Astronomy 1001 -- R. M. Humphreys

Review Sheet -- Exam # 1

I. Introduction and Historical background

What is astronomy

Ancient astronomy

Geocentric model --- Ptolemy

Heliocentric model -- Copernicus

Tycho Brahe

Kepler -- Kepler’s 3 laws

Galileo -- observations vs. geocentric model

Newton -- law of gravity, laws of motion

orbital motion -- why?

II. The Night Sky

The Earth in space -- rotation on axis

revolution about Sun

tilt of axis and origin of seasons

Celestial Sphere

ecliptic

celestial equator

celestial poles

solstices, equinoxes

Precession

Solar vs. sidereal time

orbit of moon, phases

eclipses of Sun & Moon -- Why?

III. Electromagnetic radiation, optics and telescopes

EM spectrum

wavelength, frequency, velocity of light

inverse square law

Doppler effect

Optics -- formation of an image

refraction & reflection

Telescopes -- optical and radio

atmospheric windows

IV. Solar System

membershio

formation

extrasolar planets

terrestrial planets

Earth -- plate tectonics

Moon -- surface, ages, origin

atmospheres -- origin, greenhouse effect

Mercury, Venus, Mars -- surface condition

evidence for water

giant planets and their satelites

Jupiter -- atmosphere, composition

4 Galilean satellites

Saturn -- rings, Roche limit, Titan

Uranus & Neptune -- atmosphere

Pluto & trans-Neptunian objects -- dwarf planets

no longer a major planet -- why?

V. Interplanetary material

Asteroids -- asteroid belt

Comets -- composition, orbits, tail & nucleus

Halley’s comet

Meteors & meteor showers

Role of impacts -- K-T event

Tunguska

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9