
in the sky as the viewer moved from D.C. toward
the equator?
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Celestial Motion and sphere
Click on the box below and watch the video that
follows. This will be your introduction to the
celestial motion and sphere. Please be courteous
and keep your volume at acceptable levels or wear
headphones. Questions based on the video are on
next slide.
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Celestial Motion and sphere
Research, discuss and answer the following
questions 4. What is the celestial sphere? Is
it real or is it a model? Why is it useful? 5.
Celestial motion refers to the apparent movement
of all objects in the sky. What causes this
diurnal or daily movement? 6. What is the
ecliptic? Why is it important observationally?
Hyperlink Astronomy 161 (celestial spheres)
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Retrograde motion
As you may have read by now, retrograde motion
was a widely debated observation and caused the
ancient philosophers/scientists many problems for
their theories. Research, discuss and answer
the following questions 1. What is retrograde
motion? What is observed? Hyperlink Astronomy
161 (Retrograde) 2. Explain what causes
retrograde motion. Hyperlinks Animation of
Retrograde Motion Retrograde Motion Explained
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Apparent Diameter
This is another observation that gave the ancient
scientists difficulties. View below the two
pictures of the Moon taken with the same
magnification on different days of the month.
3. How do explain how the same object (our Moon)
can have different apparent diameters on
different days? (no links on this one- you are on
your own!)
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Congratulations!

• You have completed this assignment on The
  Fundamentals of Astronomy