Assignment
READING--Chapter 1--Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour
• Be able to put various things in our universe in order from closest to farthest, and from smallest to largest.
• Explain the difference between the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe.
• Talk about how big the universe is.
READING--Chapter 2--Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy
• Define the main features of the celestial sphere
• Explain the system astronomers use to describe the sky
• Describe how motions of the stars appear to us on Earth
• Describe how motions of the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to us on Earth
• Understand the modern meaning of the term constellation
READING--Chapter 3--Orbits and Gravity
• Explain Kepler's first two laws of planetary motion
• Describe Newton's three laws of motion
• Define mass, volume, and density and how they differ
• Explain what determines the strength of gravitt
• Explain how an object (such as a satellite) can be put into orbit around Earth
• Explain how an object (such as a planetary probe) can escape from orbit
READING--Chapter 4--Earth, Moon, and Sky
• Explain how right ascension and declination are used to map the sky
• Describe how the tilt of Earth's axis causes the seasons
• Understand how calendars vary among different cultures
• Explain the cause of the lunar phases
• Understand how the Moon rotates and revolves around Earth
• Describe what causes tides on Earth
• Explain why the amplitude of tides changes during the course of a month
• Describe what causes lunar and solar eclipses
READING--Chapter 5--Radiation and Spectra
• Understand the bands of the electromagnetic spectrum and how they differ from one another
• Understand how each part of the spectrum interacts with Earth's atmosphere
• Explain how astronomers learn the composition of a gas by examining its spectral lines
• Discuss the various types of spectra
• Describe the structure of atoms and the components of nuclei
• Explain the behavior of electrons within atoms and how electrons interact with light to move among energy levels
• Explain how emission line spectra and absorption line spectra are formed
• Explain why the spectral lines of photons we observe from an object will change as a result of the object's motion toward or away from us
• Describe how we can use the Doppler effect to deduce how astronomical objects are moving through space
READING--Chapter 6--Astronomical Instruments
• Describe the main functions of a telescope
• Recognize the largest visible-light and infrared telescopes in operation today
• Discuss the factors relevant to choosing an appropriate telescope site
• Why do astronomers use spectrometers?
• Can we "hear" radio waves?
• Identify the world's largest radio telescopes
• List the advantages of making astronomical observations from space
• Explain the importance of the Hubble Space Telescope
READING--Chapter 7--Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System
• Describe how the objects in our solar system are identified, explored, and characterized
• Describe the types of small bodies in our solar system, their locations, and how they formed
• Be able to draw a map of the solar system.
• Describe the characteristics of the giant planets, terrestrial planets, and small bodies in the solar system
• Explain what influences the temperature of a planet's surface
• Explain why there is geological activity on some planets and not on others
• Explain how astronomers can tell whether a planetary surface is geologically young or old
• Describe different methods for dating planets (Tinder is not an acceptable answer, but perhaps OKCupid?)
READING--Chapter 8--The Earth as a Planet
• Describe the components of Earth's interior and explain how scientists determined its structure
• Specify the origin, size, and extent of Earth's magnetic field
• Explain the difference between weather and climate
• Describe the causes and effects of the atmospheric greenhouse effect and global warming
• Explain the scarcity of impact craters on Earth compared with other planets and moons
READING--Chapter 9--Cratered Worlds
• How big is the Moon, compared to the Earth?
• Differentiate between the major surface features of the Moon: crater, maria, highlands, peak, ray
• Describe the properties of the lunar soil, also called regolith.
• Explain the process of impact crater formation
• Discuss the use of crater counts to determine relative ages of lunar landforms
• Describe the top three early hypotheses of the formation of the Moon
• Summarize the current "giant impact" concept of how the Moon formed
• Describe Mercury's basic structure and composition (at least 10 facts)
• Summarize our ideas about the origin and evolution of Mercury
READING--Chapter 10--Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars
• Compare the basic physical properties of Earth, Mars, and Venus, including their orbits
• Learn 10 facts about Venus
• Explain what the study of craters on Venus tells us about the age of its surface
• Explain why the surface of Venus is inhospitable to human life
• Explain how the greenhouse effect has led to high temperatures on Venus
• Learn 10 facts about Mars
• Discuss the main missions that have explored Mars
• Describe the various features found on the surface of Mars
• Compare the volcanoes and canyons on Mars with those of Earth
• Describe the general conditions on the surface of Mars
• Describe the general composition of the atmosphere on Mars
• Explain what we know about the polar ice caps on Mars and how we know it
• Describe the evidence for the presence of water in the past history of Mars
• Summarize the evidence for and against the possibility of life on Mars
READING--Chapter 11--The Giant Planets
• Provide an overview of the composition of the giant planets. Do not say that Uranus and Neptune are made of gas.
• Describe the general appearance and rotation of the giant planets
• Describe the composition and structure of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
• Compare and contrast the internal heat sources of the giant planets
• Describe the discovery and characteristics of the giant planets' magnetic fields
• Characterize the giant planets' wind and weather patterns
• Understand the scale and longevity of storms on the giant planets
READING--Chapter 12--Rings, Moons, and Pluto
• Name the major moons of each of the jovian planets
• Planetary Fact Sheet.pdf
• Explain what may be responsible for the unusual features on the icy surface of Europa
• Describe the major distinguishing characteristic of Io
• Explain how tidal forces generate the geological activity we see on Europa and Io
• Explain how the thick atmosphere of Titan makes bodies of liquid on its surface possible
• Describe what we learned from the landing on Titan with the Huygens probe
• Define "planet"
• Name new dwarf planets discovered in our solar system
• Describe information about Pluto's surface deduced from the New Horizons image
• Describe the two theories of planetary ring formation
• Explain how the rings of Uranus and Neptune differ in composition and appearance from the rings of Saturn
• Describe how ring structure is affected by the presence of moons
READING--Chapter 13--Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System
• Describe the composition and classification of the various types of asteroids
• Recognize the threat that near-Earth objects represent for Earth
• Discuss possible defensive strategies to protect our planet
• Characterize the general physical appearance of comets
• Describe the composition of the Oort cloud
• Describe trans-Neptunian and Kuiper-belt objects
• Explain the proposed fate of comets that enter the inner solar system
READING--Chapter 14--Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System
• Explain the difference between: meteors, meteorites, comets, asteroids
• Explain what a meteor is and why it is visible in the night sky
• Describe the origins of meteor showers
• Explain the origin of meteorites and the difference between a meteor and a meteorite
• Summarize the physical changes during the solar nebula stage of solar system formation
• Describe the main events of the further evolution of the solar system
• Explain the two primary methods for detection of exoplanets
• Compare the main characteristics of other planetary systems with the features of the solar system
• Describe the geological activity during the evolution of the planets, particularly on the terrestrial planets.